Afrobethylus vezo Ramos & Azevedo

Ramos, Magno S. & Azevedo, Celso O., 2016, Afrobethylus Ramos & Azevedo, gen. nov., a new remarkable Afrotropical genus of Bethylinae (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), Zootaxa 4097 (4), pp. 495-510 : 503-506

Afrobethylus vezo Ramos & Azevedo , sp. nov.

( Figs 6 A–D)

Description. Holotype. Female. Body length 3.7 mm; forewing long 3.14 mm. Colour. Head dark castaneous, mandible castaneous. Mesosoma dark castaneous. Metasoma dark castaneous.

Head. In profile subtriangular, almost glabrous, dorsal view longer than wide. Mandible with apical stepshaped teeth. Clypeus with median lobe angled, projected; median carina present, arched in profile, extending far back into frons; lateral lobe inconspicuous. Antenna 1.1 mm; flagellar pubescence sparse; with many outstanding erect setae. First five antennal segments in ratio of about 6:3:2:2:2. Eye gibbous, large, glabrous, located more laterally, area between anterior margin of eye and demarcation of median clypeal lobe almost straight. Frons coriaceous-punctate. Ocelli large; posterior ocelli close to vertex crest; ocellar triangle compact; anterior ocellus not surpassing imaginary top eye line. Vertex crest straight, thick setae present. Hypostomal carina straight.

Mesosoma . Pronotal disc shorter than wide, coriaceous-punctate; anterior corner rounded; posterior margin sinuous. Parapsidal furrow inconspicuous. Mesoscutellum not reaching anterior margin of metapostnotum. Metapectal-propodeal complex with metapleural carina conspicuous.

Wings. Forewing with distal margin of 2R1 cell forming right angle; RS+M vein very short, represented by no more than angulate projection almost imperceptible arising from 1Rs vein; Flexion lines forming rectangular area, when delimited by three flexion lines. Hind wing with three distal hamuli, discontinuous.

Metasoma. 1.75 × as long as wide, polished, whole surface with few setae. Ventral carina of petiole present, incomplete.

Genitalia. Sting (1vv+2vv) longer than body of genitalia; Fu narrow; 1vf with apex not angled; d1vf small; dorsal ramus of 2vf with superior margin of anterior region rounded, anterior margin weakly projected; 2vv shorter than 1vv; iva short, narrow; pp2vf long, narrow.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♀. MADAGASCAR, Province Fianarantsoa, Parc National Ranomafana, Vohiparara at broken bridge, 21º13.57'S 47º22.19'E, 1110 m, 25 July - 3 August 2002, Malaise trap in high altitude rainforest MA-02–09A-36, collector: R. Harin'Hala, CASENT 2064074 ( CASC). Paratypes. MADAGASCAR, 1♀, Province Diego-Suarez, Parc National Montagne d'Ambre, 12º30'52"S 49º10'53"E, 960 m, 4–19 Mar [ch] 2001, Malaise trap MA01–01A-08, collector: R. Harin'Hala, CASENT 2061211 ( CASC); 1 ♀, Province d'Antananarivo, Botanic Garden near the entrance to Andasibe National Park, 19º55.99'S 48º24.49'E, 1026 m, 1– 5 Sept[ember] 2001, Malaise trap tropical forest MA01–08B-11, collector: R. Harin'Hala, CASENT 2061934 ( CASC).

Distribution. Madagascar.

Variation. Body length 3.33–3.83 mm; forewing 2.66–3.16 mm long; head with the area between anterior margin of eye and demarcation of median clypeal lobe slightly concave; the vertex crest with few thick setae.

Remarks. This species is very different of the others by having the head with ocelli large, the mesoscutellum not reaching anterior margin of metapostnotum, and the sting at least 2x longer than the body of genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Afrobethylus vezo Ramos & Azevedo sp. nov. holotype, ♀. A. Habitus lateral; B. Head, dorsal view; C. Genitalia, lateral view; D. Mesosoma, dorsal view.