Libelloides latinus (Lefèbvre, 1842)

Badano, Davide & Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio, 2014, The Larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera), Zootaxa 3796 (2), pp. 287-319 : 305-308

Libelloides latinus (Lefèbvre, 1842)

( Fig. 11 )

Larva of this species is described here for the first time, as the only existing account is a note by Pantaleoni (1991) on the camouflaging behaviour.

Examined specimens. Italy. Liguria, 22 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected at Pompeiana ( IM), VII.2010 (D. Badano) .

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size (based on 22 specimens): BL 12.08 mm; HL 2.58 mm (2.37–2.73), HW 2.95 mm (2.77–3.11), ML 2.77 mm (2.55–3.03), HW/HL 1.14, ML/HL 1.07. General colouring grey mottled dark grey, dorsal side of the body with a median paler stripe, ventral side of the body pale with grey spots; dorsal side of the head capsule pale brown with a dark marking on the clypeo-labrum and a median trapezoidal dark marking with a yellowish border disposed at the level of the eye tubercle ( Fig. 11b ), dark spots are present at the insertion of the larger dolichasters on the head surface, ventral side of head brown with a darker marking on the mouthparts, mandibles brown; legs with dark brown coxae and pale femora, tibiae and tarsi with a median darker area; setae of the body black. Head wider than long, slightly dilated posteriorly; mandibles slightly longer than the head capsule ( Fig. 11a ); interdental pseudo-teeth: (3–4)(1–3)(0–1); external margin of the mandible covered by short setae. Pronotum pale brown with dark brown stripes; mesothoracic spiracles ochre with a dark apex. Abdominal spiracles dark brown; dorsal series of abdominal scolus-like processes with a dark marking at the base of each process ( Fig. 11c ); IX sternite pale with dark markings at both the anterior and posterior extremities ( Fig. 11d ).

Bio-ecology. L. latinus is a lowland and hillside species of open environments, rarely found over 700 m of altitude ( Pantaleoni 1990 a, 1990b). This ascalaphid is typical of open Mediterranean biotopes such as grasslands and scrublands. The larvae are ambush predators living on the soil surface, camouflaging themselves with detritus.

Distribution. This species is an endemism of the Apennine Peninsula, not crossing the Po river and absent from most of northern Italy; there are some reports from neighbouring areas of southern France. The absence of L. latinus in Sicily is particularly noteworthy as this ascalaphid is well known for Aspromonte, the southernmost part of the peninsula.

Remarks. The larva of L. latinus is mainly recognizable thanks to the pigmentation pattern of the head and the characteristic dark spots on the inferior side of the dorsal series of abdominal scolus-like processes.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Libelloides latinus (Lefèbvre, 1842), 3rd instar larva (Italy: Liguria, Pompeiana). Dorsal (above), ventral (middle) and lateral (below) view; a–d: diagnostic characters, see species description.