Megistopus Rambur 1842
Description
Megistopus Rambur, 1842
Diagnosis. Mandibles comparatively long, equipped with 3 pairs of teeth; pronotum covered by long setae; mesothoracic spiracles pronounced, raised on tubercle; thoracic setiferous processes pedunculated; odontoid processes of the VIII sternite atrophied or completely absent; IX sternite with rastra bearing 4 pairs of digging setae of which the internal pair is not over a quarter the others in length.
Examined species. M. flavicornis (Rossi, 1790), M. lucasi (Navás, 1912).
Comments. An exclusively western Palaearctic genus, Megistopus comprises 3 species: the widespread M. flavicornis (Rossi, 1790), M. mirabilis (Hölzel, 1980), known for a single specimen from Sinai and finally M. lucasi (Navás, 1912) reported from Algeria and Tunisia (H. Aspöck et al. 2001; Güsten 2003). The latter species was overlooked for a considerable time, being originally described as a member of the genus Nelees Navás, 1912 (now synonym of Neuroleon Navás, 1909), despite the correct genus placement was already recognized by Banks (1913). This interesting species is also present in Italy ([Bernardi] Iori et al. 1995; Letardi & Pantaleoni 1996; Letardi & Maltzeff 2001), although the Italian specimens were originally assigned to M. mirabilis. The larva of M. flavicornis is the only species of the genus whose larva is known (Steffan 1965; Cesaroni et al. 2010).
Notes
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Linked records
Additional details
Identifiers
Biodiversity
- Family
- Myrmeleontidae
- Genus
- Megistopus
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Order
- Neuroptera
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Scientific name authorship
- Rambur
- Taxon rank
- genus
- Taxonomic concept label
- Megistopus Rambur, 1842 sec. Badano & Pantaleoni, 2014
References
- Aspock, H., Holzel, H. & Aspock, U. (2001) Kommentierter Katalog der Neuropterida (Insecta: Raphidioptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera) der Westpalaarktis. Denisia, 2, 1 - 606.
- Gusten, R. (2003) A checklist and new species records of Neuropterida (Insecta) from Tunisia. Kaupia, 12, 129 - 149.
- Banks, N. (1913) Notes on African Myrmeleonidae. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 21, 149 - 157. [Bernardi] Iori, A., Kathirithamby, J., Letardi, A., Pantaleoni, R. A. & Principi, M. M. (1995) 62. Neuropteroidea (Megaloptera, Raphidioptera, Planipennia), Mecoptera, Siphonaptera, Strepsiptera. In: Minelli, A., Ruffo, S. & La Posta, S. (Eds.), Checklist delle specie animali italiane. Calderini Editore, Bologna, 20 pp.
- Letardi, A. & Pantaleoni, R. A. (1996) Neurotteri W-paleartici del Museo di Zoologia di Roma (Insecta Neuropteroidea). Fragmenta Entomologica, 28, 277 - 305.
- Letardi, A. & Maltzeff, P. (2001) Neurotteridi e Mecotteri della Tenuta Presidenziale di Castelporziano e delle aree limitrofe (Neuroptera, Raphidioptera, Mecoptera). Bollettino dell'Associazione Romana di Entomologia, 54, 49 - 62.
- Steffan, J. R. (1965) Les larves de Megistopus flavicornis (Rossi), Creoleon lugduense (Villers), Neuroleon ocreatus (Navas) et N. nemausiensis (Borkh.) (Planipennes, Myrmeleontidae). Vie et Milieu, 15, 693 - 707.
- Cesaroni, C., Nicoli Aldini, R. & Pantaleoni, R. A. (2010) The larvae of Gymnocnemia variegata (Schneider, 1845) and Megistopus flavicornis (Rossi, 1790) (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae): a comparative description. In: Devetak, D., Lipovsek, S., Arnett, A. E. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 10 th International Symposium on Neuropterology (22 - 25 June 2008, Piran, Slovenia). University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia, pp. 135 - 144.