Vol. 8, No.1 - 2, March - June, 1994 67 Reclassification of tile New Vior Id antlioll gellera formerly included in the tribe Brachynemurini (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) Lionel A. Stange Flolida State Collection of ArUllopods Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services P () Box 147100 Gainesville, FL. 32614-7100 U.S.A. Abstract A cladistic analysis of the New World tribe Brachynemurini has resulted in se\'eral new taxonomic designations. The tribe is divided into 3 tribes, 2 of which are newly described. The Brachynemurini s.s. now contains 12 genera of which Argentoleon, Atricholeon, Mexoleon and Venezueleon are newly described. The Gnopholeontini (NEVI TRIBE) includes 4 North American genera whereas the Lemolemini (NE'N TRIBE) contains 6 South American genera of which &ualeon and Galapagoleon are newly described. Descriptions of genera in the 3 tribes, based on adults and kno'JlIl larvae, are given. Keys to the genera in each tribe are provided, as well as a key to the tribes of Myrmeleontidae. KEY WORDS: Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae, New World, keys, cladistics, phylogeny, classification. Introduction lowing autapomorphies: 1) post\'entrallobe ofmale Since the revision of the North Ameriean ectoproct; 2) a narrow gonapophyseal plate; and 3) BrachynemurinibyStange (1970), additionaladult a short distal tooth ofthe larval mandible, which is and larvalcharacters (Stange & Miller, 1990) have ~een fOIl;;Whi~ h::I";; Jecljo the present reclassi- enee Of phylogenetie relationships, t"'lO analyses lcatlOn 0 ew or raChYnemurme genera mto three tribes. Twenty three genera are hereby ree were made: one of all genera and the other using ognized. Representative larvaeofnineteenofthese only genera in which the larvae are known. genera are known. A cladistic analysis of these genera has led to significant changes in their clas­ HIgher level relationships Within the sification. Two gro'lpS Of genera fOrmerly placed m Myrrneleontoidea the Braehynemurini are given tribal status Relationships among higher taxa within the (Gnopholeontini and Lemolemini); the remaining Myrmeleontoideahave notpreviously been investi­ genera are maintained as the Braehynemurini. gated eladistieally. MacLeod (197Q) has indicated The Gnopholeontini are restricted to the Sonoran several autapomorphies of the superfamily based Region; they are defined by the autapomorphy of on the larval head The apomorpbic larval bead the close approximation of the larval mandibles. characters unite the Psychopsidae, Nymphidae, The Lemolemmlare most diverse m Chile; they are Nemoptendae, AScalaphldae and Myrmeleontidae defined by the autapomorphies ofthe development into a group. Mansell (1992) has provided the most ofspecialized setaeon the median areaofthelarval recent discussion of the relationships within the abdominal tergites and the lack ufdigging setae 011 Myrmeleontoidea indicating apomorphies for the the female ectoproct. Both the Gnopholeontini and various families and providing a phylogenetic tree. Lemolemini have highly modified posterior Oswald (1993) has eompleted a eIadistiC analYsis of gonopophyses ofthe female terminalia. The more the Psychopsidae, a family hypothesized as the restricted Brachynemurini are defined by the fol- sister-group of the rest of the Myrmeleontoidea 68 Insecta Mundi (Withycombe, 1925, IIeIllY, 1978). The following Lachlathetes) but these exceptions are considered analysis of the tribes of the Myrmeleontidae uses secondary modifications. these four families as outgroups whelp determine outgroups for the generic analysis. 3. Labial palp, sensory area - (0) palpimacula present The Psychopsidae (26 extant species in 5 gen­ but without pit; (1) o...al shaped pit; (2) elongate, slit-shaped pit era, found in Afriea, Australia and the Orient) and Comments: The apomorphic condition (2) is found in the Nymphidae (about25 speciesin 8 genera, restricted I\canthaclisini, Dimarini, Palparidiini and some to Australia and New Guinea) are small relict genera of the Palparml. Whether the latter trIbe families. The Nemopteridae and Ascalaphidae are should be considered plesiomorphic or apomorphic much larger and more diverse. Since many of the In regards to thIS character IS not completely clear characters used in the tribal analysis of the but results scoring this character both ways do not MyrmeleontIdae vary consIderably among the two change the results except for a minor node differ­ subfamiliesofNemopteridae, bothsubfamilieswere ence. The outgroups have small palpimacula and the evolution of enlarged palpimacula seems to be entered indehendent~for a clearer resolution of found only in the Myrmeleontidae. 'fhe the relations ips. Th Ascalaphidae appears to be Nemopteridae may have lostthe pit-likepalpimacula even mo~~ dive;:ce with at ~eas~ 3 s;~ilie~ ait when they adapted to pollen feeding. (THORAX) acters are entered for the family as a whole. 4. Pronotum· (0) wider than long; (1) as long as wide . The tribal classification of the world or longer Myrmeleontidae is based on Markl.(l956) with Comments: Mansell (1992b) considers without much modifications indicated by Stange & Miller (1985; justification the broadpronotum asanautapomorphy 1990) Since larvae are known for all the major ofthe Palparinae. It is treated here as plesiomorphic mainly because it is found in the Psychopsidae groups, it was decided to utilize both larval and which is considered to be the sister group ofthe rest adult characters in the analysis. The only tribes of of the Myrmeleontoidea The polarity is subjective Myrmeleontidae unknown in the larval stage are fundamentally but scored either way would not thePseudimarini(1 rarespecies) andMaulini(about change the cladogram. 5 species in 2 genera) Although the larvae in general remforce the trIbalclassifIcatIOn, oneprob­ 5. Pronotal artIculatIOn (taken from Adams, 1958); (0) lem in using laNae was recognized. The laNae of pronotum articulates with mesot.horax the Dimarini are highly diverse (Stange, 1989) so (psychopsidae; NymphIdae); (1) pronotum artICU­ lates with mesothoracic s iracle' 2 ronotum ar- rather than the tribe as a whole Preliminary rac1e analysis led to the beliefthat three distmct groups we~e present inthe Brachynemuri~.To attemptto 6. Pretarsal arolium - (0) present, (1) absent Comments: The presence ofan arolium is considered the plesiomorphic condition in the Myrmeleontoidea. The following informative characters were used. There is anevident aroliuminPsychopsidaewhereas The data matrix is given in Appendix I in the Ny mphidae the arolium is deeply bifid, for m- ing two pulvilliform lobes. In the Ascalaphidae and M)rmeleontidae the auxiliae are fused forming a List of myrmeleontid tribal apomorphies bristly median lobe co-adapted to a strong (HEAD) unguitraeter plate which strengthens the flexing 1. Mouthparts - (0) short mouthparts; (1) head pro­ mechanism ofthe claws. The arolium is completely longed with long mouthparts absent in these families Comments: The elongated head and mouthparts is associated with pollen feeding in the Nemopteridae. 7. Femoral sense haIr - (0) absent; (1) present on proleg and mesoJeg (Fig 9) 2. Antennal shape· (0) filiform, (1) clavate (Fig. 36), Comments: The femoral sense haIr IS an autapomorphy (2) Clubbed of the subfamily Myrmeleontjnae In a few genera Comments. The shape of the antennae is fairly consis­ (I.e., Atncholeon, Venezueleon) the haIr has been tent but there are a few exceptions. Filiform-like secondarily lost as evidenced by the strong reduc- antennae are found both in the Ascalaphidae tion of all leg setae in these genera. In the (Tmesibasis) and Myrmeleontidae (Anteonoleon, Acanthaclisini there is also a femoral sense hair (sometimes two) on the metaleg. Vol. 8, No.1 - 2, March - June, 1994 69 8. Hindwing - (0) similar ro forewing, (1) greatly elon Mymeleontidae is a derived state, then the distal gated crossveins in Pseudimares iris Kimmins may repre- sent a derived condition rather than a vestigial (WING VENATION) condition. 9. Forewing, origin vein CuP (~at or before basal crossvein; (1) distad ofM-Cu or CuP obsolete; (2) M­ 14. Pilula axillaris (#12) - (0) absent; (1) present Cu obsolete Comments: The pilula axillaris or Eltringham's organ is Comments: The apomorphic condition is found in found only in the Myrmeleontidae and is an GnophoIeontmI, Lemolemini and Brachynemurmi. autapomorphy of the family. The absence of the Elsewhere, the apomorphic condition has been ob- structure in several groups (especially Nemoleontini) served only m the SOuth AfrIcan genus Nanrwleon IS conSIdered a reversal. and Maulini and in some Dendroleontini. 10. Forewing, condition ofvein lA - (0) Free course from (ABDOMEN) base to hind margin (see Markl 1954. Fig. 62), (1) 15. First abdominal spiracle (data taken from Adams, uniood with CuP near base (Figs. 10-11) 1958) - (0) eonneeood to mesepimeron; (l) incorpo- Comments: The genus Palparidius is variable in this rated with the metepimeron character. Comments. The migration of the first abdominal spi- racle onto the metepimeron appears associated with 11. IIindwing, OrIgm of radial seeror - (0) near wing the diminution of the first tergite. Probably this base, well before origin ofmedial fork; (1) originates relocation of the spiracle improves the air supply to distal ro medial fork (Fig. 15), (2) greatly reduced the flight muscles. Comments: This is a progressive character where the origin of the radial seeWr has apparently migrated 16. Female terminalia, posterior gonapophysis (#16) distally according to Tillyard (1915). Usually