Camera Townes 1962

Camera: Townes 1962: 432. Type species: Mesostenus euryapsis (Cameron, 1885), by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Clypeus distinctly convex, subpyramidal in profile; malar space 0.80-1.00 as long as basal width of mandible. Mesoscutum only slightly convex; hind margin of metanotum with distinct tooth-like projection. Propodeum short, about as long as maximum length of mesopleuron; anterior and posterior transverse carinae usually complete, posterior carina sometimes medially indistinct. Areolet moderately small, longer than wide, crossveins 2r-m and 3r-m subparallel or weakly convergent. First metasomal tergite with anterolateral tooth, its spiracle placed at posterior 0.4-0.3; ovipositor sheath 0.25-0.42 as long as hind tibia.

Comments.

The new species C. lunavenatrix is the fifth species for the genus. There are three other Neotropical species, from Brazil, Mexico and Cuba, in addition to the type species, Camera euryapsis, which occurs from Texas to Mexico and also in Cuba. Species of Camera seem to be rarely collected by Malaise and yellow pan traps (e.g., none collected by the extensive sampling of Aguiar and Santos 2010), and examination of tens of thousands of specimens Neotropical Cryptini does not indicate a large number of undescribed species (unpublished data). Camera shares a number of features with Holarctic genera of Cryptini that attack spider eggs - such as Trychosis, Idiolispa and Hidryta - including a short ovipositor, relatively flat mesoscutum, strongly convex clypeus and a simple, unmodified tip of the apical flagellomere. The rearing record and information presented herein are the first biological data for the genus.