Maracandula oaxaca Miller and Stange, 2009

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2009, A revision of the genus Maracandula Currie (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2009 (101), pp. 1-10 : 8-9

Maracandula oaxaca Miller and Stange , new species

( Figure 19-23 )

Types. Male holotype ( FSCA) and 26 m, 12 f paratypes: 3 miles south El Camarón, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2.X.1986, R. Miller and L. Stange ( CASC; FSCA; UNAM). Additional paratypes: Santa Cruz Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico, 23.X.1987, B. C. Ratcliffe, lowland forest (2m, 1f, USNM) .

Diagnosis. Antenna tricolored, flagellomeres 1 to 5 dark brown to black, next 2 or 3 whitish, followed by dark brown club ( Fig. 20 ); pronotum mostly pale yellow with dark reddish brown areas concentrated along midline ( Fig. 19 ); tergite VIII one-half length of tergite VII.

Description. General coloration medium brown; face dark brown with central pale area and two lateral off-white spots connected to ocular rim; interantennal mark continuous with dark brown expanded epicranial mark; labrum medium brown with small pale central basal spot; median mark two pale lateral dashes with dark brown dashes connected posteriorly to pale brown triangular mark; antennal flagellomeres 1 to 5 dark brown, 6 to 8 off white, and 9 to 18 dark brown; pronotum pale straw colored with broad posterior median band reaching three-fourths of distance to furrow; mesoscutellum dark brown; fore coxa mostly pale with dark brown base and crescent-shaped mark near middle of lateral face extending part way around coxa; femur and tibia pale with prominent dark brown spots at some setal bases; wings hyaline with brown wing veins; abdomen brown and unmarked with mostly brown setae. Chaetotaxy: Pronotum, prescutum, mesoscutellum, metascutellum and abdomen with elongate bristles. Structure: Antenna with 18 flagellomeres; ocular width about one-half its interocular distance measured anteriorly; antennal pedicel separated from ocular rim by one-half diameter of antennal pedicel; labial palpus slen- der, distal palpomere weakly swollen; pronotum as wide as long; basal and distal tarsomeres of fore and mid leg equal; basal tarsomere of hind leg distinctly longer than distal tarsomere; basal tarsomere about six times longer than wide; wings as in Figure 19 ; hypostigmatic cell four times longer than high; fore wing with two cells beyond hypostigmatic cell; abdomen shorter than wings; genitalia as in Figure 22 .

Female. Abdomen shorter than wings; terminalia as in Figure 23 .

Discussion. Individuals were found flying in the afternoon in an area with abundant grasses and rocks intermixed with trees and shrubs.

Figures

Figure 19-23. Maracandula oaxaca. 19) Habitus photo of adult. 20) Frontal view of head. 21) Mid and hind legs. 22) Male genitalia. 23) Female terminalia (posterior view).