The Larvae of European Ascalaphidae (Neuroptera) Author Badano, Davide Author Pantaleoni, Roberto Antonio text Zootaxa 2014 2014-05-19 3796 2 287 319 journal article 5602 10.11646/zootaxa.3796.2.4 e0da9034-33f3-4508-aae5-c5dbeb2ee4c3 1175-5326 4915173 D64A7C50-26ED-4D39-B376-2200CCCB138E Deleproctophylla dusmeti Navás, 1914 ( Fig. 9 ) Navás (1915) attributed a freshly hatched larva, a not diagnostic instar, to this species. Few years later, Escribano (1921) described and illustrated the larva and life-history of this ascalaphid. Examined specimens. France . Hérault , 1 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected at Saint Paul et Valmalle , VII.2011 ( D. Badano ). Alpes Maritimes, 3 L3 laboratory-reared from a female collected at Villeneuve Loubet, VII.2011 ( D. Badano ) . Description of 3 rd instar larva. Size (based on 4 specimens ): BL 10.42 mm ; HL 2.52 mm (2.44–2.68), HW 2.83 mm (2.44–2.94), ML 3.16 mm (2.96–3.34), HW/HL 1.12, ML/HL 1.25. General colouring pale brown with darker shades, ventral side whitish with dark brown markings; head capsule dark brown, dorsal side of the head with paler markings, ventral side dark brown with paler posterior stripes, mandibles brown; legs brown; setae of the body black. Head slightly longer than wide ( Fig. 9b ); mandibles longer than the head capsule ( Fig. 9a ); interdental spiniform setae: (~5)(2–3)(1–0); external margin of the mandible covered by short setae. Pronotum brown with a pale median stripe; first pair of mesothoracic scolus-like processes with a dark spot at the base ( Fig. 9c ). Abdominal spiracles brown; VIII sternite with a pair of lateral brown spots ( Fig. 9d ). Bio-ecology. Ecology of this species is similar to the congener D. australis , living in open arid Mediterranean environments with herbaceous vegetation. Distribution. D. dusmeti is reported from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France . Remarks. See D. australis .