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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies (Neuroptera) » Antlions and Allies (Myrmeleontiformia) » Antlions & Owlflies (Myrmeleontidae) » Picture-winged Antlions and Allies (Nemoleontinae) » Euptilon

Genus Euptilon

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Identification · Range · Works Cited

Glenurini Tribe; Euptilon or Purenleon? - Euptilon

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Neuroptera (Antlions, Lacewings, and Allies)

Suborder Myrmeleontiformia (Antlions and Allies)

Family Myrmeleontidae (Antlions & Owlflies)

Subfamily Nemoleontinae (Picture-winged Antlions and Allies)

Genus Euptilon

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

our spp. included here used to be treated in Psammoleon Banks

Explanation of Names

Euptilon Westwood 1837

Numbers

5 spp., all found in our area,(1)(2)

1. E. arizonense: AZ

2. E. decipiens: FL(3), GA, LA

3. E. normale: AZ, CA

4. E. ornatum: FL, GA, KS, LA, MO, NC, NJ, TX

5. E. sinuatum: AZ, CO, NM, UT

Identification

All of the species of Euptilon that occur in the US have wings with dark markings (either a pair of curved lines or a connected sinuate mark) and an ornate pattern of alternating bands and spots on the abdomen.

Purenleon in our area can have nearly identical wing patterns but lack the ornate abdominal markings. This distinction does not work for specimens found outside of the US. The genera are defined in terms of chaetotaxy (or the arrangement of bristle-like setae).

Overview of Adults

1. E. arizonense: oblique dark marks on wings not connected, vertex of head with median marks connected by a diamond mark. Fore wing 26 mm.(4)

2. E. decipiens: oblique dark marks on wings not connected, head with a series of alternating pale and dark bands from above the interantennal mark to the vertex. Fore wing ~30 mm.(4)

3. E. normale: oblique dark marks on wings not connected, head with interantennal mark reaching to vertex, two rows of black spots on vertex. Fore wing 27-29mm.(5) Setae on tergite 8 in 2 rows and as long as in Purenleon.(6)

4. E. ornatum: oblique dark marks on wings not connected, vertex of head with 2 bands of distinct spots, usually tawny. Fore wing 29-31 mm.(7)

5. E. sinuatum: dark marks on wings typically connected as a sinuous line, vertex of head with 4 distinct spots, usually dark.(4) Fore wing 29-35 mm.(7)

Range

in our area, 2 spp. in se. US (TX to FL-NJ) + 3 spp. in sw. US (CA to CO-NM)(1)

Works Cited

1.	Species catalog of the Neuroptera, Megaloptera, and Raphidioptera of America North of Mexico Penny N.D., Adams P.A., Stange L.A. 1997. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 50: 39‒114.

2.	Lacewing Digital Library

3.	The ant-lions of Florida. I. Genera (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) Lionel A. Stange. 1980. Entomology Circular No. 215.

4.	A few new North American Neuroptera Banks N. 1935. Psyche 42: 53–57.

5.	Contributions toward a knowledge of the insect fauna of Lower California. No. 4. Neuroptera: Myrmeleonidae Nathan Banks. 1942. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 4th series, 24(4): 133-151.

6.	A revision of the genus Purenleon Stange (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini) Miller RB and Stange LA. 2014. Insecta Mundi 0384: 1–67.

7.	Revision of the Nearctic Myrmeleonidae Nathan Banks. 1927. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 68, No. 1: 1-84.

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 18 August, 2006 - 4:30pm
Additional contributions by v belov, Robert H. Biagi, PaleoJon
Last updated 9 November, 2021 - 4:08am

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