Eremoleon petrophila Miller and Stange, 2011

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2011, Antlions of Hispaniola (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2011 (182), pp. 1-28 : 14-15

Eremoleon petrophila Miller and Stange ,

new species

(Figures 9, 10, 11, 25, 26)

Holotype male, El Capa, 17 km. northeast

Vallejuelo, San Juan Province, Dominican Repub-

lic, 27.V.1986, Miller and Stange ( FSCA).

Diagnosis. Antennal flagellomere 3 longer than

wide; female ectoproct without digging setae;

mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with many elon-

gate, erect white bristles; posterior gonapophysis

with all setae shorter than one-half length of

gonapophysis, somewhat thickened.

Description. Holotype male, length of body 20

mm, forewing 25 mm, abdominal tergite III 3.1

mm in length. Coloration: pale brown with con-

trasting dark brown markings; clypeus and labrum

pale brown, with small sublateral dark spot on

clypeus; mouthparts pale brown except for dark

brown cardo and dark suffusion at palpimacula;

broad interantennal dark brown spot, more exten-

sive below antennae, dark brown encircling an-

tennal bases; vertex pale brown with 4 dark brown

suffused scars on anterior row, lateral ones much Figures 9-11. Eremoleon petrophila Miller and Stange. wider than long, double median scars longer than 9) Female adult body. 10) Adult lateral view. 11) Female wide; small, irregular dark spot behind lateral spot terminalia.

of anterior row, with another dark brown area be-

hind that; dark brown at posterolateral margin; antenna mostly pale brown, scape dark brown mesally and laterally; pedicel mostly dark brown except apex; flagellomeres before subapical swelling with dark brown basally on median face and lateral face, uninterrupted pale bands extend from near base to flagellar expansion on two sides; clava mostly darker brown preceded by several mostly pale brown flagellomeres; pronotum pale brown with dark brown areas submedially at middle and anteriorly, sublateral dark brown spots posteriorly and anteriorly, and small dark brown spot laterally at posterior end; nota pale brown with dark brown spots; pterothorax mostly pale brown with numerous dark brown areas on scutum, mesoscutellum and pleura; metascutellum nearly all pale brown; postnota extensively dark brown; coxae pale brown with small dark brown spot on lateral face; femora, tibiae and tarsi of all legs similarly colored, pale brown with dark brown apical spot on femora and tibiae, tibiae also with subbasal dark

brown area (reduced in size on hindtibia), tarsus mostly pale brown with some dark brown on tarsomeres 3 and 4 and apex of distal tarsomere; abdomen mostly pale brown with dark brown banding dorsally; large dark spot on middle of tergite II, most of posterior third of tergites III-IV except apically, tergite VIII and most of sternites nearly all pale brown; wing membrane without suffusion except small rhegmal and stigmal areas, veins pale brown with dark brown interruptions at vein and crossvein junctures. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with many elongate, erect white bristles including sublateral ones; nota and scutella with elongate, erect white bristles; forecoxa with several elongate white bristles posteriorly. Structure: antenna with flagellomere III longer than wide; distal palpomere of labium moderately swollen; forefemur slender and elongate, at widest point about equal at most to interantennal distance, with sparse pubescence; femoral sense hair of fore leg less than one-third length of femur; forewing with costal area higher before stigma than above radial sector, not narrowing toward stigma, with single series of cells for entire distance, radial sector arising about 1/3 distance from base to apex of wing; hindwing not abruptly narrowed toward apex; medial area at highest point narrower than wing area above it; pretarsal claws of hindleg shorter than basitarsus which is about 4 times longer than greatest diameter; hindtibial spurs reaching beyond tarsomere II.

Female. About as described for male except for terminalia. Ectoproct not produced ventrally; lateral gonapophyses fused, posterior gonapophysis with short, stout setae, ectoproct without digging setae.

Larva. Mandible with distal tooth as long as or longer than middle tooth, all teeth parallel and usually equidistant head with many long, white, hairlike setae laterally; mandible with middle tooth much closer to distal tooth than to basal tooth; labial palpus longer than basal width of mandible; mesothoracic spiracle borne on tubercle; abdomen with lateral scoli ( Figure 25 ); mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with many elongate, erect, white bristles; ventral head capsule with only simple setae.

Paratypes. . Dominican Republic: San Juan Province: El Capa, 17 km. northeast Vallejuelo, 27.V.1986, Miller and Stange, reared (14m, 10f, FSCA, USNM). Barahona Province: 6 km. northeast El Paraiso, 24.V.1986, reared, Miller and Stange (lm, 1f, FSCA).

Discussion. This new species is strikingly similar to P. cerverinus in coloration and structure. The major differences are found on the female terminalia. Also, the antenna is longer with the third flagellomere about as long as wide rather than wider than long in cerverinus . There also appears to be more bristlelike setae on E. petrophila especially on the metanotum and forecoxa. This species could be segregated into its own genus since the characters of the female terminalia and larvae are significantly different in other Eremoleon . These modifications are probably attributable to the different larval microhabitat. As in most rock dwelling larvae, the larvae of E. petrophila are flattened with well-developed scoli that provide camouflage. The female lays the egg on the rock ceiling and uses its modified terminalia to clean the egg deposition spot. We saw eggs glued on the ceiling in clusters of 4 to 6 eggs near the presence of adult antlions. The short, stout setae on the posterior gonapophysis presumably evolved for this purpose although they are not as well developed in other species with this habit such as those of Navasoleon Banks and Jaffuelia Navás. Some adults were found during the day resting on the ceiling where larvae also were present. The larva photographed in Figures 24 and 25 was a preserved specimen so that the colors are not correct. The larva is mostly pale brown in color.

Etymology. The specific name is Greek for rock loving.

Figures

Figures 25-29. Eremoleon spp. larvae. 25-26) Eremoleon petrophila Miller and Stange. 25) Dorsal view. 26) Ventral view. 27-29) Eremoleon phasma Miller and Stange. 27) Dorsal view. 28) Ventral view. 29) Ventral view of head.

Figures 20-24. Eremoleon spp. larvae. 20-22) E. cerverai (Navás). 20) Dorsal view. 21) Close-up of head. 22) Ventral view. 23-24) E. cerverinus (Navás). 23) Dorsal view of head. 24) Ventral view.