Methocha granulosa, Narita, Keisuke & Mita, Toshiharu, 2018

Narita, Keisuke & Mita, Toshiharu, 2018, Two new species of the genus Methocha from Laos (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae), ZooKeys 775, pp. 59-68 : 59

Methocha granulosa sp. n. Figs 13-15, 16-23

Materials examined.

Holotype, ♂, LAOS: 19°33'N, 103°41'E, 570m alt., Hot spring near Ban Ban, Houa Phan Prov., 4. IV. 2011, T. Mita leg. (ELKU); Paratypes, 3♂, with same data as holotype (ELKU).

Diagnosis.

This species is characterized by combination of the following characters: the distally wide mandibles; the translucent distal margin of the clypeus; the distinct pleuro-propodeal suture; the striate and granulate propodeum; the faintly infuscate wings. This species can be easily distinguished from other Asian species by the above-mentioned characters.

Description.

Male. Head (Figs 16, 17). Height 0.7-0.9 times as long as wide in frontal view; temple weakly rounded; ocelli forming regular triangle, POL: AOL: DAO = 1.0: 1.0: 0.6-0.8; vertex punctate: punctures smaller and sparser than those on frons, 1.0-4.0 puncture diameters apart, with interspaces smooth; frons densely punctate: punctures 0.5-1.0 puncture diameters apart, deeply excavated above antennal lobes; antennal lobes developed; gena punctate as vertex; clypeus covered with small punctures, distinctly convex, apical 1/5 translucent, with apex subtruncate; mandible not narrowed distally, lower tooth longer than upper tooth; maxillary palpus slightly shorter than length of pronotum, length (width) of segments I–VI showing following ratio: 4.2 (1.2): 3.3-5.0 (1.2): 5.0-6.7 (1.2): 6.7-8.3 (1.2): 5.8-6.7 (1.2): 5.0-8.3 (1.2); length (width) of flagellomeres I–III showing following ratio: 2.0-2.4 (1.6): 2.6-2.9 (1.6): 2.7-3.0 (1.6).

Mesosoma (Figure 15). Pronotal disc more or less covered with shallow punctures, with interspaces smooth, anterior transverse carina absent, lateral surface smooth; mesoscutum punctate: punctures denser and smaller around anterior 1/3, larger and sparser at posterior 2/3, punctures sometimes entirely sparser; notauli indicated by transversely striate wide depression, reaching posterior 1/2 to 2/3, posterior margin effaced; mesoscutellum elevated, dorsal surface sparsely, lateral slope finely punctate, sometimes almost entirely impunctate, lateral lower surface transversely rugose by weak carinae, sometimes almost smooth; mesepsternum convex, smooth, with several small punctures, episternal sulcus deep, precoxal sulcus obscure, faintly depressed; metanotum elevated, smooth, laterally striate, anterior margin with deep crescentic depression; metapleural region smooth, postero-dorally longitudinally rugose, with pleuro-propodeal suture distinct, arising from lower pit to propodeal spiracle; dorsal surface of propodeum (Figure 18) more or less longitudinally rugose on anterior 1/3, with interspaces granulate, medial 1/3 transversally rugose, with interspaces granulate, lateral surface sparsely punctate: punctures 2.0-4.0 punctures diameters apart, with interspaces smooth, around pleural-propodeal suture rugose.

Legs. Hind coxa dorsally carinate, parabolically elevated in lateral view; claw (Figure 19) strongly curved at apical 1/3, tridentate, subapical tooth stout, truncate, basal tooth minute, less than 1/5 as long as subapical tooth.

Metasoma. Tergites smooth with sparsely located punctures and setae with fine punctures; ATL: MTL: PTL = 1.0: 2.9-3.3: 2.4-3.0; T1 (Figure 20) with pair of strong carinae present before spiracle, rugose and weakly excavated medially between carinae, medial furrow present on anterior 4/5, shallower posteriorly; anterior transverse depression of T2-T4 costate, T5-T7 without carinae, smooth; posterior margin of S2-S6 with row of brown setae; S7 with large punctures: punctures 1.0 puncture diameter apart, apical margin semicircularly cleft; ventral surface of hypopygium rugose, hairy; paramere (Figure 21) narrow, apical 1/3 slender and nearly straight; aedeagus (Figs 22, 23) with apical membranous lobe, apical hook strongly curved ventrad; aedeagal apodeme almost straight except distal apex laterally.

Color. Black; antenna dark brown; distal margin of clypeus translucent yellow; maxillary palpus dark testaceous; apical 1/4 of mandible dark brown; tegula brown; wings faintly infuscate; legs brown.

Measurements. BL 7.00-7.5 mm; HL 0.9-1.3 mm, HW 1.2-1.4 mm, WF 0.6-0.7 mm, EL 0.7-0.8 mm, ML 2.3-2.7 mm, MW 1.0-1.3 mm, FWL 4.5-6.0 mm.

Etymology.

The name is derived from the propodeal sculpture.

Distribution.

Laos: Houa Phan Province.

Remarks.

The female is unknown.