Xantholeon cavernicolus Miller and Stange, 2012

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2012, The cave mouth antlions of Australia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), Insecta Mundi 2012 (250), pp. 1-65 : 31-32

Xantholeon cavernicolus Miller and Stange , new species

( Figures 41, 42, 43, 85, 86)

Holotype male, Kings Canyon , Northern Territory 22.XI.1989, R. Miller, reared ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Adult: forewing without conspicuous dark brown spots ( Figure 42); forefemoral sense hair about four times as long as femur diameter at point of origin.

Description. Holotype male: length of body 24 mm, forewing 27 mm, hindwing 26 mm. Coloration: general coloration yellowish brown; labrum, clypeus, genae and palpi pale yellow; narrow, transverse dark brown band below antenna; anterior and middle areas of vertex with sublateral dark areas; antenna mostly pale except for darker brown club; pronotum yellowish brown submedial brown stripe on posterior one-half, sublateral area with dark spot on furrow and some dark brown posteriorly; lateral margin nearly all dark brown; mesoscutellum pale brown with median brown stripe mostly posteriorly, laterally brown on anterior two-thirds; metascutellum pale brown with broad median stripe posteriorly, sublateral area brown; mesopleuron and metapleuron dark, shiny brown anteriorly; legs pale yellow brown, apical margins of femur, tibia and tarsomeres dark brown; forewing without significant suffusion, small area at juncture of vein 1A and posterior fork of cubitus, rhegma, outer gradates; pterostigma without suffusion; venation with pale longitudinal veins, mostly black at intersections with crossveins which are mostly dark brown; abdomen mostly pale brown with irregular transverse dark brown stripe anteriorly and posteriorly on tergites I and II, tergite III with conspicuous bands but with dark brown stripe medially, most abdominal tergites dark brown laterally;; abdominal sternites and ectoproct pale brown.

Chaetotaxy: legs with mostly dark brown bristles; short pale setae on abdominal tergites about equal to those on sternites; ectoproct with fairly long black setae posteriorly. Structure: antennae close together, not separated by more than scape diameter; labial palpus not swollen; vertex not domed, scarcely raised; antenna slender, flagellomeres mostly longer than wide, club well defined but narrow over last segments; pronotum somewhat wider than long; scutelli little swollen, mostly flat; legs long and slender, foreleg somewhat shorter than midleg which is somewhat shorter than hind leg; tarsus shorter than tibia, distal tarsomere longer than basitarsus which is longer than tarsomere II which is longer than tarsomeres III and IV; hind basitarsus less than one-half length of distal tarsomere; tibial spurs slender, nearly straight, extending to beyond apex of tarsomere 4 (foreleg), or 3 (midleg) or 2 (hindleg); pretarsal claws slender; forefemoral sense hair about four times as long as femur diameter at point of origin, longer than that of midleg; wing relatively broad, forewing longer than hindwing; forewing costal area narrow with cells longer than high; abdomen shorter than hindwing.

Female: About as described for male except for terminalia. Female posterior gonapophysis long, slender, tapered;

Larva: dorsal head capsule with prominent submedian marks extending posteriorly from central head capsule; mandible brown; mesothoracic spiracle borne on long stalk ( Figure 88); abdomen well marked dorsally ( Figure 86).

Variation: Length of body varies from 23 to 27 mm; forewing 25 to 29 mm; hindwing 24 to 28 mm. Color variation exists mostly on vertex which ranges from nearly all pale brown to having prominent anterior and middle spots or bands and pronotum with may have submedian and sublateral dark bands nearly complete; abdominal tergites vary as to extent of dark banding. Abdominal sternites vary from nearly all pale brown to having dark brown areas especially on sternite III.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA. Northern Territory: Devil’s Marbles , 4.XI.2005, L. Stange (1m, 1f, FSCA) ; Kings Canyon , Northern Territory, 22.XI.1989, R. Miller, reared (6m, 5f, CASC, FSCA; TAMU) ; Kuyunba Nature Reserve, near Pine Gap , Northern Territory, 20. XI.1989, R. Miller, reared (7m, 4f, ANIC, FSCA) ; Kings Canyon , 19.IX.2005, R. Miller & L. Stange , reared (1f, FSCA) ; Pine Gap , 22.XI.1989, R. Miller (1f, FSCA) . Queensland: 37 km. west Pentland , 11. XII. 1989, R. Miller (1f, FSCA) .

Etymology. The specific name is based on the cave dwelling larvae.