Myrmeleon insertus Hagen, 1861

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2011, Antlions of Hispaniola (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2011 (182), pp. 1-28 : 9-10

Myrmeleon insertus Hagen

( Figure 3 )

Myrmeleon insertus Hagen 1861: 233 . Syntypes, Cuba, Poey (MCZC) and Port au Prince, Haiti (MCZC).

Further description. Gundlach 1888: 200; Smith 1931: 817, figure 15 (photo of wings); Wolcott 1950: 91 , figure (drawing of adult); Alayo 1968: 71, figure 23, Plate VI, figure 2, Plate VII, figure 12 (head; nota; wings; female terminalia).

Biology. Gosse 1853: 506; Lucas and Stange 1981: 213, figure 4 (larval head).

Distribution. Florida Keys; Bahamas (Eleuthera Key); Cuba; Dominica; Hispaniola; Jamaica; Puerto Rico.

Diagnosis. Adult: body length about 22 to 32 mm, forewing about 20 to 25 mm long. Coloration: body mostly dark brown; antenna mostly dark brown with pale brown at apex of flagellomeres; vertex pale brown with dark band anteriorly, double dark brown spots medially extended posteriorly as solid brown band; dark brown laterally at posterior margin; pronotum light brown with broad median dark brown stripe expanded near middle, nearly complete sublateral dark brown stripes sublaterally; legs dark brown and pale brown; wings with longitudinal veins alternating dark and light brown, nearly unmarked; pterostigma not milky white; abdominal tergites nearly all black with pale brown posteriorly, tergite VIII and ectoproct mostly pale brown. Chaetotaxy: distal tarsomere with setae less than one-half length of tarsomere diameter. Structure: head with antennae separated by about twice width of scape; forewing with costal area not greatly expanded at stigma, at most one and one-half times wider than costal area above radial sector, without interconnected cross veins; male ectoproct without postventral lobe; tergite IX ventrally produced into lobe; male ectoproct not produced ventrally; ventral process not bifurcate; sternite IX broadly truncate posteriorly, with median lobe; paramere without hooks; secondarily sclerotized structure under sternite IX.

Larva. Coloration: head and mandibles light brown to tan; ventral and dorsal body with rows of black spots on pink to light brown background; ventral head capsule with complex dark brown marks forming in part an “H” shape mark; dorsal head with posterior part dark brown with 4 dark brown parallel bars, anteriorly light brown with 4 dark brown spots forming a “Y” shape mark between antenna, base of “Y” pointing anteriorly. Chaetotaxy: head with long setae; mandible with some setae on exterior margin as long or longer than greatest mandibular width, average of 3 jaw setae near mandibular base but not found distal to basal tooth; head without dolichasters. Structure: head nearly rectangular with lateral indentations, about 1.31 mm long; labial palpus shorter than basal width of mandible; mesothoracic spiracle not borne on tubercle; sternite VIII with pair of inconspicuous sclerotized submedian teeth near posterior margin.

New records. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. Barahona Province: 6 km. northeast Paraíso , 24.V.1986, L. Stange (1m, 3f, FSCA) ; Fondo Negro , emerged 17.X.1985 (2m, FSCA) . La Vega Province: 5 km. west Mauabao , 14-16.V.200l, R. Woodruff, blacklight (1f, FSCA) . Peravia Province: Matanzas , 19.V.1986 (1m,1f, FSCA) . Monte Cristi Province: 3 km. north Villa Elisa , 1.X.1985, Woodruff and Stange (1m, FSCA) ; Paroli (beach), 2.VI.1986, Miller and Stange (1m, 1f, FSCA) . Pedernales Province: 13 km. north Los Charcos , 23.V.1985, Woodruff and Stange (1m, FSCA) . San Juan Province: El Capa, 17 km. northeast Vallejuelo, 27.V.1986, Miller and Stange (5m, 1f, FSCA). HAITI . Port-au-Prince , V.1938,(1f, FSCA) ; Hatte Lathan , 15.XII.1930 ( MCZC) .

Discussion. This is the only extant species of the tribe in Hispaniola and easily identified by the characters in the key. The pitfall traps are conspicuous making it easy to find the larvae. The adults are more difficult to find although they are sometimes taken at lights.

Figures

Figures 1-4. Adult antlions. 1) Vella eggerti (Hagen), male. 2) Peruveleon indiges (Walker), male. 3) Myrmeleon insertus Hagen, female. 4) Eremoleon cerverai (Navás), male.