Neuroleon rapax Michel & Akoudjin

Michel, Bruno & Akoudjin, Massouroudini, 2012, Review of Neuroleon Navás of West Africa with descriptions of four new species (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae), Zootaxa 3519, pp. 32-52 : 46

Neuroleon rapax Michel & Akoudjin , nov. sp.

( Figs. 46–56 )

Diagnosis. Medium-sized species ( Fig. 46 ). Tarsal claws capable of closing against last tarsomere. Tibial spurs well developed.

Description. Head. Face yellowish with median narrow longitudinal black line sometimes reduced to a dot. A dark line along base of labrum interrupted in middle. A black marking between antennae ( Fig. 48 ). Frons black above antennae. Vertex with rows of black markings. Antennae longer than thorax, scape brown basally or with brown dot. Thorax. Pronotum with four brown markings, the anterior triangular, the posterior more or less commashaped, and two dots at transverse furrow ( Fig. 49 ). Meso and metanotum with brown markings ( Fig 47, 49 ). Legs ( Figs 50, 51 ). Foreleg yellowish. Fore and middle legs with incomplete brown ring at basal third. Middle and hind legs yellow. Fore and middle femora with well-developed sensory seta, shorter than femur. Tibial spurs slightly longer than tarsomere 1, curved apically ( Fig. 52 ). Basal tarsomere shorter than distal tarsomere in fore and middle legs, almost as long as distal tarsomere in hind leg. Setae of ventral brush of distal tarsomere tapered, not bend apically ( Fig. 50 ). Claws long, slender. Wings. Narrow. Forewing 3 20 mm. Hind wing 3 19 mm, ♀ 21–24 mm. One to five crossveins in apical field. Membrane hyaline. Forewing with conspicuous cubital and rhegmal marks. Hind wing with a dark marking in apical third along posterior margin ( Fig. 46, 47 ). The markings darker in male ( Fig. 47 ). Abdomen. Brown with a yellowish dot on segments III–VII ( Fig. 53 ). Male. Ectoprocts rounded. Parameres hook-shaped. Gonosaccus with five or six long setae on each side ( Figs 54, 55 ). Gonarcus U-shaped. Female. Ectoprocts with stout setae. Lateral gonapophyses with short stout setae and two brush-like tufts of long slender setae on posterior area ( Fig. 56 ).

Type material examined. Holotype ♀ MALI Sikasso 30.X.1996, CMDT factory , collected in the morning under a lamp on a wall (attracted to light during the night) (Coll. CIRAD-CBGP) . Paratypes (1 3, 3 ♀♀) MALI Sikasso 1♀ no date ; 1♀ 28.X.1997, CRRAS in the morning on a wall under a lamp ; 1♀ 07.XI.1994. CAMEROON Guiring [10,6° N – 14,4° E] 13 28.IX.1998, Experimental Station of IRAD near Maroua , cotton field with small trees and grass, J.-C. Streito leg (All in coll. CIRAD-CBGP).

Etymology. From the Latin adjective rapax = predator. Referring to the grasping legs.

Ecology. Unknown.

Distribution. Known from southern Mali and North Cameroon.

Figures

FIGURES 46 – 56. Neuroleon rapax, nov. sp. 46 — Habitus female of holotype. 47 — Habitus of male. 48 — Face. 49 — Vertex and thorax. 50 — Right foreleg. 51 — Right hind leg. 52 — Ventral view of tibial spurs and tarsomeres 1 – 3 of foreleg. 53 — Base of abdomen. 54 — Left view of male genitalia. 55 — Ventral view of male genitalia. 56 — Right view of female terminalia. (s = tuft of long setae)