Neuroleon fanaticus (McLachlan in Fedchenko, 1875)

Khudhur, Farhad A. & Ábrahám, Levente, 2025, A report on the lacewing fauna of Iraqi Kurdistan (Neuroptera: Mantispidae, Nemopteridae, Myrmeleontidae, Ascalaphidae), Zootaxa 5665 (2), pp. 223-238 : 233

* Neuroleon fanaticus (McLachlan in Fedchenko, 1875)

( Fig. 5L )

Material examined: 1♂ IRAQ, Erbil, Choman, Gali Sakran , 36°35’29,6”N, 44°54’43.5”E, 30.VII.2024 leg: Farhad A. Khudhur & Aland Nwab ; 1♂ IRAQ, Sulaymaniyah, Qara Dagh , 4.3km NW Jafaran Village, 35°19’55.6”N, 45°17’44.3”E, 12.IX.2023 leg: Farhad A. Khudhur .

Remarks: This species belongs to the Polycentric Iranoeremian faunal element in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula. In the xeromontane highlands of South Asia, it was previously documented by Aspöck et al. (2001) from Iraq.

Neuroleon fanaticus has a very diverse morphology ( Krivokhatsky 1998). It can be distinguished from other Neuroleon species by the presence of several characteristic characters, e.g., the pattern of the pronotum and the forewing ( Fig. 5L and M ), and the presence of elongated oval-shaped spots on the side of the tergites.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A—Habitus of Macronemurus persicus, B—Head in frontal view, C—Pronotum in dorsal view; D—Habitus of Delfimeus friedeli, E—Basal part of forewing; F—Habitus of Quinemurus cinereus, G—Part of hindwing, H—Pronotum in dorsal view; J—Habitus of Neuroleon erato, I—Head in frontal view K—Pronotum in dorsal view; L—Habitus of N. leptaleus, M– Pronotum in dorsal view; N—Habitus of N. fanaticus,O—Pronotum in dorsal view Abbreviations: lp—labial palp, R—Radius, Rs—Radius sector, Cup—Cubitus posterior, A1—Anal vein 1, ca—cubital area, (Scale bar: 10 mm)