Pristocera zubai 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 : 32-33

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

( Figs 19–20 )

Description. Holotype ♂ ( Fig. 19 ). Body length 9.4 mm; length of forewing 5.4 mm.

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

Head. Head as long as wide. Mandible with five distal teeth, uppermost directed inward, apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe subrectangular, median carina conspicuous, high in profile. Antenna almost reaching mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence appressed, and shorter than half flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 5:2:3:3. Frons punctate and shining, punctures small; frontal groove and 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, gradually deeper posteriorly, polished inside. Parapsidal furrow incomplete, 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, triangular, not punctulate inside, other foveae rectangular and narrower than inner fovea. Metapectal-propodeal complex strigulate laterally and posteriorly; transverse anterior carina narrow, 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 rugulosestrigulate 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 elliptical groove, median carina present; epicnemial carina wide medially followed by 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 5.5 × midwidth. Hypopygium deeply divided with apical part gradually narrower than base, apex beak-like; inner margin not dentate, with subapical concavity absent, and median concavity absent; antero-lateral corner rounded; hypopygeal chamber with latero-basal margin strongly outcurved and recurved. Genitalia: Paramere bilaminar, longer than basiparamere; apical margin outcurved, digitiform process present, thick and long, 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. 20 ). Body length 6.5 mm.

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

Body. Head 1.3 × as long as wide. Mandible short and wide, upper margin sinuous, with four distal teeth subequals, uppermost close to subupper one. Median clypeal lobetridentate, lateral margin smooth, apical margin straight and elevated in frontal view, median carina high in profile. Frons coriaceous and punctured. Eye with about 21 facets. Temple margin convergent posteriorly, vertex straight, occipital carina complete and not visible in dorsal view. Pro- and mesonotal dorsum coriaceous. Metapectal-propodeal complex polished, maximum width 2.0 × minimal width. Mesotibia strongly spinose. First abdominal spiracle circular. Metasomal petiole with midlength 1. midwidth, anterior margin outcurved medially in ventral view, anterolateral corner angulate, lateral margin straight, subparallel, ventral surface transversally rectangular.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀, in copula: MADAGASCAR, Bekily, Reg. Sud. deL’ile, III.33, in copula, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) ( Fig. 20F ).

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. melmani sp. nov., because both species have the mandibles with five distal teeth, the forewings with R1 vein, the parameres longer than the basiparameres, the aedeagus subconical, with theapical lobes giving rise on the apical fourth of aedeagus. However, the males of this species have the clypeal median lobe subretangular, the antennae reaching the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the petiole with midlength 5.5 × midwidth, whereas the males of P. melmani sp. nov. have the clypeal median lobe rounded, the antennae surpassing the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the petiole with midlength 5.0 × midwidth.

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. gloriae sp. nov., because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth, the median clypeal lobe tridentate, and the first abdominal spiracle circular. However, the females of this species have the mandibles with distal teeth subequal, the eyes with about 21 facets, and the petiole with the anterolateral corner angulate, whereas the females of P. gloriae sp. nov. have the mandibles with distal teeth distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, the eyes with about 11 facets, and the petiole with the anterolateral corner subangulate.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Pristocera zubai, ♂. 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: 500 µm, except 100 µm for J–L.

FIGURE 20. Pristocera zubai, ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, latero-frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. F. Labels. Scale bar: 500 µm, except 200 µm for B, E.