Pristocera mauricei 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 : 23-25

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

( Figs 13–14 )

Description. Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 13 ). Body length 6.7 mm; length of forewing 4.6 mm.

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

Head. Head as long as wide. Mandible with four distal teeth, uppermost directed inward, apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe rounded, median carina conspicuous, high in profile. Antenna surpassing mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence suberect, and shorter than half flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 5:2:3:3, flagellomere IX as long as wide. Frons punctate and shining, punctures small; frontal groove absent, lateral groove absent, scrobal carina absent. Ocellar triangle compact, elevated, frontal angle acute; ocelli small, protruding, anterior margin of posterior ocellus not touching 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 and 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 triangular 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 elevated and well 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 seven hamuli.

Metasoma. Petiole with midlength 5.0 × midwidth. Hypopygium deeply divided with apical third somewhat narrower than base, apex convex; inner margin irregularly dentate in apical half with subapical concavity absent, and median concavity absent; antero-lateral corner rounded; hypopygeal chamber with latero-basal margin smoothly curved. Genitalia: Paramere bilaminar, longer than basiparameree; apical margin outcurved, digitiform process present, thin, very short, inner concavity present. Basivolsellar surface smooth, inner margin smooth. Aedeagus subconical, apical lobe giving rise on apical fourth of aedeagus, sinuous, apex directed inward, apical part convex in lateral view; ventral lamina with outer margin sinuous in ventral view.

Description. Allotype ♀ ( Fig. 14 ). Body length 4.6 mm.

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

Body. Head 1.5 × as long as wide. Mandible short and wide, upper margin straight, with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, uppermost closed to subupper one. Median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, lateral margin smooth, apical margin straight and elevated in frontal view, median carina high in profile. Frons coriaceous and punctured. Eye with about 18 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 1.8 × minimal width. Mesotibia strongly spinose. First abdominal spiracle circular. Metasomal petiole with midlength 1.0 × midwidth, anterior margin incurved medially in ventral view, anterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin straight, parallel, ventral surface quadrate.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀, in copula: MADAGASCAR, Mandraka, II.44, in cop. N. 8, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) ( Fig. 14E ).

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. julieni sp. nov., because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth, the antennae with the flagellar pubescence suberect, the forewings with R1 vein, the parameres longer than basiparameres, and the aedeagus subconical. However, the males of this species have the petiole with midlength 5.0 × midwidth, the clypeal median lobe rounded, and the apical lobesof the aedeagus giving rise on the apical fourth of aedeagus, whereas the P. julieni sp. nov. have the petiole with midlength 3.5 × midwidth, the clypeal median lobe triangular, and the apical lobes of the aedeagus ocuppying the apical half of aedeagus.

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. morti sp. nov., because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, the median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, and the petiole with anterolateral corner rounded. However, the females of this species have the first abdominal spiracles circular, and the petiole with midlength 1.0 × midwidth, whereas the females of P. morti sp. nov. have the first abdominal spiracles oval, and the petiole with midlength 1.5 × midwidth.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Pristocera mauricei, ♂. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. F. Pronotum, lateral view. G. Mesopleuron, lateral view. H. Forewing. I. Hamuli, hind wing. J. Hypopygium, inner view. K. Genitalia, dorsal view. L. Genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 100 µm.

FIGURE 14. Pristocera mauricei, ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, latero-frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. E. Labels. Scale bar: 100 µm.