Ganguilus imperator ( Navás, 1914 ) Navas, 1914

Michel, Bruno & Mansell, Mervyn W., 2010, Revision of the genus Ganguilus Navás (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 2386, pp. 1-24 : 12-14

Ganguilus imperator ( Navás, 1914) comb. nov.

( Figs 24–28 )

Nelees imperator Navás, 1914: 374 .

Neuroleon imperator (Navás) : Stange 2004: 203.

Diagnosis

Medium sized. Body coloration yellow and black. Wings hyaline with black and brown markings ( Fig. 24 ). In forewings 3 black dots before origin of RS ( Fig. 25 ).

Redescription

Size (mm). Forewing: 3 33 Ƥ 36–38; hind wing: 3 29 Ƥ 34–35; length of body: 3 28 Ƥ 29–30; length of abdomen: 3 20 Ƥ 30.

Head. Face yellow with brown marking between antennal toruli. Frons brown. Vertex darker than frons. Scape with black setae on anterior surface. Terminal segment of labial palps enlarged at base with pointed apex.

Thorax. Pronotum yellow with two triangular markings at posterior margin. Lateral markings evanescent. Mesoprescutum yellow, black anteriorly; mesoscutum yellow bordered with black anteriorly; mesoscutellum yellow. Metanotum yellow. Pleurites yellow.

Legs. Yellow. Femora and tibiae with brown dots. Hind femora brown on distal half. Femoral brush of male with 39 setae.

Wings. Maculated with black and brown markings. Forewings with three crossveins between R and MP before origin of RS; RS arising before CuA fork. Three distinct black dots before origin of RS (see comment). A black dot at origin of RS and on first cross vein after CuA fork between MP and CuA1. A black line at junction of A1 and CuA2 reaching posterior margin of wing. One or two light brown dots in posterior area ( Fig. 25 ). The holotype in MRAC manifests an obviously abnormal venation and an abnormal coloration of the base of the forewings ( Figs 26 & 27 ). Hind wings with the markings restricted to apical area.

Abdomen. Tergite I black. Tergite II yellow with black posterior margin. Tergites III to VIII yellow with black anterior margin and another transverse black marking before posterior margin well defined from tergite IV. Sternites I and II yellow, the others black. Ectoprocts of male not projected backwards. The terminalia of male were not dissected. Female terminalia with well developed gonapophyseal plate ( Fig. 28 ).

Material examined

DEM. REP. CONGO: HOLOTYPE 3 / Typus [h]/ TYPE [p]/ Nelees [h]* imperator Nav. [h]* Navás S.J. det. [p]/MUSEE DU CONGO * Kapiri [10°18’S 26°11’E]* XII [II crossed out] 1912* Miss. Agric. [p]/ MRAC-Tervuren, Database No.* MRAC00031 [p]/R. DÉT. [p]* T [h]* 228 [p]/ (MRAC). Kanonga [09°16’S 26°07’E], alt. 695 m, 1Ƥ, 13–27.ix.1947, G.F.De Witte (MRAC). Sashila [09°40’S 23°19’E], 1Ƥ, 1.x.1925, G.

Overleat (MRAC). MALAWI: Mlanje [16°02’S 35°30’E], alt. 2300 ft, 1Ƥ, 7.x.1913, S.A. Neave (BMNH). ZAMBIA: Northwest Province, Kabompo Gorge [12°05′S 25°10′E], 13, 9.ix.2003, A.J.Gardiner, SANC Database no. NEUR09388 (SANC).

Distribution

Central Africa ( Navás, 1931) to southern Malawi and north-western Zambia ( Fig. 51 ).

Comments

We have identified as G. i m p e r a t o r, a female from Kanonga in MRAC with narrower wings and five crossveins between R and MP before the origin of RS but with the three distinct dots at base of the forewings before origin of RS. In this specimen the right gonapophysis is not developed.

Figures

FIGURES 28. Ganguilus imperator female, extremity of abdomen, left view (gp: gonapophyseal plate).

FIGURE 51. Distribution of Ganguilus species.

FIGURES 24 – 25. Ganguilus imperator male. 24 — Habitus; 25 — Base of right fore wing.

FIGURES 26 – 27. Ganguilus imperator male, holotype. 26 — Habitus; 27 — Base of right fore wing.