Megalara garuda Kimsey & Ohl

Kimsey, Lynn S. & Ohl, Michael, 2012, Megalara garuda, a new genus and species of larrine wasps from Indonesia (Larrinae, Crabronidae, Hymenoptera), ZooKeys 177, pp. 49-57 : 53-55

Megalara garuda Kimsey & Ohl sp. n. Figs 18

Diagnosis.

As for the genus (vide supra).

Description.

Male (major). Body length 32-34 mm (side view, Fig. 1). Forewing 24-25 mm. Head (Fig. 3): face strongly concave at antennal sockets; clypeus 3.5 × as broad as long, flattened medially with sublateral tooth on apical margin, concave between; frons bulging with strong longitudinal swelling on either side of midocellus; hindocelli tiny circular; vertex swollen above hindocelli with medial longitudinal groove terminating in deep pit; gena expanded, wider than eye in lateral view; mandibles enlarged and elongate, apex reaching lower one-third of eye when closed, subsidi ary tooth subbasal and projecting anteriorly, mandible widest subapically, longer than head in front view; occiput deeply concave; genal bridge forming apical lobe; antenna slender, flagellomere I 4 × as long as broad, flagellomere II 3.6 × as long as broad, flagellomere III 3.4 × as long as broad, flagellomere XI 3.5 × as long as broad; with weak placoids on flagellomeres III–XI; head shiny, nearly impunctate, punctures tiny, scattered; mandible highly polished; wing apices finely plicate.

Mesosoma: pronotum, scutum, scutellum, mesopleuron with scattered small punctures, 1-2 PD apart; metanotal punctures 0.5-1.0 PD apart; propodeum with medial longitudinal carina joining carina along anterior margin, dorsomedially finely transversely rugose, with dense nearly contiguous punctures, laterally becoming increasingly sparsely punctate, posterior surface marked by small dorsomedial projection, posteriorly densely transversely cross-ridged, ridges becoming smaller and finer medially; hindfemur widened ventrally in basal half, longitudinally compressed; hindtibia with crenulate ventral ridge.

Metasoma: polished, sparsely punctate, punctures tiny, 2-4 PD apart; tergum I with short sublateral ridge extending posteriorly from base, mediad of spiracle; terga I and II with lateral arcuate carina delimiting lateral rugosopunctate area; sternum I finely, densely rugose, with blade-like medial ridge ending in apicolateral carina delimiting short triangular posterior declivity; sterna II–III with subbasal ovoid, mat, often discolored patch (discolored to reddish in some individuals); sterna III–IV wit h strongly projecting sublateral, digitate lobe; sternum VIII elongate, parallel-sided apically, apex bidentate (Fig. 8). Genital capsule (Fig. 5-6).

Male (minor) (Features that differ from major males). Body length 25 mm. Forewing 21 mm. Mandible shorter than head in front view; clypeus 2.7 × as long as broad; flagellomere I 3.6 × as long as broad; flagellomere II 3.2 × as long as broad; flagellomere III 2.8 × as long as broad; flagellomere XI 3 × as long as broad.

Female (Features that differ from males). Body length 20-22 mm (side view, Fig. 2); forewing 19-20 mm long. Head (Fig. 4): median lobe of clypeus truncate, broad, laterally angulate; mandible with subbasal tooth, apically bidentate; head punctures tiny, 2-3 PD apart. Mesosoma: female mesosoma including legs covered by rather dense, long, brownish pubescence; pronotal punctures 1-2 PD apart; scutum, scutellum, Metanotum 0.5-1.0 PD apart becoming denser laterally; propodeum dorsally and posteriorly densely rugospunctate less dense laterally; hindfemur without ventral carina. Metasoma: sternum I with strong median carina; sternum I– -III each with pair of oval, shiny areas, very large on II, small on III; tergum I punctures 0.5-12.0 PD apart, with impunctate band along posterior margin; terga II-III punctures 1-4 PD apart, with impunctate band along posterior margin; terga IV-V with large punctures interspersed between dense contiguous tiny punctures; tergum VI with V-shaped, carina margined pygidium, punctures longitudinally striatiform, contiguous to 1 PD apart.

Etymology.

Because of the spectacular appearance of the major male of this species, it is named after the “Garuda”, the national symbol of Indonesia; a mythical bird-like, warrior creature.

Type material.

Holotype male; Indonesia: se Sulawesi, North Kolaka, Wawo, Tinukari, S03°38'08", E121°04'34", 198 m, 23 Dec. 2009, Nugroho, Ubaidillah, Darmawan & Giyanto colrs., cacao plantation. Paratypes: Indonesia: Sulawesi: 1 male, 1 female: Kendari, South Konawe, Moramo, Sumber sari, S04°13'32", E122°44'09", 75 m, 17-31 Dec. 2009, Nugroho, Ubaidillah, Darmawan & Giyanto colrs., Malaise trap; 2 females: 31 Dec. 2009, Malaise trap (Museum Bogorense, Bohart Museum); 2 males: Ila-Ila, 500-800m, early Dec 1930, G. Heinrich (Museum für Naturkunde); 1 female: se Sulawesi, nr Sanggona, Base Camp, Gn. Watuwila, Malaise trap, c. 200m, 12-15 Oct 1989, C. van Achterberg (Leiden Museum).