Purenleon iniquus (Navás)

Miller, Robert B. & Stange, Lionel A., 2014, A revision of the genus Purenleon Stange (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Insecta Mundi 2014 (384), pp. 1-67 : 44-45

Purenleon iniquus (Navás)

Figures 92–96 , 161–164

Formicaleo iniquus Navás 19l4a: 206. New name for Formicaleo inaequalis Navás 1913 .

Formicaleo inaequalis Navás 1913: 51 . Preoccupied by Formicaleo inaequalis Navás 1912 . Holotype, Amapola, Honduras, XI (not located). Neotype male, 4.5 miles southeast El Zamorano, Francisco Morazan, Honduras, IV.25.1993, R. Miller & L. Stange (FSCA).

= Psammoleon banksi Esben-Petersen 1933: 115 , Fig. 6 (wings)(after Stange 2004: 216). Holotype male, Amapola, Honduras, 12.XI.1907, Paessler (ZMUH, destroyed). Neotype male, 4.5 miles southeast El Zamorano, Francisco Morazan, Honduras, IV.25.1993, R. Miller & L. Stange (FSCA).

Taxonomy. Stange 2002: 286 (in Purenleon ).

Further description. Navás 1924: 74; Stange 2002: 289, Fig. 640 (wings), 644 (dorsal view head, thorax).

Distribution. Costa Rica; Honduras; Panama.

Diagnosis. Length of body 24 to 29 mm; forewing 30 to 36 mm, hindwing 31 to 37 mm. Coloration: vertex pale brown with dull black vertex rows; pronotum pale brown with broad submedian dark brown stripe, dark brown irregular stripe sublaterally; femora and tibiae pale brown, with extensive dark brown spotting; tarsi pale brown except dark brown apex of distal tarsomere. Chaetotaxy: pronotum with many erect, elongate, dark brown setae on pronotal shield, but without elongate white bristles at lateral margin; mesoscutum with many erect, elongate, dark brown setae and also with 3 or 4 elongate white bristles submedially near anterior margin; midfemoral sense hair as long as forefemoral sense hair which is about 3/4’s as long as femur. Structure: pronotum a little broader than long measured along midline; pretarsal claws much longer than hind basitarsus which is about three times as long as greatest tarsomere diameter; tibial spurs reach to about tarsomere IV, much longer than pretarsal claws; distal tarsomere long, longer than basal four tarsomeres; wing much broader at about three fourths distance from base; forewing somewhat longer than hindwing, longer than body; forewing costal area gradually broadening basally, costal cells above radial sector about three times as high as wide; with CuP+1A running oblique to hind margin along posterior fork of CuA well beyond origin of radial sector; male genitalia ( Fig. 95 ) with strongly arched gonarcus, mediuncus broad; paramere divided into two dark brown sclerites densely covered with small, wart-like bumps; sclerite most medial curves strongly from gonarcus to near articulation with other sclerite, shape complex, narrowing (about four times longer than wide)below; other sclerite much larger than medial sclerite, very elongate with anterior part narrow and posterior part much broader; female terminalia ( Fig. 96 ) with small postventral lobe without digging setae; posterior gonapophyses a little swollen, widely separated, about six times longer than median diameter, strongly bowed; gonapophyseal plate elongate, at least eight times longer than greatest breadth, broadest at base of gonapophysis; lateral gonapophyses well separated, about five times longer than greatest width, with strong setae toward apex; pregenitale about five times wider than long with median extension.

Larva. Fig. 161–164. Coloration: ventral head capsule with five dark brown spots, double spot at middle and two submedial dark brown spots. Chaetotaxy: mandible with small dolichasters on surface; dorsal head capsule with many dolichasters of varying lengths, no submedial row of dolichasters behind lateral tentorial suture; ventral head capsule with many dolichasters, longer laterally and anteriorly; setae on dorsal abdomen sausage-shaped about 2 to 3 times longer than thick; abdominal spiracles with short dolichasters. Structure: mandible about as long as dorsal head capsule; mandible with distance between teeth 1 and 3 much longer than that between base and tooth 1; mesothoracic spiracle borne on tubercle larger than largest mesothoracic scolus; abdominal spiracles II–VI asymmetrical, without nipple (Fig. 164).

Biology. The larvae live under rock overhangs in fine dry soil. These larvae are found in a well lighted zone under the rock overhang.

Synonymy. The wing figure of Psammoleon banksi Esben-Petersen 1933 agrees with P. iniquus in shape and pattern of markings except the markings are somewhat more dense in P. banksi . The holotype of P. banksi was described from the same locality as P. iniquus . Since the holotype of P. banksi was destroyed, a neotype is designated.

Material studied. 4 males, 9 females. 3 larvae. September to December.

COSTA RICA. Guanacaste: Caldera , 1913 (1f, FSCA) ; Santa Rosa National Park , 4.XII.1977, D. Janzen (2f, FSCA) . HONDURAS. Comayagua: Comayagua, 6.II.1975 (1m, FSCA) ; El Paraiso: Yuscaran , 2800’, 12. V.1993, reared, R. Miller & L. Stange (2 larvae, 1m, 2f, FSCA) . Francisco Morazan: 4.5 miles southeast El Zamorano , 25.IV.1993, reared, R. Miller & L. Stange (1 larva, 2m, 3f, FSCA) ; El Zamorano, 27.IX.1962, Bogran (1f, FSCA) .

Discussion. This species is closely related to P. debilis . The pretarsal claws are much longer than the hind basitarsus in P. iniquus whereas they are shorter than the hind basitarsus in P. debilis . Also, the hindwing is much broader at about three fourths distance from base than in P. debilis . Also, the larvae are similar in the two species in having the abdominal spiracles born on large papilliform tubercles beset with short dolichasters and the mesothoracic spiracle borne on a tubercle that is about as long as wide. This species is similar to P. cavei and P. debilis in having heavily sclerotized paramere divided into two sclerites and heavily sculptured with bumps.

Figures

Figures 92–96. Purenleon iniquus (Navás), adult. 92) head and thorax; 93) lateral view; 94) wings; 95) male genitalia; 96) female terminalia, ventral view.

Figures 1–7. Purenleon abruptus Stange, adult. 1) head and thorax; 2) lateral view; 3) vertex; 4) wings; 5) male genitalia; 6) female terminalia, ventral view; 7) female terminalia, lateral view.