Stenoleon fieldi Tillyard, 1916

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 28

Stenoleon fieldi Tillyard

( Figures 35, 36, 37, 83, 84)

Stenoleon fieldi Tillyard 1916: 60 . Holotype male, Tennant’s Creek , Northern Territory, Nov. 1906, J. Field (BMNH).

Further description: New 1985c: 16.

Description. Adult: body 20 mm, forewing 20 mm, hindwing 19 mm. Coloration: body dark brown, face below antennae wholly pale yellow, above antennae dark brown; vertex brown, unmarked; antenna dark brown to black, flagellomeres with pale apices; pronotum dark grayish brown, indication of pale median line and broad grayish narrow pale border; wing venation mostly pale brown, anterior longitudinal veins darkened at crossvein intersections; forewing with extensive spotting in basal one-half ( Figure 36); hindwing somewhat infumate along apical posterior border; pterostigma with dark basal spot; legs with femora dark brown, tibia irregularly dark brown; tarsus with apices of segment dark brown. Structure: antenna as long as one-half length of forewing, filamentous without club; pronotum longer than broad; wings slender ( Figure 36); legs slender, distal tarsomere about twice as long as basitarsus; tibial spurs slender, reaching almost to apex of tarsomere II; foretibial spurs reach to about apex of tarsomere I; male with deep ectoproct; sternite IX long; gonarcus broadly rounded, short, mediuncus slender, parameres with anterodorsal flange.

Larva: head somewhat longer than wide, with prominent dorsal median dark brown stripes, ventral side nearly all pale brown except for anterior dark brown spot ( Figure 84); mandibular middle tooth reddish brown, slightly shorter than distal tooth; mesothoracic spiracle nearly sessile; abdomen with abundant dark brown areas mostly limited to midline.

New records. AUSTRALIA. Western Australia: 58 km. north Nanutarra , S21 o, 59', 33", E 115 o, 37', 49.1", 28 II. 1994, R. Miller & L. Stange (reared) (1m, FSCA) ; 126 km. north Nanutarra , S21 o, 35', 36.4", E 115 o, 56', 33", 28. II. 1994, Miller & Stange (1f, FSCA) .

Discussion. The pale larvae appear similar to the larvae of Xantholeon and inhabit a similar microhabitat in cave mouths although in more lighted microhabitats (Zone 1; 2A). The larvae spun their cocoons in February or March and the adults emerged about 42 days later.