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Macronemurus perlatus

Posted on by Ryan Tippett

View the above photo record (by Vaughan Jessnitz) in LacewingMAP here.

Myrmeleontidae (Antlions)

Macronemurus perlatus 

(Gerstaecker, 1885)

Identification

Size: Small-Medium (Wingspan around 62mm)

The head and thorax are yellow with black markings and the abdomen is orange-brown with darker dorsal patterning. The wings are clear with attractive black veining. Macronemurus perlatus is sexually dimorphic with males having longer, more slender abdomens and very long filamentous ectoprocts.

This species is very similar to Macronemurus tinctus.

Larvae: The larvae are unknown.

Macronemurus perlatus male – Near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Cornelia Rautenbach
Macronemurus perlatus female – Mlawula Nature Reserve, eSwatini
Photo by Kate Braun

Habitat

Macronemurus perlatus inhabits grasslands and grassy areas in savanna and woodlands.

Behaviour

Nothing much is known about the biology of this species. The adults are nocturnal and spend the day resting among tall grass or other vegetation. Macronemurus perlatus is frequently attracted to lights. 

Adults have been recorded during late Summer from from December to April.

Nothing is known about the larvae of this species.

Macronemurus perlatus male – Near Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal
Photo by Cornelia Rautenbach

Status and Distribution

Macronemurus perlatus is a fairly common and widespread species in South Africa. This species is also known from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Distribution of Macronemurus perlatus. Taken from the LacewingMAP database, December 2022.

Taxonomy:

Order: Neuroptera Family: Myrmeleontidae Subfamily: Nemoleontinae Tribe: Nemoleontini Genus: Macronemurus Species: perlatus

Macronemurus perlatus female – Mlawula Nature Reserve, eSwatini
Photo by Kate Braun

Further Resources

Virtual Museum (LacewingMAP > Search VM > By Scientific or Common Name)

Acknowledgements:

The use of photographs by Alan Manson, Cornelia Rautenbach, Kate Braun and Vaughan Jessnitz is acknowledged. This species text has benefited enormously from comments made by Mervyn Mansell on records he has identified in LacewingMAP. We acknowledge his important contribution.

Recommended citation format for this species text:

Tippett RM 2022. Macronemurus perlatus. Biodiversity and Development Institute, Cape Town.
Available online at http://thebdi.org/2022/12/14/macronemurus-perlatus/

Macronemurus perlatus – Cyferfontein, Free State
Photo by Alan Manson
Ryan Tippett
Ryan Tippett
Ryan is an enthusiastic contributor to Citizen Science and has added many important and interesting records of fauna and flora. He has been a member of the Virtual Museum since 2014 and has currently submitted over 12,000 records. He is on the expert identification panel for the OdonataMAP project. Ryan is a well-qualified and experienced Field Guide, and Guide Training Instructor. He has spent the last 18 years in the guiding and tourism industries. Ryan loves imparting his passion and knowledge onto others, and it is this that drew him into guide training in particular. Something that he finds incredibly rewarding is seeing how people he's had the privilege of teaching have developed and gone on to greater things. His interests are diverse and include Dragonflies, Birding, Arachnids, Amphibians, wild flowers and succulents, free diving and experiencing big game on foot. With this range of interests, there is always likely be something special just around the corner!