First Description of Immature Stages of the Antlion Bullanga Florida (Navás, 1913) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae, Dendroleontini)
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Zootaxa 4858 (3): 394–404 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4858.3.5 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:02C62B66-2745-475F-858B-30639C0806F8 First description of immature stages of the antlion Bullanga florida (Navás, 1913) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae, Dendroleontini) YUCHEN ZHENG1,2 & XINGYUE LIU1* 1Department of Entomology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. 2 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2397-2008 *Corresponding author. �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9168-0659 Abstract The larval stage of the Chinese endemic antlion Bullanga florida (Navás, 1913) is described for the first time with biological notes. The wide distribution of B. florida in southern China is discussed under the context of habitat selection of the larvae. Meanwhile, comparing the adults and larvae between B. florida and Dendroleon esbenpeterseni Miller & Stange, 1999, extensive morphological similarities suggest that these two species may belong to a same genus. Key words: Myrmeleontiformia, larval morphology, larval biology, Oriental region Introduction Dendroleontini Banks, 1899 is a widely distributed tribe of antlions in all zoogeographical regions, but is absent in the Neotropics, and most diverse in the Old World. According to the Myrmeleontidae traditional classification (Stange 2004), Dendroleontini is placed in the subfamily Myrmeleontinae, including 36 genera and 190 species. Recently, Machado et al. (2019) established a new classification of Myrmeleontidae based on phylogenomics using anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) sequencing data, and Dendroleontini under the traditional classification as in Stange (2004) was raised to be a subfamily, i.e., Dendroleontinae, which is divided into two tribes (i.e., Acantho- plectrini and Dendroleontini). Thus, Dendroleontini in the new classification (Machado et al. 2019) comprises 30 genera and 176 species. The larvae of Dendroleontini are poorly known, currently with only 13 species in seven genera described (Cymothales Gerstaecker, 1893; Dendroleon Brauer, 1866; Epacanthaclisis Okamoto, 1910; Froggattisca Esben- Petersen, 1915; Gatzara Navás, 1915; Speleon Miller & Stange, 2012; Tricholeon Esben-Petersen, 1925) (Baba & Edashige 1954; Mansell 1987, 1988; Stange et al. 2003; Stange 2008; Miller & Stange 2012; Badano & Pantaleoni 2014; Acevedo et al. 2014; Matsumoto et al. 2016). Bullanga Navás, 1917 is a small genus of Dendroleontini, including only three species (Stange 2004; Zhan & Wang 2014; Wang et al. 2018): B. binaria Navás 1917, B. florida (Navás, 1913), and B. insolita (Banks, 1940). It appears to be very similar to Dendroleon, but it can be distinguished from the latter genus by the adult pretarsal claws, which are mostly straight, extremely curved backward basally, and opposable on the tarsus (Stange 2004). All species of Bullanga are distributed in the Oriental region. Specifically, B. binaria and B. insolita are respectively recorded from northern Vietnam and Sichuan in southwestern China, both being rare species with few collected records for several decades (Zhan & Wang 2014). However, B. florida is a common species and widely distributed in mainland China. In the spring of 2020, we successfully collected some larvae and pupae of B. florida from southeastern China. Here we present the first description of the immature stages of B. florida. It also represents the first report on the lar- vae and pupae of Bullanga, and we provide new evidence from the immature characters to evaluate the taxonomic position of this genus. 394 Accepted by D. Bowles: 14 Sept. 2020; published: 1 Oct. 2020 Material and methods In total, 30 larvae and 2 pupae of Bullanga florida were collected, with one or two 3rd instar larvae collected from each locality (Longyan, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou). Specimens were preserved in 95% ethyl alcohol under -24℃, while the remaining larvae were reared in order to obtain the 3rd instar larvae or adults for identification as the first two instars are not suitable for diagnostic purposes. All living larvae from different localities were placed in separate plastic storage boxes, in which small stones, sand, and detritus were placed to imitate the larval habitat. A stick made from a paper napkin was put in each box so that the adult after emergence can climb upward. Rearing was carried out at room temperature (16–27℃). The antlion larvae were fed with the winged reproductive and workers of ter- mites, Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki, 1909) (Isoptera: Termitidae); yellow mealworm larvae, Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae); and woodlice, Porcellio sp. (Isopoda: Porcellionidae). Morphological observations were made by means of a Motic® ES-18BZL stereomicroscope. Measurements were taken using AIRAJ® 0–150mm Digital Caliper and following the morphometric protocol of Badano & Panta- leoni (2014). Photographs of B. florida were taken by using Nikon® D850 digital camera with Laowa® 25mm F/2.8 2.5–5.0X Ultra Macro lens. The adult photograph of D. esbenpeterseni was taken by using Nikon® D7200 digital camera with Tamron® F017 SP 90mm F/2.8 lens. Photographs of living larvae and larval habitats were taken by using Nikon® D850 digital camera with AF-S Micro Nikkor 105mm 1/2.8G ED lens. Finally, photographs were processed and retouched using the software Adobe Photoshop® CS6 and Helicon Focus® 7. Terminology of the antlion larval morphology follows Delakorda et al. (2009) and Badano & Pantaleoni (2014). The specimens of Dendroleon esbenpeterseni Miller & Stange, 1999 used for morphological comparison with B. florida in this study include a paratype female (China, Taiwan, Taipei, Dapu [大埔], 150 m, 4.V.1998, Robert B. Miller, Lionel A. Stange & Hsiau-Yue Wang) and a male (China, Taiwan, New Taipei, Wulai District, Wulai Water- fall [乌来瀑布], 300 m, 31.III.2019, Wen-I Chou). All specimens herein examined are deposited in the Entomological Museum, China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing, China. Results Bullanga Navás, 1917 Bullanga Navás, 1917: 15. Type species: Bullanga binaria Navás, 1917. Diagnosis of 3rd instar larvae. Head mostly dark brown with small but prominent ocular tubercles; anterior mar- gin of clypeo-labrum slightly concave; mandibles upturned but relatively straight, equipped with three equidistant pairs of teeth; mesothoracic spiracles on stout sclerotized tubercle; mesonotum with a median tubercle, bearing a long tuft of hair-like black setae raising proximally but slightly overlapped distally; thoracic setiferous processes pedunculated; metathoracic and abdominal spiracles sclerotized but small. Mesothorax, metathorax and abdomen spotted; abdominal segment VIII without odontoid processes; abdominal segment IX longer than wide, triangular; rastra or fossoria absent. Plumose hair relatively long. Bullanga florida (Navás, 1913) (Figs 1–19) Glenurus floridus Navás 1913: 11. Type locality: China (Zhejiang: Ningbo). Diagnosis of 3rd instar larva. Medium-sized antlion larva (Table 1). Head mostly dark brown. Generally yellow- ish brown; some dark brownish markings and numerous dark brownish spots present on thorax and abdomen. Setae disposed on body mainly black. Plumose hairs relatively long and extremely slender (Fig. 6), present on lateral portions of thorax and abdomen. IMMATURE STAGES OF BULLANGA FLORIDA Zootaxa 4858 (3) © 2020 Magnolia Press · 395 TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of 3rd instar larvae of Bullanga florida (27 specimens) and Dendroleon pantherinus (Fa- bricius, 1787) (data obtained from the measurements of two specimens in Acevedo et al. 2014). The size range (min–max) of sclerotized body parts is presented in parenthesis. Abbreviations: BL, body length (excluding mandibles); HL, head length; HW, head width; ML, mandible length; HW/HL, head capsule width/length; ML/HL, mandible length/head cap- sule length. BL HL HW ML HW/ML ML/HL B. florida 10.79 2.04 (1.75–2.25) 1.94 (1.57–2.33) 2.21 (1.86–2.55) 0.88 1.08 D. pantherinus 11.00 2.41 (2.32–2.49) 1.96 (1.9–2.01) 1.9 (1.79–2.01) 0.82 0.79 Head. Subrectangular in dorsal view, longer than wide. Clypeo-labrum dark brown in dorsal view; anterior margin slightly concaved and covered with a row of dolichasters. Head capsule mostly dark brown, anterior and posterior parts slightly darker in dorsal view; dolichasters short and sparse on dorsal part; lateral setae relatively long and dense; ventral part of head capsule with a few brownish markings, which are completely lost in some indi- viduals. Antennae long and thin, composed of at least 18 flagellomeres. Ocular tubercles black and small, relatively prominent. Mandibles mostly orange, but dark brown on basal and distal portions; mandibles upturned but relatively straight, similar in length to head capsule, equipped with three pairs of comparatively large teeth, which is orange but gradually darkened distad; second tooth longer than first tooth, third tooth slightly longer than second tooth; 2–4 dolichasters present on basal part of mandibles; three relatively long interdental mandibular setae present anterior to above dolichasters and posterior to first tooth; two interdental mandibular setae between first and second teeth; 1–2 interdental mandibular setae between second and third teeth; external margin of mandible with a group of stout setae at base. Labial palps dark brown, elongated. Thorax. Pronotum covered with sparse short conical setae dorsally,