Description of the larva and updated distribution of albardia furcata van der weele (neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae)

Abstract

The complex taxonomy of Albardia furcata van der Weele is totally related to the unique characters of the adults, which hinder a morphological comparison with other owlfly genera. The behavior and life history of the immature stages of A. furcata are known, but the larval morphology remains undescribed. Herein, we present a morphological description of the A. furcata larva, the most iconic Neotropical owlfly (Myrmeleontidae: Ascalaphinae), a Brazilian species endemic to Cerrado, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. The morphological description of the larva was based on three third instar larvae collected in areas of Cerrado and reared at laboratory conditions. We provide high-resolution images from the life cycle, including immature and adults, as well as an updated distributional map. Comments are done on the similarities and differences of the larva regarding other owlflies species and also on biogeography in Neotropical region.