Pristocera melmani 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 : 4-7

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

(Figs 1–2)

Description. Holotype ♂ (Fig. 1). Body length 14.1 mm; length of forewing 9.5 mm.

Colors. Head and mesosoma black except: pronotal collar and posterior end of pronotal disc dark castaneous; metasoma dark castaneous; antenna, mandible, clypeus, legs and veins castaneous; wings yellowish with distal part gray.

Head. Head about as long as wide. Mandible with five distal teeth, uppermost directed inward; apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe rounded, median carina conspicuous, low in profile. Antenna surpassing mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence suberect, and shorter than half of flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 9:2:4:4, flagellomere IX 1.5 × as long as wide. Frons punctate and shining, punctures small; frontal groove present, lateral groove present, scrobal carina present. Ocellar triangle compact, elevated, frontal angle acute; ocelli small, not 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 carinate. Notaulus conspicuous, convergent posteriorly, with posterior part curved inward, gradually wider posteriorly, gradually deeper posteriorly, polished inside. Parapsidal furrow incomplete, straight, 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, trapezoidal, not punctulate inside, other foveae rectangular and narrower than inner fovea. Metapectal-propodeal complex strigulate laterally and posteriorly; transverse anterior carina wide, metapostnotum mostly rugulose, median carina absent anteriorly; 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 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 12 hamuli.

Metasoma. Petiole with midlength 5.0 × midwidth. Hypopygium deeply divided with apical part gradually narrower than base, apex beak-like; inner margin not dentate, densely setose, with subapical concavity present, 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 somewhat concave, 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, sinuous, apex directed ventrad, apical part convex in lateral view; ventral lamina with outer margin outcurved in ventral view.

Description. Allotype ♀ (Fig. 2). Body length 8.7 mm.

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

Body. Head 1.2 × as long as wide. Mandible long and narrow, upper margin straight, with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, uppermost far from 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 eight 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 1.5 × minimal width. Mesotibia strongly spinose. First abdominal spiracle oval. Metasomal petiole with midlength 1.3 × midwidth, anterior margin incurved medially in ventral view, anterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin notched subanteriorly, parallel, ventral surface subquadrate.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀, in copula: MADAGASCAR, Perinet , Forét Cot Est, II.39, in cop. D, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) (Fig. 2G) . Paratypes: 1♂ and 1♀ in copula, MADAGASCAR, Perinet , Forét Cote Est, III.35, in cop. A, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) .

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. martyi sp. nov. and P. zubai sp. nov., because these three species have the mandibles with five distal teeth, the antennae with setae shorter than the flagellar diameter, 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. However, the male of this species has the antennae surpassing the mesoscutellar sulcus, whereas the male of P. martyi sp. nov. has the antennae not reaching the mesoscutellar sulcus. The male of this species has the petiole midlength 5.0 × midwidth, and the median clypeal lobe rounded, whereas the male of P. zubai sp. nov. has the petiole midlength 5.0 × midwidth, and the median clypeal lobe subrectangular.

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. cambouei , because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth, the median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, and the first abdominal spiracle oval. However, the female of this species has the eyes with eight about facets, and the metasomal petiole with the anterolateral corner rounded, whereas the female of P. cambouei has the eyes with about 60 facets, and the metasomal petiole with the anterolateral corner angulate.

Distribution. Madagascar.

FIGURE 0 1. Pristocera melmani , ♂. 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. Tarsal claws. K. Hypopygium, inner view. L. Genitalia, dorsal view. M. Genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 100 µm, except 200 µm for A, C, D, H.

FIGURE 0 2. Pristocera melmani , ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. F. Mesosoma, lateral view. G. Labels. Scale bars: 100 µm.