Pristocera martyi 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 : 10-13

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

(Figs 5–6)

Description. Holotype ♂ (Fig. 5). Body length 7.9 mm; length of forewing 4.4 mm.

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

Head. Head 1.08 × as long as wide. Mandible with five distal teeth, uppermost directed inward, apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe subrectangular, median carina inconspicuous, short in profle. Antenna not reaching mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence appressed, shorter than flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 5:2:3:3, flagellomere IX as long as wide. Frons punctate and shining, punctures small; frontal groove and lateral groove absent, scrobal carina absent. Ocellar triangle compact, elevated, frontal angle acute; ocelli small and protruding, anterior margin of posterior ocellus touchingimaginary 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 straight, wide, 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 rectangular with inner surface setose, metanotal groove foveolate laterally, inner fovea very large and dropped shaped, not punctulate inside, other foveae rectangular and narrower than inner fovea. Metapectalpropodeal 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 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 eight hamuli.

Metasoma. Petiole with midlength 6.0 × 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 present; antero-lateral corner rounded; hypopygeal chamber with latero-basal margin somewhat angled. Genitalia: Paramere bilaminar, longer than basiparamere; apical margin outcurved, digitiform process present, thick and long, inner concavity present. Basivolsellar surface folded, inner margin smooth. Aedeagus subconical, apical lobe giving rise on apical fourth of aedeagus and sinuous, apex directed ventrad, apical part convex in lateral view; ventral lamina with outer margin sinuous in ventral view.

Description. Allotype ♀ (Fig. 6). Body length 5.2 mm.

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

Body. Head 1.36 × as long as wide. Mandible long and narrow, upper margin straight, with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, uppermost closed to subupper one. Median clypeal lobetridentate, lateral margin finely crenulate, apical margin angulate and elevated in frontal view, median carina high in profile. Frons coriaceous and punctured. Eye with about 11 facets. Temple margin convergent posteriorly, vertex convex, occipital carina complete and 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 oval. Metasomal petiole with midlength 1.3 × midwidth, anterior margin incurved medially in ventral view, anterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin sinuous, diverging posterad, ventral surface subtrapezoidal.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀ in copula: MADAGASCAR, Bekily, Reg. Sud. deL’ile, XII.33, in copula, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) (Fig. 6E).

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. zubai sp. nov., because both 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 not reaching the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the petiole with midlength 3.5 × midwidth, whereas the male of P. zubai sp. nov. has the antennae surpassing the mesoscutellar sulcus, and the petiole with midlength 5.5 × midwidth.

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. gloriae sp. nov., because these species have the mandibles with four distal teeth gradually wider ventrad, the median clypeal lobe tridentate, and the eyes with about 11 facets. However, the female of this species has the first abdominal spiracles oval, and the petiole with the anterolateral corner rounded, whereas the female of P. gloriae sp. nov. has the first abdominal spiracles circular, and the petiole with the anterolateral corner subangulate.

Distribution. Madagascar.

FIGURE 0 5. Pristocera martyi , ♂. 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.

FIGURE 0 6. Pristocera martyi , ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, latero-frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. E. Labels. Scale bars: 100 µm.