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Neuroptera : Hemerobiidae NEUROPTERA INTERNATIONAL 11 (4) - 1983. p. 213-217. THE EARLY STAGES OF MICROMUS TASMANIAE (NEUROPTERA : HEMEROBIIDAE) Description de l'ceuf, des trois stades larvaires et de la nymphe de Micromus tasmaniae Walker. Summary The early stages of Micromus tasmaniae Walker are described and figured. Micromus tasmaniae Walker is by far the most abundant hemerobiid in southern Australia and occurs over much of the continent, as well as in New Zealand, but (in common with most common Australian Neuroptera) there is very little published information on its early stages. These are described below. M. tasman.iae is particularly common on low vegetation, including field crops (SAMSONand BLOOD1980), but occurs also on native trees (NEW 1982). There is possibly a sibling complex of species masquerading as (( tasmaniae )) in Australia, but other recognised species of Micromus in Australia tend not to be found in the South of the continent. This paper is based on laboratory-reared material derived from females captured near Melbourne : males in this reared series are identical to Tasmanian individuals, and females correspond closely with features of Walker's (female) type (BMNH, seen by TRN, not dissected). South Australian larvae (examined by CB) tally in all essential features with Victorian specimens. Egg. Elongate ovoid, usually attached by long dorsal axis to substrate. Contents white to translucent pink when laid, darkening to pale greyish brown before hatching. Chorion translucent ; smooth except for slight irregular polygonal sculpturing immediately encircling micropyle. Micropyle circular, almost sessile. Dimensions (mm, N=20, mean + 1 S.D.) : greatest length 0.78 + 0.02, greatest width 0.34 k 0.01. Oviruptor. (Fig. 1). A simple blade with about 20 teeth, these more regular and widely-spaced anteriorly. Larva. General form as in Fig. 2. All instars similar in pigmentation, although dorsolateral bands more pronounced in 111. Elongate, fusiform, head not retracted into prothorax, no tendency to physogastry ; traces of white fat body often visible through body wall. 1. Department of Zoology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia 3083. 2. 7, Fulton Crescent, Glen Osmond, South Australia 5064. 3. Correspondence shoud be addressed to T.R. NEW. 1983 Association Mondiale des NBvropteristes U.S. Copyright Clearance Center Code Statement : 0223-5137/83/040213-05 $ 2,00/0 Pale grey to mid brown, with pale Y-mark on head and dorsolateral brown or reddish brown stripes along thorax and abdomen ; midline narrowly and intermittently brown. Legs pale brown, translucent ; mouthparts and antennae usually somewhat darker. Ocular region slightly darker than rest of head. Pronotum with paired elongate laterodorsal sclerites, these darkened medially ; meso- and metanotum each with pair of small ovoid sclerites : these often paler and less easily delimited in instar I than in later stages. Head (Fig. 3) about as broad as long ; 4 stemmata to each eye ; vertex with 7 long dorsal setae each side of midline ; 2 setae associated with each eye ; median pair of short anterior marginal setae ; 2-3 pairs of short pos- terolateral setae. Antennae long ; basal segment short, others with pronounced irregularly annular sculpturing ; apex with short seta and two minute setae flanking base of this (Fig. 4). Jaws slightly more than half length of antenna, incurved apically : mandible (Fig. 5) constricted preapically, with 2-3 externally- directed setae, irregular slight serrations on inner apical margin ; maxilla (Fig. 6) spiculate at apex and with more numerous setae along margins and (short) on dorsal surface ; labial palp (Fig. 7) almost as long as jaws (retracted in Fig. 2) or sometimes slightly longer than jaws in instar I ; more conspicuously longer in sone slide-mounted individuals : apical segment strongly tapered, with longitudinal row of minute spicules and few larger surface setae, irregu- larly annulate ; preapical segment short, with 1 or 2 setae ; basal segment with several long setae. Thorax elongate, each segment divided into 2 parts ; meso- and metatho- racic spiracles (as abdominal spiracles) anterolateral. Setal arrangement as in Fig. 2 : anterior setae rather shorter than posterior setae on each thoracic subsegment ; pronotal sclerites each with single long seta ; posterior row setae (in particular) slightly spatulate apically. Legs with sparse, long, mainly spatulate setae ; claws and empodium small ; claws strongly curved ; einpo- dium longer than claws, markedly expanded apically in instar I. Abdomen elongate, tapered posteriorly ; dorsal setae in 2 rows on each segment, those of anterior row 0.6 - 0.75 as long as posterior row setae ; segments I-VI each with 6 setae in anterior row, 8 long + 4 short in posterior row ; VII more irregular : 4-6 anterior setae, 6-7 long + 4 short posterior setae ; VIII (Fig. 8) with 2 short setae near anterior margin, 4-6 anterior row setae, 4-5 long + 2 short posterior setae ; IX similar ; telson with short setae ; most long abdominal setae spatulate, most conspicuously so in posterior row ; many setae arising from small sclerotised tubercles, these fused on posterior row of VIII, and enlarged to single sclerotised plate on IX ; telson more strongly sclerotised laterally and with median apical triangular plate. Dimensions (instars I, 11, 111, mm, N=20 each, mean + 1 S.D.) : Body length (excluding jaws) 2.17 + 0.60, 4.10 2 0.22, 6.30 ,0.65 ; maximum head width 0.28 i 0.02, 0.40 f 0.02, 0.53 +_ 0.03. Cocoon. Loose white outer envelope, sometimes tinged with grey or yellow. Pupal mandibles as in Fig. 9. The Micromus group of genera is distributed throughout much of the world, but very little information is available on their early stages. In view of possible confusion over generic limits within this group, any data from larvae (particu- larly) are of potential interest in clarifying relationships. Adequate descriptions of larvae are available for several European (KILLINGTON1936) and North American (SMITH1923) species, as well as the Japanese (( Eumicromus )) numerosus (NavLs) (KAWASHIMA1958). The larval form of M. tasmaniae clearly allies it with these other taxa, but details of setal vestiture are not available for them. The spatulate setae of tasmaniae have apparently not been previously recorded in Micromus larvae. The larva of M. tasmaniae differs clearly from that of the other common hemerobiid in southeastern Australian (Drepanacra binocula (Newman)) by lacking physogastry and in the substantially different form of the mouthparts (Nm 1975). TRN gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Australian Re- search Grants Committee. Manuscrit recu le 17 janvier 1983. KAWASHIMAK., 1958. - Bionomics and earlier stages of some Japanese Neuroptera (11) Eumicromus numerosus #(Naveis) (Hemerobiidae). Mushi, 32, 43-45. KILLINGTONF. J., 1936. - A Monograph of the British Neuroptera. Vol. I. London : Ray Society. NEW T. R., 1975. - The immature stages of Drepanacra binocula (Neuroptera : Hemero- biidae), with notes on the relationships of the genus. J. Aust. ent. Soc., 14, 247-250. NEW T.R., 1982. - Comparative biology of some Australian Hemerobiidae. in Progress in the Worlds Neuropterology (in press). SAMSONP. R. & BLOODP. R. B., 1980. - Voracity and searching behaviour of Chrysopa signata (Neuroptera : Chrysopidae), Micromus tasmaniae (Neuroptera : Hemerobiidae) and Tropiconabis capsiformis (Hemiptera : Nabidae). Aust. J. Zool., 28, 575-580. SMITHR. C., 1923. - The life histories and stages of some hemerobiids and allied species (Neuroptera). Ann. ent. Soc. Amer., 16, 129-151. Figure headings Early Stages of Micromus tasmaniae Fig. 1. Oviruptor, lateral aspect Figs 2-8. Larva, instar I11 Fig. 2. Whole larva Fig. 3. Head Fig. 4. Apex of antenna Fig. 5. Apex of mandible Fig. 6. Apex of maxilla Fig. 7. Labial palp Fig. 8. Posterior segments of abdomen Fig 9. Pupal mandibles (Scales in mm) Bibliography of the Neuropterida Bibliography of the Neuropterida Reference number (r#): 4522 Reference Citation: New, T. R.; Boros, C. 1983 [1983.12.28]. The early stages of Micromus tasmaniae (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae). Neuroptera International 2:213-217. Copyrights: Any/all applicable copyrights reside with, and are reserved by, the publisher(s), the author(s) and/or other entities as allowed by law. No copyrights belong to the Bibliography of the Neuropterida. Work made available through the Bibliography of the Neuropterida with permission(s) obtained, or with copyrights believed to be expired. Notes: File: File produced for the Bibliography of the Neuropterida (BotN) component of the Global Lacewing Digital Library (GLDL) Project, 2006. .
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