Melanocryptus rufigladius, Aguiar & Santos, 2015

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Santos, Bernardo F., 2015, Revision of Melanocryptus Cameron (Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with description of seven new species, American Museum Novitates 2015 (3836), pp. 1-56 : 39-41

Melanocryptus rufigladius , sp. nov.

Figures 67 , 101–106 , 123

DESCRIPTION: Female holotype. Forewing 12.1 mm. Body mostly shiny and delicately sculptured. Supraclypeal area dorsally with distinct, somewhat keeled, longitudinal protuberance; supraantennal area with delicate, nearly smooth, glossy sculpturing, coronal suture distinct. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres. Malar space 0.59 mandible basal width. Occipital carina laterocentrally without emargination; apically fusing smoothly with hypostomal carina, forming a Y, at some distance from base of mandible. Pronotum dorsomedial margin not raised above level of anterior margin of mesonotum; epomia distinct, moderately long, vertical; pronotum smooth, shiny, without laterocentral strigation (fig. 102). Mesoscutum shiny, punctate, near apex of notaulus somewhat strigate and more coarsely punctate (fig. 104). Axillary trough of mesonotum anterior wall smooth, medially with transverse, rugose to crenulate channel, posteriorly transversely striate. Notaulus moderately deep, delicately crenulate, converging and nearly meeting posteriorly, ending slightly past center of mesoscutum (fig. 104). Scutellar carina advancing shortly over scutellum, which is moderately protuberant, round. Epicnemial carina sinuous, irregular. Subalar ridge narrow, strongly projected, approximately elongate oval. Sternaulus deep, crenulate (fig. 105), somewhat curved upward, restricted to anterior 0.65 of mesepisternum; mesepisternum mostly smooth, distinctly striated along dorsal portion of epicnemial carina and next to hypoepimeron. Forewing (fig. 101) crossvein 1cu-a basal to 1M+Rs by about 0.20 its own length, its posterior end slightly curved toward wing base; vein 2Cua 0.91 length of crossvein 2cu-a. Hind wing Cua 3.26× length of crossvein cu-a.

Transverse furrow at base of propodeum deep, medially wide, densely crenulate. Area anterior to anterior transverse carina smooth; area between anterior and posterior transverse carinae with oblique, irregular striation; area posterior to posterior transverse carina rugulose in varied directions; both anterior and posterior transverse carinae complete, medially distinctly arched forward, somewhat bell shaped; posterior transverse carina median point slightly elevated, forming a delicate crest, sublaterally forming distinct, scale-shaped apophyses (fig. 105). Propodeal spiracle elongate, 3.10× longer than wide. Pleural carina thin, delicate, conspicuously crenulate (fig. 105). Metapleuron finely alutaceous, somewhat shiny. T1 spiracle at middle (basal 0.53); dorsolateral carina absent except at the very base of petiole; ventrolateral carina faintly suggested along entire petiole; sternite ending opposite spiracle. T2–8 with fine sculpturing associated with pilosity. Ovipositor somewhat blade shaped, 1.80× taller than wide at midlength, at the level of nodus distinctly taller than at base, 1.08× as long as hind tibia, straight; ventral valve ridges with subapical irregularity (fig. 67).

Pilosity. Most of the body behind base of hind wing covered with moderately dense pilosity; metapleuron, propodeum laterally and all coxae densely covered with whitish, moderately long pilosity. T1 glabrous, other tergites with short yellowish pilosity, T8 posteriorly with long, erect pilosity.

Color. Black, with faint bluish reflections. Body chiefly black with a few bluish reflections, and with following whitish areas: palpi entirely; dorsal portion of supraclypeal area (fig. 103); subcircular mark on orbital band at 12 h (fig. 104); lateral basal mark and ventral stripe along foretibia; small lateral spot on posterior margin of T2 (fig. 102); lateral elongate mark on T7 apical margin; posterior stripe on S2–6, narrower toward posterior sternites. All legs with distinct reddish-brown tinge (fig. 101). Wings hyaline; forewing fuscous on the very apex. Ovipositor reddish orange (figs. 101, 106).

MALE. Unknown.

COMMENTS: Most similar to M. delos , from which it can be differentiated by the following characters: forewing mostly hyaline (vs. with two broad stripes; fig. 101 vs. 18), its apex fuscous (vs. hyaline); orbital band distinct and wide only on supraantennal area, to the level of ocelli (vs. narrow and distinct as separate marks on supraantennal area and gena); notaulus deep, converging and nearly meeting posteriorly (vs. faint, straight, ending anterad of tegula; fig. 104 vs. 2); supraclypeal area with large dorsal yellow spot (vs. blackish, except by narrow orbital band; fig. 103 vs. 89–90); T2 posterior margin with small lateral yellowish spot (vs. with distinct whitish stripe); posterior transverse carina of propodeum complete (vs. indicated only by scalelike apophyses; fig. 105 vs. 54); legs with distinct reddish tinge (vs. black); hind wing vein Cua 3.26× length of crossvein cu-a (vs. 2.16).

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin rufus, “red,” and gladius, “sword,” in reference to its reddish ovipositor.

DISTRIBUTION: Peru (fig. 123).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: One female. Holotype ♀ from PERU: Monson Valley , Tingo Maria, XII-2-1954 + E.I. Schlinger and E.S. Ross collectors ( CASC). Pinned through mesopleuron; ovipositor sheath missing, otherwise in good shape.

Figures

FIGURES 61–69. Ovipositor and ovipositor tip, left. 61A–B, M. aurantius, holotype. 62, M. tesselatus, holotype. 63, M. hadroglyptus, holotype. 64, M. niger. 65A–B, M. cyaneus. 66, M. delos, holotype. 67, M. rufigladius, holotype. 68, M. tupan. 69, M. tesselatus, paratype.

FIGURES 101–106. Melanocryptus rufigladius, holotype. 101, Habitus. 102, Left side, detail. 103, Head, frontal. 104, Head and mesosoma, dorsal. 105, Propodeum, dorsolateral (left). 106, Metasoma, from apex of petiole, left.

FIGURES 118–123. Distribution maps for species of Melanocryptus, sorted from most northern to most southern taxa. 118, M. whartoni. 119, M. tesselatus. 120, M. hadroglyptus. 121, M. cyaneus. 122, M. dnopheros. 123, M. rufigladius (triangle) and M. violaceipennis (circles).