Distoleon verendus

Distoleon verendus (Walker, 1853)

(Figs 5C, 12, 13 A–C, 14, 15A–C, 16A–B, 17B–C, 18C, 19C)

Myrmeleon minax Walker, 1853: 343. Type locality: North India. Synonymized by Stange, 2004: 164.

Formicaleo verendus: Hagen, 1866: 30.

Distoleon verendus: Ghosh, 1984: 49.

Myrmeleon verendus Walker, 1853: 342. Type locality: North India. syn. nov.

Formicaleo vesanus: Hagen, 1866: 31.

Distoleon vesanus: Stange, 2004: 164.

Diagnosis. This species resembles Distoleon tappa but can be distinguished by the distinct lateral yellow stripes on thorax (Figs 13A, C), absence of the black stripe below antennal toruli (Fig. 13B), and the narrow cubital marking on forewing (Figs 9 A–B). Moreover, the male sternum 9 is nearly quadrate in ventral view, with a deep V-shaped incision on the posterior median margin (Fig. 16B).

Measurement (♂ n=4; unit mm). Forewing length 32.0–34.5, width 9.5–10.0; hind wing length 31.5–33.8, width 7.7–8.0; body length 29.5–31.5.

Re-description. Head. Face yellow, without black stripe below base of antennal toruli; interantennal marking distinct, shiny black without setae; frons yellow, covered with short yellow setae (Fig. 13B). Vertex raised, dark brown, with a narrow median longitudinal yellow stripe above black mark of antennae, dorsal part heavily marked with yellowish brown and brownish spots, covered with short brown setae; occiput with crown-shaped yellow marking (Fig. 13C). Antennae longer than length of head and prothorax combined; clavate; toruli yellow; scape and pedicel yellow but brownish at base; flagellomeres annulated with brown and pinkish rings, covered with short black setae (Figs 13B, 15C). Maxillary and labial palps, labrum, clypeus, gena and face yellow; labrum with brown, erect setae; clypeus with yellowish brown and black setae. Labial palpi with distal palpomere spindle-shaped with an acute apex, palpimacula brownish, small and circular, narrowed basally (Figs 13B, 5C).

Thorax. Brownish black (Fig. 13A). Pronotum narrow, as long as or slightly broader than long, with a narrow median and broadly lateral yellow stripes; lateral and posterior margins brownish black; pronotum wholly covered with short black setae; anterolateral corner with short white setae, lateral margins with long black and white setae, posterior margin with long black setae. Mesonotum brownish black, with a narrow median and slightly broader lateral yellow stripes; posterolateral margins of mesoscutum yellowish brown with long white setae, anterolateral margins slightly yellowish brown with two district yellowish spots near at wing base; lateral and posterior margins of mesoscutum yellowish brown with long white setae. Metanotum dark brown with a narrow median and slightly broader lateral yellow strips; posterior margin of metascutellum covered with long white setae. Thoracic pleurites dark brown, covered with long white setae (Fig. 5C).

Legs. Foreleg. Coxa yellow, brownish black ventrally with a narrow yellow stripe, covered with yellow setae. Trochanter yellow. Femur yellow, posterodorsally dark brown, covered mostly with short, white setae and a few long, black setae, femoral sense hair longer than fore femora. Tibia yellow with dispersed black dots at setal bases, dorsally with three black rings, covered with black setae, tibial spurs curved, as long as tarsomeres 1–4. Tarsomeres yellow, tarsomeres 1–3 brownish apically, last tarsal segment as long as tarsomeres 1–4, black apically. Middle leg. Coxa yellow, brownish at base, covered with long yellow setae. Trochanter yellowish. Femora yellow with mixed black and white setae, femoral sense hair longer than fore femora. Tibia yellow with black dots at setal bases, dorsally with three black rings, covered with black setae, tibial spurs curved, as long as tarsomeres 1–4. Hind leg. Coxa yellow, brownish at base, covered with long yellow setae. Trochanter yellowish. Femur yellow, posterodorsally dark brown, mixed with black and white setae. Tibia yellow, with black circular dots ventrally, covered with black setae, tibial spurs curved, as long as tarsomeres 1–3 (Fig. 5C).

Wings. Relatively broad, subacute at apex (Fig. 14), membrane hyaline, longitudinal veins with alternate sections of black with many yellow stripes, bearing short black sparse setae; distal part and posterior margin of both wings with forked veins, base of each fork in forewing brownish. Forewing with seven presectoral crossveins; Rs diverged from R beyond cubital fork; Rs with 13 branches; pterostigma pinkish; cubital mark narrowly dark brown. Hind wing with one presectoral crossvein; Rs diverged from R beyond cubital fork; Rs with 12 branches; pterostigma pinkish, hardly visible; cubital mark indistinct; distal part of hind wing in female with an oblong brown marking at marginal fork of MP1 (Figs 17 B–C).

Abdomen. Pale brown, covered with short black and white setae. Male genitalia (Figs 16 A–B): Tergum 9 and sternum 9 separated; tergum 9 nearly quadrate, covered with black and white setae; sternum 9 nearly quadrate in ventral view, anterior- and posterior margins slightly narrow, posterior margin medially with a deep V-shaped incision covered with long black setae; ectoproct oval, ventrolaterally elongated, covered with black setae becoming much longer ventrally, white setae along lateral margins.

Material examined. PAKISTAN. Azad Jammu and Kashmir state: 2♂, District Poonch, Banjosa Lake, [33°48’36.10” N, 73°48’58.89” E], 1828 m, 4.ix.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan, (CAU); Khyber Pakhtunkhawa: 2♂, District Haripur, Sarai Saleh, [33°59’07.64” N, 72°59’20.97” E], 610 m, 15.viii.2019, leg. M.A. Hassan (PMNH).

Distribution. India: Uttarakhand state (Ghosh 1983), Orissa state (Ghosh 1984), Arunachal Pradesh state (Ghosh 2000); Pakistan: Punjab province (Iqbal & Yousuf 1997), Azad Jammu and Kashmir state and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa province.

Remarks. Walker (1853) originally described D. verendus and D. vesanus in the same paper from North India (exact location unknown) without mentioning their sexes. Ghosh (1977) listed both of these species in the checklist of Indian Neuroptera based on Walker’s work. Subsequently, Ghosh (1984) described both male and female specimens of D. verendus from Orissa and remarked about sexual dimorphism in this species, i.e., male without a brown spot in hind wing, but the female with an oblong brown spot near posterior margin of hind wing. Iqbal & Yousuf (1997) reported a single female of D. verendus from Pakistan. So far, there has been no further information available about D. vesanus after Walker’s work. After careful examination of the photographs of type specimens of D. verendus (a female) and D. vesanus (a male) (Figs 17 B–C), shares all the main characters for distinguishing as: pronotum in both the specimens with narrow median and broadly lateral yellow stripes; wings relatively broad, subacute at apex, distal part and posterior margin of both wings with forked veins, base of each fork in forewing brownish; distal part of hind wing in female with an oblong brownish marking at marginal fork of MP1. Here D. vesanus is treated as a junior synonym of D. verendus and re-described based on materials collected from Pakistan.