Ecualeon peruvianus, Machado & Zheng & Liu, 2025

Machado, Renato Jose Pires, Zheng, Yuchen & Liu, Xingyue, 2025, A new species of the antlion genus Ecualeon Stange (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Myrmeleontinae) from Peru, Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20240136) 69 (1), pp. 1-7 : 2

Ecualeon peruvianus sp nov.

( Figs. 1 , 2 , 3A, C , 4 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4FFA22C3-4C85-4A3A-B527-CDCBCD1D35A7 Diagnosis. Ecualeon peruvianus sp. nov. possesses a row of long setae on the posterior margin of the tergum VII, and the curved posterior gonapophysis in female; and it has scale-like setae on the abdomen and the ectoproct ventrally emarginated in male, like E. ovispargus . However, the new species has the head, antennae, and abdomen paler than E. ovispargus ( Fig. 5 ), but the meso- and metaprescutum are darker in the new species. The eye diameter of E. ovispargus is nearly as wide as frons, while in E. peruvianus sp. nov. it is slightly narrower than the width of frons. The legs of E. ovispargus have many thick white setae that are absent in E. peruvianus sp. nov. The wings in E. ovispargus have an acute tip with a posterior margin mostly straight, the pterostigma is dark brown and white, the distal half of the costal area is biareolate, the forewing anterior Banksian line is present, and there are some dark brown spots on the forewing; while in the new species, the wing tip is mostly rounded, the pterostigma has a faint light brown mark, only the distal third of the costal area is biareolate,the forewing anterior Banksian line is absent, and the forewing is almost immaculate.

Description. Measurements. Head width: 1.56–1.68 mm; forewing length: 16.86–18.54 mm; hindwing length: 16.67–18.46 mm.

Head ( Figs. 2B–C ). Mostly pale with dark marks at frons and vertex. Mandible dark brown, maxillary and labial palpi pale except for distal palpomeres, dark brown. Labrum with row of short pale setae and vertex with scattered black setae. Antennae pale, with darker marks at tip of scape and pedicel.

Thorax ( Fig. 2C ). Pronotum slightly longer than broad, anterior margin narrower than posterior, mostly pale, with dark dots at base of major setae, two pairs of longitudinal dark lines present, a shorter pair submedially at posterior half, and a longer pair more laterally. Meso- and metanotum with prescutum mostly dark brown, scutellum mostly pale, and scutum pale with large dark marks. Pteropleura mostly pale with dark areas, particularly on mesothorax.

Legs ( Figs.2A , 3A ).Pale with many dark dots on coxa, trochanter, femur, and tibia. Tarsus pale, except tips of the 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th tarsomeres, dark brown. Basal tarsomere longer than next three tarsomeres combined, but shorter than distal tarsomere. Legs set with simple black or white setae, with some thicker and longer black setae on tibia. Profemoral sense hair slightly shorter than femur. Tibial spurs curved, slightly shorter than basal tarsomere. Pretarsal claws curved, nearly as long as half of distal tarsomere.

Wings ( Figs. 1A , 2A ). About the same size, tip curved, but more acute on hindwing. Membrane hyaline, with few pale brown marks at distal forks on posterior margin of forewing. Veins mostly brown, with major longitudinal veins pale dashed. Pterostigma as a small faint brown mark. Banksian lines absent. Pilula axillaris small and knob-like. Forewing: costal area biareolate on distal third, subcostal veinlets mostly simple but distal ones forked. Four to five presectorial crossveins. Prefork and posterior area with same size, except distal part that is slightly broader on prefork area. Hindwing very similar to forewing, but narrower and costal area not biareolate.

Abdomen ( Figs. 1 ). Slightly longer than hindwing in male, but slightly shorter than hindwing in female. Mostly pale with many dark dots. Set with regular black or white setae throughout entire length, but female with a row of long black setae on posterior margin of tergum VII, and male with scale-like setae ( Fig. 3C ) on third to fifth segments, particularly on sterna.

Male terminalia ( Figs. 2D–E, H–L ). Sternum IX with medial posterior region elongate, set with long black setae. Ectoproct with postventral lobe weakly indicated; emarginated, triangular in ventral view; set with long black setae. Gonarcus as a transverse bar in dorsal view, arched in posterior view. Mediuncus in dorsal view large and subtriangular, with posterior margin rounded. Paramere hinged, subtriangular in ventral view; paramere plate striated, and curved with ventrolateral corners expended; medial connection of both parameres set with a row of setae with strongly marked bases. Genital sac with two small group of short setae arising from distinct bumps ventrolaterally.

Female terminalia ( Fig. 2F–G ). Sternum VII set with long black setae on posterior margin except its medial region. Posterior gonapophysis elongate, curved, set with long black setae. Anterior gonapophysis as a small rounded plate set with long black setae. Lateral gonapophysis elongate and bearing some long digging setae. Ectoproct rounded, set with long black setae and a few thicker long black setae on posteroventral corner. Pregenital plate small and transverse in ventral view. Gonapophyseal plate large and subtriangular in ventral view.

Etymology. Named after Peru, the country where the type series was collected.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PERU: Piura Province, 39 km W Pucará ; malaise in canyon bottom, 13-18.xi.2007; M.E. Irwin, F.D. Parker, 1012m; 05°51.06’S – 79°20.87’W ( NACRC) . Paratypes: 5♂ 2♀, same data as holotype ( NACRC) ; 1♂ 1♀, same data as holotype ( DZUP) ; 1♂, PERU: Dept. Amazonas, 1 km W Bagua Chica, 14-17.xi. 2005, 525m, 05°43.58’S – 78°37.83’W, M.E. Irwin ( NACRC) ( Fig. 4 ).

Comments. Ecualeon peruvianus sp. nov. belongs to Ecualeon , as it presents the major diagnostic characters of the genus: the female with a row of long setae on the posterior margin of the tergum VII, and the curved posterior gonapophysis; and the male with the scale-like setae on the abdomen and the ectoproct ventrally emarginate. The differences between the new species and E. ovispargus can be found in the color pattern of the head and antennae, darker in E. ovispargus ; the presence of a row of long setae on the labrum in E. ovispargus (absent in the new species); the color pattern of the pteronotum, darker in the new species; the presence of long thick white setae on the legs of E. ovispargus (absent in the new species); the overall shape and marking of the wings, and the pterostigma color. Stange (2004), in his world catalog, mentioned that Ecualeon is confined to southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru, a statement that is only now being confirmed with the description of E. peruvianus sp. nov., since until now there were no official records of the genus in Peru.

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of Ecualeon peruvianus sp. nov. (A) Holotype, male; (B) paratype, female.

Figure 2. Ecualeon peruvianus sp. nov. (A) Part of habitus,male holotype;(B) head, frontal view;(C) head and thorax, dorsalview;(D–E) male terminalia:(D) lateral view; (E) ventral view; (F–G) female terminalia: (F) lateral view; (G) ventral view; (H–L) male genitalia: (H) ventral view; (I) anteroventral view; (J) caudal view; (K) lateral view; (L) dorsal view.

Figure 3. Ecualeon spp.(A) E. peruvianus sp. nov., head and thorax, lateral view; (B) E.ovispargus Stange, 1994, thorax, lateral view (photo by Jonathan Bremer); (C) E. peruvianus sp nov., male abdominal sternite IV in ventral view, blue arrow indicates the scale-like setae.

Figure 4. Distribution map for Ecualeon Stange, 1994.

Figure 5. Ecualeon ovispargus Stange, 1994, male, holotype in FSCA. (A) Habitus, dorsal view; (B) habitus, lateral view; (C) thorax and head, dorsal view; (D) head, frontal view, with labels. (photos by Jonathan Bremer).