Pristocera morti Azevedo, Alencar & Colombo, 2018

Azevedo, Celso O., Alencar, Isabel D. C. C. & Colombo, Wesley D., 2018, Pairs in copulation of the highly dimorphic genus Pristocera Klug (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from Madagascar solve taxonomic problems of male-female associations, Zootaxa 4433 (1), pp. 1-49 : 19-22

Pristocera morti Azevedo, Alencar & Colombo , sp. nov.

( Figs 11–12 )

Description. Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 11 ). Body length 12.3 mm; length of forewing 8.1 mm.

Colors. Head and mesosoma black; antenna, clypeus, mandible, veins and metasoma dark castaneous; legs castaneous; wings subhyaline.

Head. Head as long as wide. Mandible with five distal teeth, uppermost directed inward, apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe rounded, median carina conspicuous, short in profle. Antenna surpassing mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence appressed, and shorter than half flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 9:3:6:4, flagellomere IX as long as wide. Frons punctate and shining, punctures small; frontal and lateral groove absent, scrobal carina absent. Ocellar triangle compact, elevated, frontal angle acute; ocelli small and protruding, anterior margin of posterior ocellus anterior to imaginary line between tops of eyes. Vertex broadly convex. Temple convergent posterad; occipital carina present ventrally and dorsally.

Mesosoma. Pro- and mesonotal dorsum shining, punctulate, setae long. Pronotal disc trapezoidal, side slightly concave, anterior margin carinate, anterior carina high and curved posterad, median transverse region elevated. Notaulus conspicuous, convergent posteriorly, with posterior part curved inward, gradually wider posteriorly, deep, polished inside. Parapsidal furrow complete, straight and narrow. Surface of posterolateral corner of mesoscutum elevated. Mesoscutellar groove convex posteriorly, not dilated laterally. Metanotum with large median elevation, median fovea rectangular with inner surface setose, metanotal groove foveolate laterally, inner fovea very large, dropped shaped, not punctulate inside, other foveae rectangular and narrower than inner fovea. Metapectalpropodeal complex strigulate laterally and posteriorly; transverse anterior carina wide, metapostnotum mostly rugulose, median carina present; first abdominal spiracle elongate and slightly arched, wholly placed on dorsum of metapectal-propodeal complex; metapleural carina present; transverse posterior carina present. Lateral of metapectal-propodeal complex strigulate. Propodeal declivity rugulose-strigulate near petiole. Mesopleuron with subtegular groove dilated anteriorly and uniformly narrow posteriorly, foveolate inside; episternal groove continuous with subtegular one, foveolate; mesopleural callus weakly delimited, polished and shining, oval, anterior area strongly punctate to puncticulate posteriorly. Pleurosternum with heart-shaped groove weakly defined, median carina present; epicnemial carina wide medially with two very large foveae. Tarsal claws tridentate. Forewing with r-rs&Rs vein long and almost parallel to anterior margin, R1 vein shorter than stigma. Hind wing with 14 hamuli.

Metasoma. Petiole with midlength 4.75 × midwidth. Hypopygium deeply divided with apical part gradually narrower than base, apex beak-like; inner margin not dentate, with subapical concavity present, and median concavity absent; anterolateral corner rounded; hypopygeal chamber with latero-basal margin smoothly curved. Genitalia: Paramere bilaminar, longer than basiparamere; apical margin outcurved, digitiform process present, thick, long, inner concavity present. Basivolsellar surface smooth, inner margin smooth. Aedeagus subconical, apical lobe giving rise on apical fourth of aedeagus and sinuous, apex directed inward, apical part convex in lateral view; ventral lamina with outer margin sinuous in ventral view.

Description. Allotype ♀ ( Fig. 12 ). Body length 9.6 mm.

Colors. Head and mesosoma castaneous; metasoma dark castaneous; antenna, mandible, clypeus and legs light castaneous.

Body. Head almost 1.3 × as long as wide. Mandible short and wide, upper margin straight, with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, uppermost far from subupper one. Median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, lateral margin smooth, apical margin incurved and elevated in frontal view, median carina high in profile. Frons coriaceous and punctured. Eye with about 19 facets. Temple margin convergent posteriorly, vertex convex, occipital carina complete, not visible in dorsal view. Pro- and mesonotal dorsum coriaceous. Metapectal-propodeal complex polished, maximum width 1.9 × minimal width. Mesotibia strongly spinose. First abdominal spiracle oval. Metasomal petiole with midlength 1.5 × midwidth, anterior margin wholly outcurved in ventral view, anterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin notched subanteriorly, slightly diverging parallel, ventral surface subquadrate.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀, in copula: MADAGASCAR, Ivondro, V.40, in cop. N. 3, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) ( Fig. 12E ).

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. cambouei , because both species have the mandibles with five distal teeth, the forewings with R1 vein, the parameres longer than basiparameres, the aedeagus subconical with the apical lobes giving rise on the apical fourth of aedeagus, and the aedeagal ventral lamina sinuous. However, the males of this species have the clypeal median lobe rounded, the antennae surpassing the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the hind wings with 14 hamuli, whereas the males of P. cambouei have the clypeal median lobe subretangular, the antennae almost reaching the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the hind wings with 11 hamuli

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. levicollis , because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, and the median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, and the first abdominal spiracles oval. However, the females of this species have the petiole with midlength 1.5 × midwidth, with the anterolateral corner rounded, whereas the females of P. levicollis have the petiole with midlength 2.5 × midwidth, with the anterolateral corner angulate.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Pristocera morti, ♂. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Pronotum, lateral view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. F. Mesopleuron, lateral view. G. Forewing. H. Hypopygium, inner view. I. Genitalia, dorsal view. J. Genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 100 µm.

FIGURE 12. Pristocera morti, ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, latero-frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. E. Labels. Scale bars: 100 µm.