Astromesitius mutilloides ( Costa, 1864 ) Barbosa & Azevedo, 2019

Barbosa, Diego N. & Azevedo, Celso O., 2019, Astromesitius, a new genus of Mesitiinae (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from the Old World, European Journal of Taxonomy 587, pp. 1-20 : 15-17

Astromesitius mutilloides ( Costa, 1864) gen. et comb. nov.

Clytrovorus mutilloides Costa, 1864: 126 (combined by Argaman, 2003: 75).

Mesitius fuscicornis Kieffer, 1906: 408 , 535, 545 (synonymised by Argaman 2003: 75). Mesitius zavadili Hoffer, 1936: 120–122 , fig. 1 (synonymised by Argaman 2003: 75).

Mesitius viator Nagy, 1968: 171 , fig. 4 (synonymised by Argaman 2003: 75).

Diagnosis

Female

Head as long as wide. Malar space shorter than VOL, convergent anteriorly. Eye very small. Frons foveolate. Ocelli very small. Mesosoma with pronotal disc as long as wide, weakly foveolate, with side straight, posterior margin concave; longitudinal pronotal sulcus hardly distinct, incomplete. Metapectalpropodeal complex shorter than metapectal-propodeal complex half-width, without longitudinal ridge between metaposnotal median carina and metaposnotal-propodeal suture; metaposnotal surface areolate; posterior spine of metapectal-propodeal complex present, short, thin and divergent. Propodeal declivity striate. Wings micropterous.

Male

Hypopygium longer than wide; anterior stalk slender and long; posterior margin with branches short and wide. Genitalia with paramere apex sparsely hairy; ventral arm of paramere sinuous and slender; aedeagus slender, with apex aligned with paramere apex, apical margin rounded, and with short outer projection, lateral margin of basal portion slightly convex.

Remarks

This species was originally described in Sclerodermus ( Costa 1864) based on one female from Italy. It was transferred to Mesitius by Kieffer (1914), who synonymised Sclerodermus mutilloides under Mesitius ghilianii Spinola, 1851 . Argaman (2003) revalidated the status as a valid species and transferred this species from Mesitius to Clytrovorus . Argaman also established the synonymy of Mesitius fuscicornis Kieffer,1906 , M. zavadili Hoffer, 1936 and M. viator Nagy, 1968 under this species.

We did not have access either to the type, which is lost, or to any other voucher specimens of this species, and the original descriptions are not sufficiently detailed to compare with the diagnostic characteristics of Astromesitius gen. nov. However, the illustration by Argaman (2003) is clear and sufficient to analyze and reallocate this species from Clytrovorus to Astromesitius gen. nov., because it has long and sparse antennal pubescence and the hypopygium is ‘star-shaped’.