Dissomphalus auritus Alencar & Azevedo, 2006

Alencar, I. D. C. C. & Azevedo, C. O., 2006, Definition of the coronatus species-group (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae, Dissomphalus) with description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 1330, pp. 1-26 : 6-7

Dissomphalus auritus Alencar & Azevedo , New Species

( Figs. 5–6 )

Diagnosis: cuspis with apical part dilated, apex straight. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, basal half wide and short, apical half somewhat arched dorsally, narrowing to apex and converging mesad; dorsal body wide, apex slightly twisted, crownprocess long, located at lower part of aedeagus.

Description: male, body length 3.0 mm; LFW 2.2 mm. Color: head and clypeus black; mesosoma rufous castaneous; metasoma and mandible castaneous; antenna light castaneous and gradually darker in distal part; palpi and legs light castaneous except femora darker; wings subhyaline.

Head: mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth inconspicuous. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, median carina complete. First four antennal segments in ratio of ~10:3:2:3 segment XI 1.5x as long as wide. Frons weakly coriaceous, shiny, punctures small and shallow, separated by 1.5–2.0x their diameter. LH 1.0x WH; WF 0.6x WH; WF 1.3x HE; OOL 1.2x WOT; DAO 0.3x WOT; posterior ocelli distant from crest of vertex 0.6x DAO. Vertex straight with angulate corners; VOL 1.0x HE.

Mesosoma: thoracic dorsum weakly coriaceous, shiny, punctures small and shallow as on frons. Pronotal disc 0.3x length of mesoscutum, anterior margin carinate. Notaulus complete. Propodeal disc 1.0x as long as wide, irregularly rugose, median carina incomplete, posterior region polished and shiny; lateral surface of propodeum irregularly striate; declivity areolate. Fore femur 2.7x as long as wide.

Metasoma: tergum II with pair of circular, somewhat inclined, large and deep lateral depressions, separated by 1.0x their diameter, each depression with tuft of convergent setae directed backward, antero-lateral margin with long setae. Hypopygium with posterior margin straight.

Genitalia ( Figs. 5–6 ): paramere with apical and ventral margin serrate and hairy, apex inclined, inner surface of apex with distinct long seta, dorsal margin somewhat convex with subapical concavity, ventral margin concave. Basiparamere wide. Cuspis arched with apical part dilated, apex straight; digitus arched ventrally, acutely pointed, apical margin serrate, base with short setae and protuberance acute. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, laminar, surface horizontal, basal half wide and short, inner margin sinuous, outer margin straight, apical half somewhat arched dorsally, narrowing to apex and converging mesad; dorsal body wide, laminar, surface vertical, apex slightly twisted, crown-process long, located at lower part of aedeagus. Apodeme of aedeagus not extending beyond subcircular genital ring.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE: male, ECUADOR, Napo, Tena, [0°59’S 77°49’W], 17.XI.1986, Mal[aise] trap, A.T. Finnamore col. ( PMAE). PARATYPES: E CUADOR, Napo, Tena, [0°59’S 77°49’W]: 11 males same data as holotype; 2 males, 18–19.XI. 1986; 4 males, 20.XI.1986; 2 males, Napo, Tena, near Hotel Auca, 500m, tall grass/shrubs, [0°59’S 77°49’W], 22–27.V.1987, Mal[aise] trap, L. D. Coote and B. V.

Brown col. ( PMAE); Sucumbios, Sacha Lodge, 290m, [0°30’S 76º30’W]: 1 male, 23.IV–4.V.1994, Malaise trap, P. Hibbs col. ( LACM); 2 males, 24.VI–3.VII.1994, Malaise trap, P. Hibbs col. ( LACM); 1 male, Pastaza, 25km N. Puyo, [0°47’S 77°0’W], 4.VII.1976, S. and J. Peck col. ( PMAE).

Variation: some specimens have the clypeus with median carina more or less salient, vertex somewhat concave, mesosoma black with pronotal disc lighter, notaulus incomplete, median carina of propodeal disc complete, metasoma dark castaneous or rufous castaneous, tergal process with depressions not so inclined, closer or more widely separated, tuft wider or with setae less dense.

Comments: this species is similar to D. coronatus in having tergal process with large and very deep lateral depression with tuft of convergent setae directed backward. However, the species have completely different genitalia: D. auritus has dorsal body with apex twisted and crown-process long, located at lower part of aedeagus, whereas D. coronatus has apex with concavity mesad and crown-process small on upper part of aedeagus.

Etymology: specific epithet comes from Latin and refers to dorsal body of aedeagus that is reminiscent of a big ear.

Distribution: Ecuador.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. 1 – 4, Dissomphalus aculeatus sp. nov. 1, metasoma, dorsal view; 2, genitalia, ventral view; 3, genitalia, dorsal view; 4, outer lobe of aedeagus, dorsal view; 5 – 6, Dissomphalus auritus sp. nov. 5, genitalia, ventral view; 6, genitalia, dorsal view; 7 – 9, Dissomphalus coronatus sp. nov. 7, genitalia, ventral view; 8, genitalia, dorsal view; 9, apex of dorsal body, lateral view; 10 – 11, Dissomphalus culteratus sp. nov. 10, genitalia, ventral view; 11, genitalia, dorsal view. (Scale bars = 250 μm).