Cueta minervae Hölzel, 1972

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 : 230

* Cueta minervae Hölzel, 1972

( Fig. 4K )

Material examined: 4♀ IRAQ, Sulaymaniyah, Sangaw, Zhallay Darband Village , 35°19’55.6”N, 45°17’44.3”E, 10.IX.2023 leg: Farhad A. Khudhur & Aland Nwab .

Remarks: This species is distributed in the xeromontane area of western Asia ( Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan), N-Oman, United Arab Emirates) ( Ábrahám & van Harten 2012). The collection of this species in Iraq represents a new country record.

One of the largest (length of forewing: 30 mm) Cueta species, the body is reddish brown, and the longitudinal veins have short reddish brown dashes alternating with short and pale ones. There is no noticeable spot in the fore wing, and only a small reddish brown spot is visible at the rhegma area of the forewing ( Fig. 4K ). The abdomen is reddish-brown with yellow lateral rounded spots in the middle of the tergal segments.

Figures

FIGURE 4.A—Habitus of Myrmecaelurus trigrammus, B—Head and pronotum in dorsal view; C—Habitus of Myrmecaelurus solaris, D—Head and pronotum in dorsal view; E—Habitus of Cueta anomala, F—Head in frontal view, G—Tergal segments 2-4 in lateral view; H—Habitus of Cueta lineosa, I—Tergal segments 2-4 in lateral view, J—Head in frontal view; K—Type of Cueta anomala in dorsal view with labels (Photo: Bruno Michel); L—Habitus of Cueta minervae, M—Pronotum pattern in dorsal view. Abbreviations: ra—reghma area, Cua2—Cubitus anterior 2, Cup+A1—Cubitus posterior + Anal vein 1, (Scale bar: 10 mm)