Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros, 2006

Hassan, Muhammad Asghar & Liu, Xingyue, 2021, Taxonomic notes on owlflies from Pakistan (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae Ascalaphinae), Zootaxa 4970 (3), pp. 401-452 : 422-423

Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros, 2006

Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros, 2006: 323 . Type locality: Pakistan (Islamabad: Margalla Hills).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to N. gibba , but it can be distinguished by the presence of a darker pterostigma, the proximal region of which has ochre brown shades, and by the dark brown prescutum, which has a pair of distinct yellowish circular spots at anterolateral and posterolateral margins, and a median yellow stripe slightly narrowed at hind margin, covered with mixed long black and greyish yellow setae.

Measurement (♀ n=1). Forewing length: 30.0 mm, width 7.0 mm; hind wing length: 26.7 mm, width 5.2 mm; abdominal length: 22.0 mm; body length: 29.0 mm.

Re-description. Female ( Fig. 12 ). Head ( Fig. 13F ). Postorbital sclerite yellow. Occiput brownish. Vertex brownish, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Lateral plates yellow, slightly brownish at lateral margins. Mesal plate yellow. Frons dark, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae. Anterior orbital sclerite brownish. Lateral margins of paraocular band brownish yellow. Clypeus brownish yellow, slightly brownish at lateral margins, with distal row of black setae, proximal margin with short greyish yellow setae. Labrum brownish, lateral margins yellow, with feebly curved brownish yellow setae. Mandibles brownish yellow, with dark brown apex. Maxillary and labial palpi brownish yellow. Posterior genal triangle greyish yellow. Antennal toruli brownish yellow, arising more or less dorsally from the longitudinal transverse furrow of eyes. Antennae missing; scape dark brown, with mixed long dark brown and greyish yellow setae.

Thorax ( Fig. 13A ). Dorsal cervical plates dark brown, with long greyish yellow setae; cervical sclerite yellow. Pronotum narrow, both margins flexed upward, yellow, dark brown at lateral margins, with long, black setae at lateral margins, white medially and mixed black and white setae at posterolateral margins. Mesonotum dark brown; prescutum dark with distinct yellow circular spots at anterolateral and posterolateral margins, median yellow stripe slightly narrow at hind margin, covered with long black and greyish yellow setae; scutum with a median brownish yellow stripe, an indistinct submedian brownish yellow marking, with black setae, anterolaterally with mixed black and greyish yellow setae; scutellum with proximal 1/4 brownish yellow transverse stripe, distal margin brownish, with black setae, proximal brownish yellow stripe without setae. Metanotum dark brown, with brownish yellow pruinose, covered with long black and greyish yellow setae. Pleuron dark brown with yellow markings, covered with greyish yellow setae, except proximal half of mesopleuron with brown setae ( Fig. 13C ).

Legs ( Fig. 13C ). Foreleg. Coxae dark brown, with brownish yellow setae. Trochanter with mixed short black and white setae. Femur dark brown, with short white setae at proximal half, ventral margin with mixed long black and white setae. Tibia dark brown, yellow at base, with short and long black setae, a narrow yellow fasica at dorsomedially; tibial spurs equal in length to Ta1–Ta3. Tarsomeres dark brown, with short black setae; Ta1–Ta4 subequal in length; Ta5 as long as combined length of Ta1–Ta4. Mid leg. Coxae dark brown, with brownish yellow setae. Trochanter similar to foreleg. Femur dark brown, slightly brownish yellow at anterodorsally, with mixed short and long white setae, ventral margin with long black and white setae. Tibia dark brown, yellow at base, with short and long black setae, a narrow yellow fasica at submedian and subapical margins; tibial spurs equal in length to Ta1–Ta3. Tarsomeres similar to foreleg. Hind leg. Coxae dark brown with greyish yellow setae. Trochanter brownish, posterior margin yellow, covered with short white setae. Femur dark brown, setae similar to mid leg, a complete brownish yellow stripe on the ventral margin, an incomplete brownish yellow stripe at anterolateral margin. Tibia similar to mid leg. Tibial spurs equal to length of Ta1–Ta2. Tarsomere similar to mid leg. Tibial spurs and pretarsal claws dark brown.

Wings ( Fig. 12 ). Membrane transparent, veins dark brown, with sparse short black setae. Pterostigma wider than long, rhomboid-shaped, dark brown, proximal portion ochre brown, with four dark brown crossveins; apical area beyond Sc+R with two rows of cells. Forewing longer than hind wing. Presectoral area with seven crossveins. Rs with seven major forks. Hind wing. Presectoral area with five crossveins. Rs with seven major forks.

Abdomen shorter than hind wing in female. Tergum evenly dark brown. T1 greyish yellow, split dorsally, with long brown setae. Acrotergite brownish. T2 brownish yellow, hind margin dark brown, with long greyish yellow setae. T3 dark brown with short black setae, anterolateral margins with short white setae, hind margin with narrowly transverse yellow stripe. T4–T8 with short black setae, hind margin with narrow indistinct yellow stripe. Sternum dark brown. S1, S2 and proximal 1/4 of S3 with white setae; S4–S8 with short black setae.

Female genitalia brownish yellow ( Figs 13H–I ). Tergum 8 (T8) sub-rhomboid, with short black setae; tergum 9 (T9) subquadrate, posterolateral margins slightly produced, with short black setae; ectoprocts (epr) quadrate, with long black setae; anterior gonapophyses (ga) long, thumb-liked, brownish, with black setae; lateral gonapophyses (gl) rounded in lateral view, brownish, with black setae; linguella slightly chitinized with rather short brown setae.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Azad Kashmir Territory : 1♀, Azad Patan, [33°42’41.50”N, 73°36’18.33”E], 490 m, 10.vii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan ( CAU) .

Distribution. Pakistan (Islamabad Capital Territory: Margalla Hills, Pir Sohava) ( Ábrahám & Mészáros 2006; Oswald 2020).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros. Female, habitus. Scale bar: 5.0 mm.

FIGURE 13. Nousera herczigi Ábrahám & Mészáros. Female. A. Head and thorax, dorsal view; B. Proximal margin of abdomen, dorsal view; C. Lateral view; D–E. Pterostigma of female right fore- and hind wing; F. Head, anterior view; G. Antenna; H. Female genitalia, lateral view; I. Same, ventral view. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (B); 2.0 mm (A); 1.0 mm (F); 0.5 mm (H–I).