Nemoleon notatus (Rambur, 1842)

Badano, Davide & Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio, 2014, The larvae of European Myrmeleontidae (Neuroptera), Zootaxa 3762 (1), pp. 1-71 : 19

Nemoleon notatus (Rambur, 1842)

( Figs. 3B , 4B , 9 )

The larva of this species is described for the first time.

Examined specimen. Italy. Sardinia, Alghero (Sassari), Capocaccia , rock overhang, XI.2012 (D. Badano), 1 L3, identification by biomolecular analysis .

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size: BL 8.50 mm; HL 2.05 mm, HW 1.85 mm, ML 1.66 mm, HW/HL 0.90, ML/HL 0.81. General colouring dark brown, dotted with small paler markings and a median light brown stripe running on the dorsal side, ventral side paler, mottled with dark brown; head capsule dark brown with darker areas on the sides, ventral side dark brown with a pair of darker markings at the base of the mandibles ( Fig. 9f ); antennae black; mandibles dark brown, internal margin paler; legs pale; setae of the body mainly black, interspersed with shorter white ones. Head slightly longer than wide; dorsal side covered by whitish scale-like setae ( Fig. 9b ); anterior margin of the labrum covered by white dolichasters ( Fig. 9d ); mandibles bent upward ( Fig. 9i ), relatively robust, shorter than the head capsule ( Fig. 9a ); interdental mandibular setae whitish: (3–4)(1)(1)(0); sparse black setae are disposed on the external margin of the mandible; labial palpi covered by white dolichasters ( Fig. 9g ). Pronotum covered by white scale-like setae ( Fig. 4B , 9c ); first pair of mesothoracic setiferous processes white ( Fig. 9e ). Abdominal spiracles slightly raised; IX abdominal sternite ventrally equipped with a pair of spiniform setae; rastra prominent, bearing 4 digging setae of which the internal seta is the shortest ( Figs. 3B , 9h ).

Bio-ecology. A poorly known species, N. notatus is associated with open arid environments such as savannahs, while in Europe this seldom collected antlion is mainly reported from arid coastal sites. In Sardinia, this species lives in arid and rocky scrublands. The only known larva was discovered buried under a rock overhang.

Distribution. A widely distributed afrotropical taxon reaching North Africa, the Middle East and southernmost western Europe ( Spain, Balearic Islands and Sardinia).

Remarks. This species is the only member of the genus whose larva is known, comprising the only other European congener, N. poecilopterus (Stein, 1863) distributed from south Italy eastward ( Stange 2004). The larva of N. notatus is easily recognizable from all the other known European members of the tribe thanks to the peculiar chaetotaxy of the head and pronotum.

Figures

FIGURE 3. IX and VIII abdominal sternite of 3rd instar larva of Dendroleontini and Nemoleontini. A, Dendroleon pantherinus; B, Nemoleon notatus; C, Distoleon tetragrammicus; D, Creoleon lugdunensis; E, Neuroleon assimilis; F, Macronemurus appendiculatus; G, Megistopus lucasi; H, Gymnocnemia variegata. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. Pronotum of 3rd instar larvae of Dendroleontini and Nemoleontini; A, Dendroleon pantherinus; B, Nemoleon notatus; C, Distoleon tetragrammicus; D, Creoleon lugdunensis; E, Neuroleon nemausiensis; F, Macronemurus appendiculatus; G, Megistopus lucasi; H, Gymnocnemia variegata. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Nemoleon notatus (Rambur, 1842), 3rd instar larva (Italy: Sardinia, Alghero, Capo Caccia). Dorsal (above), ventral (middle) and lateral (below) view; a–i: diagnostic characters, see species description.