Dissomphalus coronatus, Alencar & Azevedo, 2006

Alencar, I. D. C. C. & Azevedo, C. O., 2006, Definition of the coronatus species-group (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae, Dissomphalus) with description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 1330, pp. 1-26 : 3-4

coronatus species-group

Diagnosis: This group is characterized by having mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth usually inconspicuous; clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe; metasoma with sublateral tergal process, which have a pair of circular depressions with dense tuft of convergent setae directed backward, antero-lateral margin of depression with setae, tubercle absent; genitalia with inner apical surface of paramere generally with one seta distinctly longer than others; ventral ramus of aedeagus shorter than dorsal body with at least half part inclined and tending to be convergent mesad of genitalia; dorsal body of aedeagus wide with crown-like structure.

Comments: the group comprises thirteen new Neotropical species: D. aculeatus , D. auritus , D. coronatus , D. culteratus , D. declinatus , D. decussatus , D. flexuosus , D. galeatus , D. hirtus , D. pronus , D. ramosus , D. sinatus , and D. uber . The group ranges through Dominica, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru.

Species of the coronatus group run to couplet '55' in the key proposed by Azevedo (2003) leading to D. chiapanus Evans, 1962 and D. puteolus Evans, 1969 , but species of the coronatus group do not have either tubercle on the tergal process or ventral ramus of aedeagus divided, whereas D. chiapanus and D. puteolus have tubercle on the tergal process and ventral ramus of aedeagus divided apically into two slender process (see Evans, 1962, 1969).

We first considered these species to be related to D. fungosus Evans, 1979 because they have tergal process with large and deep depression, dense tuft of convergent setae, tubercle absent, genitalia with apex of paramere with one seta distinctly longer than others, aedeagus with ventral ramus short and dorsal body wide narrowing to the apex. However, species of the coronatus group have mandible tridentate, sublateral process, depression with tuft of setae directed backward and antero-lateral margin of depression with setae, whereas D. fungosus has mandible tetradentate and lateral process with depression widely separated, with dense tuft of setae directed distinctly dorsally and with no setae in anterolateral margin of depression.

The species of the coronatus group also resemble those of the punctatus group in having depression with tuft of setae directed backward and tubercle absent. However, species of the punctatus group have mandible with two well defined teeth; usually lateral tergal process with a pair of circular, usually not deep, depressions, margins never angulate and with no antero-lateral setae; genitalia with ventral side of basiparamere with a prominence which can be rounded or angulate, ventral ramus divergent, as long as or longer than dorsal body, dorsal body of aedeagus straight and thin.

Etymology: the group is named after the most abundant species.