Glenoleon pulchellus (Rambur)

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 14-15

Glenoleon pulchellus (Rambur)

Myrmeleon pulchellus Rambur 1842: 408 . Holotype, Australia (MNHN).

Further description: Froggatt 1902: 360; Adams 1936: 25, figure (drawing whole insect); New 1985b: 33, figures 588-595 (wings; male, female terminalia, male genitalia); Healy and Smithers 1972: plate 23 (photo of adult).

Taxonomy: Hagen 1866: 405 (in Glenurus ); Banks 1913: 224 (in Glenoleon ).

Description. Adult: length of body 21 to 25 mm; forewing 29 to 33 mm, hindwing 27 to 31 mm. Coloration: body dark brown to black with yellow markings; labrum and clypeus yellow; frons black; vertex with midline black, an anterior black bar and a central black bar with narrow pale spot each side of posterior midline; antenna black; pronotum with broad pale stripe each side of midline, irregular pale streak outside this along posterior one-half; scutellum with lateral pale spots; abdomen black; wing venation almost wholly dark brown, subcosta (especially) with intermediate pale brown areas; hindwing with two broad preapical black bands; femur dark brown with narrow pale preapical band; foretibia and midtibia with two dark brown bands; mesotibia pale except apex; tarsus dark brown except at base of basal tarsomere and distal tarsomere; abdomen black. Chaetotaxy: ocular rim without supraocular setae; forefemur with few, if any, long white setae on anterior face; female lateral gonapophysis with about ten thickened setae; posterior gonapophysis with about twelve thickened apical setae. Structure: antenna slender, club moderately developed; pronotum longer than broad; wings broad; legs slender, distal tarsomere about equal to basitarsus; tibial spurs apically curved, extending at least to apex of tarsomere II; pretarsal claws curved, slightly shorter than tibial spurs; male genitalia long and slender; parameres protuberant with few setae; female with ectoproct not ornamented; posterior gonapophysis large, broad; sternite VII deep; pregenital plate broad and deep, with pronounced dorsolateral arms.

Larva: with complex color pattern; mesoscutum with tuft of setae medially borne on a stalk.

Distribution. Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria).

New record. AUSTRALIA. New South Wales: Pilliga Nature Reserve, 34 km. north Coonabarabran, New South Wales, September 23, 2005, R. Miller & L. Stange , reared (1f, FSCA).

Discussion. The color pattern of the wings, especially the two broad preapical bands on the hindwing is distinctive. The larva was found in coarse sand. The fact that only one larva was found near the entrance to the cave (Zone 1) suggests that this is not typical behavior for this species.