Libelloides siculus (Angelini, 1827)

Badano, Davide & Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio, 2014, The Larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera), Zootaxa 3796 (2), pp. 287-319 : 313

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.4

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D64A7C50-26ED-4D39-B376-2200CCCB138E

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4915241

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DA9D6F-FF88-FFEF-92EB-D476FD24F85F

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Libelloides siculus (Angelini, 1827)
status

 

Libelloides siculus (Angelini, 1827) View in CoL

( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1 , 16 View FIGURE 16 )

The larvae of this Sicilian endemic species are described here for the first time.

Examined specimens. Italy. Sicily, 19 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected in Madonie (PA), VI.2010 (M. Romano) .

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size (based on 19 specimens): BL 9.72 mm; HL 2.06 mm (1.87–2.22), HW 2.50 mm (2.25–2.70), ML 2.37 mm (2.19–2.58), HW/HL 1.21, ML/HL 1.15. General colouring greyish ochre thickly mottled with grey, dorsal side with a median paler stripe, ventral side paler, mottled with grey; dorsal side of the head capsule dark brown with conspicuous yellow markings ( Fig. 16b View FIGURE 16 ), ventral side dark brown with two pale longitudinal markings ( Fig. 16d View FIGURE 16 ), mandibles dark brown; legs with dark brown coxae and yellowish femora, tibiae and tarsi ( Fig. 16e View FIGURE 16 ); setae of the body black. Head wider than long, slightly dilated posteriorly; mandibles slightly longer than the head capsule ( Fig. 16a View FIGURE 16 ); interdental pseudo-teeth: (~4)(~2)(0–1); external margin of the mandible with short setae. Thorax and its scolus-like processes yellowish, visually distinct from the greyish abdomen ( Fig. 16c View FIGURE 16 ); pronotum dark brown with yellow stripes and covered with short setae; mesothoracic spiracles yellow with black apex. Abdominal spiracles dark brown; VIII sternite with brown spots covering the short odontoid processes; IX sternite yellowish ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ).

Bio-ecology. This species inhabits open, grassy habitats from the sea-level to the mountains (Madonie, Peloritani, Etna). The larvae are soil dwelling ambush hunters, as the other members of the genus.

Distribution. L. siculus is an endemism of Sicily and nearby islands.

Remarks. The larva of L. siculus is recognizable for the pale longitudinal markings on the ventral side of the head and the yellowish colour of the head markings, thorax and legs. The above mentioned characters also clearly differentiate L. siculus from the closely related but allopatric L. ictericus and L. corsicus . Notably, this species shares its range with only one congener, L. coccajus .

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Neuroptera

Family

Ascalaphidae

Genus

Libelloides

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