Bubopsis sp.

Badano, Davide & Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio, 2014, The Larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera), Zootaxa 3796 (2), pp. 287-319 : 299

Bubopsis sp.

( Fig. 7 )

One larva belonging to an undetermined North African species of Bubopsis , undoubtedly differing from both B. agrionoides and B. andromache , is here briefly described in order to provide a comparison with congeners. The specimen was collected in a Libyan locality in close proximity with the Egyptian border. At the present state of knowledge, only B. hamatus (Klug, 1834) is reported from the area (H. Aspöck et al. 2001).

Examined specimens. Libya. Cyrenaica, Porto Bardia; III.1927 (Confalonieri) (Museo civico di Storia naturale “G. Doria”, Genova), 1 L3.

Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size: BL 10.50 mm, HL 2.70 mm, HW 2.90 mm, ML 4.09 mm. General colouring grey with a median white stripe, dorsal side of the head capsule grey, ventral side of the head dark grey, mandibles black; legs dark grey; body, including mandibles, extensively covered by white dolichasters. Head wider than long, not dilated posteriorly, with a deep dorsal posterior depression; ocular tubercles with an apical bulge; clypeo-labrum thickly covered by white dolichasters; mandibles noticeably longer than the head capsule, distal portion bent outward; teeth small, distance between the base of the mandible and the basal tooth larger than that between the teeth; interdental pseudo-teeth: (4)(2)(0); mandibles extensively covered by white scale-like setae reaching the median tooth ( Fig. 7a ). Pronotum thickly covered by white dolichasters shaping a median white stripe ( Fig. 7b ); mesothoracic scolus-like processes bent backward. Abdominal spiracles disposed on the lateral sides; dorsal series of abdominal scolus-like processes conspicuous.

Remarks. This interesting larva notably differs from B. agrionoides and B. andromache for the thick covering of scale-like white setae on the dorsal side of the mandible, reaching the median tooth and for the dorsal median white stripe composed by dolichasters.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Bubopsis sp., 3rd instar larva (Libya: Cyrenaica). Dorsal (above), ventral (middle) and lateral (below) view of the head; a–b: diagnostic characters, see species description.