Pristocera julieni 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 : 16-19

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

(Figs 9–10)

Description. Holotype ♂ (Fig. 9). Body length 13.1 mm; length of forewing 8.2 mm.

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

Head. Head as long as wide. Mandible with four distal teeth, uppermost directed inward, apex wider than base. Median clypeal lobe triangular, median carina conspicuous, high in profile. Antenna not reaching mesoscutellar sulcus; flagellar pubescence suberect, about as long as flagellar diameter; first four antennomeres ~ 8:3:5:4, 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 and 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.

FIGURE 0 9. Pristocera julieni , ♂. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Metasomal petiole, ventral view. E. Hamuli, hind wing. F. Forewing. G. Mesosoma, lateral view. H. Tarsal claw. I. Hypopygium, inner view. J. Genitalia, dorsal view. K. Genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars: 100 µm, except 200 µm for C, F, G.

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 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. Metapectal-propodeal 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 10 hamuli.

Metasoma. Petiole with midlength 3.5 × 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; anterolateral corner sharply produced; hypopygeal chamber with latero-basalmargin strongly outcurved and recurved. Genitalia: Paramere bilaminar, longer than basiparamere; apical margin outcurved, digitiform process present, thin and long, inner concavity present. Basivolsellar surface smooth, inner margin with rounded appendix. Aedeagus subconical, apical lobe long, ocuppying apical half of aedeagus, straight, apex upward, apical part beveled in lateral view; ventral lamina with outer margin outcurved in ventral view.

Description. Allotype ♀ ( Fig. 10 ). Body length 9.6 mm.

Colours. Head, mesosoma and petiole black; antenna, mandible, clypeus, legs and metasoma dark castaneous.

Body. Head 1.1× as long as wide. Mandible short and wide, upper margin straight, with four distal teeth subequals, uppermost far from subupper one. Median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, lateral margin strongly crenulate, apical margin angulate and elevated in frontal view, median carina high in profile. Frons coriaceous and punctured. Eye with about 50 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 2.6 × minimal width. Mesotibia strongly spinose. First abdominal spiracle oval. Metasomal petiole with midlength 2. midwidth, anterior margin incurved medially in ventral view, anterolateral corner rounded, lateral margin straight, diverging posterad, ventral surface subtrapezoidal.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Allotype ♀, in copula: MADAGASCAR, Perinet, Forét Cot Est, II.39, in cop. C, A. Seyrig ( MNHN) ( Fig. 10F ).

Remarks. The males of this species are similar to the males of P. mauricei sp. nov., because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth, 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 3.5 × midwidth, the clypeal median lobe triangular, and the apical lobes of the aedeagus occupying the apical half of aedeagus, whereas the males of P. mauricei sp. nov. have the petiole with midlength 5.0 × midwidth, the clypeal median lobe rounded, and the apical lobes of the aedeagus giving rise on the apical fourth of aedeagus.

The females of this species are similar to the females of P. cambouei , because both species have the mandibles with four distal teeth subequals, the median clypeal lobe trapezoidal, and the first abdominal spiracles oval. However, the females of this species have the petiole with the anterolateral corner rounded, and the eyes with about 50 facets, whereas the females of P. cambouei have the petiole with the anterolateral corner angulate, and the eyes with about 60 facets.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Pristocera julieni, ♀. A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mandible, latero-frontal view. C. Mesosoma, dorsal view. D. Mesosoma, ventral view. E. Mesosoma, lateral view. F. Labels. Scale bars: 200 µm, except 100 µm for A, B.