Numbers
13 spp. in our area, 28 total
(1)(2)
1. Meleoma arizonensis (Banks, 1903): AZ, CA, NM, TX, UT
2. Meleoma beardi Tauber, 1969: AZ
3. Meleoma dolicharthra (Navás, 1914): western (Canada: BC; United States: AZ, CA, CO, OR, UT, WA)
4. Meleoma emuncta (Fitch, 1855): widespread (Canada: BC, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, QC; United States: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MA, ME, MI, NC, NH, NM, NV, NY, OR, UT, VA, VT, WA, WS)
5. Meleoma furcata (Banks, 1911): AZ, CA, NM, UT
6. Meleoma hageni Banks, 1948: AZ, NM
7. Meleoma kennethi Tauber, 1969: CA, NV
8. Meleoma pallida Banks, 1908: AZ, CA
9. Meleoma pinalena (Banks, 1950): AZ, NM
10. Meleoma pyknotrichia Penny, 2006: CA, NV
11. Meleoma schwarzi (Banks, 1903): AZ, CA, CO, NM, NV, OR, UT
12. Meleoma signoretti Fitch, 1855: eastern (Canada: BC, MB, NS, ON, QC; United States: DC, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV)
13. Meleoma tezcucana (Banks, 1948): AZ
Identification
Adults
Meleoma adults are generally recognizable for their longer, more strongly cylindrical (straight-sided) antennal scapes with broad separation between the two, of about the width of their bases. Males have a tubercle or other modification between the antennae, unique to this genus.
(3)(4) This is the only green lacewing genus in our area to display sexual dimorphism.
(5)
Head of a female M. signoretti demonstrating the antennae (left) and male M. signoretti demonstrating the interantennal process (right).
M. schwarzi is an exception but is otherwise placed in the genus based on an expanded understanding of the genus using traits of male terminalia.
(6)
M. emuncta, the most widespread species, bears similarities in coloration with Chrysoperla species but, in terms of coloration, is separated by the single black line on the genae, lacking any red streaks and in terms of structure by the aforementioned antennal traits.
Larvae
Meleoma larvae have short, hemispherical tubercles. Larvae are generally naked (not carrying a debris packet) but unlike most other naked genera have hooked setae on the abdominal tubercles, which in most of our other genera are associated with debris-carrying.
(7)(8) Blunt-hooked abdominal setae are also found in 3 of our species of
Chrysopa:
C. quadripundtata,
C. slossonae, and
C. timberlakei.
(9)
Several of the more common species in our area have variations of four markings on the head capsule, with the inner two forming a V-shape (without joining). There may also be an anterior median mark. See figures by Toschi (1965)
(10) and Tauber (1969).
(6) A color photograph of
Meleoma signoretti appears in Tauber et al. (2014), Fig. 1B.
(8)Range
New World;
(11) across NA but most spp. restricted to sw. US,
M. emuncta being transcontinental and
M. signoretti eastern (but also in AB & BC!)
(1)(12)
