Monoblastus koreensis Kasparyan & Lee, sp. nov.

(Figs 1, 2, 4, 12)

Erromenus alpinator Aubert sensu Lee & Cha 1993: 16; 1996: 163. Lee et al. 1995: 195; 1996: 163. [2 ♀ and 4 ♂ in the YNU collection labelled as Erromenus alpinator were examined; all actually belong to M. koreensis sp. nov. Thus, E. alpinator is excluded here from the fauna of South Korea.]

Differential diagnosis. The species is readily distinguished from other species in this genus by the combination of distinct red coloration of middle tergites of metasoma (Figs 1, 2); modified subtegular ridge (see description below); clypeal fovea rather small and without dense and long pubescence. Dark males of M. koreensis differ from another South Korean species, M. nigriventus, in weaker sculpture of head (compare Figs 11 and 12) and simple (not pectinate) tarsal claws (with distinct teeth in M. nigriventus — Fig. 9).

Description. Female (holotype). Fore wing 5.5 mm long; antenna with 31 flagellomeres, 5.4 mm long; apical flagellomeres 1.2–1.3× as long as wide. Head strongly narrowed behind the eyes; in profile with temple (gena) at the middle about as long as eye. Inner orbits of eyes subparallel on face and distinctly divergent upward on frons. Frons without median longitudinal carina. Clypeus separated from face by distinct deep groove; clypeal foveae moderately small, distance between foveae about 5.0× diameter of fovea. Malar space short, about 0.2× as long as basal mandibular width. Teeth of mandible acute, not rounded at apex; lower tooth slightly shorter than the upper. Oral carina raised in a flange, distinctly higher than occipital carina, about 0.6× as long as basal mandibular width.

Notaulus as very superficial wide depression. Scutellum smooth, scarcely punctate, bordered by lateral carinae only at base. Subtegular ridge modified: rather sharp, extending upward to outer margin of tegula and forming a deep “pocket” behind subalar prominence. Propodeum with distinct areas; costulae weak; areola and basal area not separated and combined slightly shorter than apical area. Fore tibia on apical margin dorsally with a small but distinct tooth. Hind femur 4.3× as long as wide. Proportions of hind tarsomeres 5.8: 3.0: 2.2: 1.3: 1.8. Tarsal claws simple, not pectinate. Hind wing with nervellus intercepted at lower 0.3. First tergite 1.85× as long as wide on hind margin; dorsal carinae extending from base to middle of tergite, dorsolateral carinae complete. Tergites 2– 4 transverse, about 0.65–0.75× as long as wide; epipleurae of tergites 3 and 4 about 3.5× as long as wide, separated by crease. Ovipositor almost straight (hardly sinuate); ovipositor sheath straight (Fig. 1).

Body evenly covered with dense punctures; punctures moderately fine on head, mesoscutum and metasoma, and rather coarse on pronotum and mesopleuron; apical metasomal tergites finely punctate, smooth between punctures.

Head and metasoma black; clypeus in its lower half reddish brown; mandible (except for blackish brown teeth) and palpi yellow. Antenna brownish dorsally and rufous-yellow ventrally; flagellomeres 1–3 light yellow ventrally. Tegula and plates in base of fore wing yellow; hind corner of pronotum entirely black. Fore and mid coxae brownish with yellowish apex, hind coxa black. All trochanters and trochantelli completely light yellow. Fore and mid legs beyond trochanters rufous-yellow with tibiae dull whitish dorsally. Hind leg with femur brownish black; tibia whitish yellow in basal 0.65, blackish in apical 0.35 (ventrally this blackish coloration extending to basal 0.3 of tibia); tarsus dark brown with basal 0.4 of tarsomere 1 and extreme base of tarsomeres 2 and 3 dull whitish.

Metasomal tergite 1 completely black; tergite 2 dark brown with apical margin reddish; tergites 3–5 reddish, with dorsal brownish spot on tergite 5; tergites 6–7(8) brownish. Sternites 1–5 and epipleurae light yellow; sternites 2–5 with a pair of lateral brownish spots on each sternite. Sternite 6 (hypopygium) yellowish rufous. Ovipositor sheath brownish.

Male. Similar to female in structure and colouration, but tergite 1 of metasoma slender, about 2.3× as long as width on hind margin; metasoma darker, usually only tergite 3 extensively reddish, tergites 2 and 4 predominantly blackish.

Type material examined. Holotype female (YNU), South Korea, GB, Cheongdo-gun Unmunsa, 14.V.1988, coll. J.Y. Cha.

Paratypes. South Korea. 1 ♂ (YNU) GG, Namyangju-si, Gwangreung (= Jeongreung), 23.V.1954, coll. C.W. Kim . 1 ♀ (YNU) Wolraksan National Park, 30.V.1981, coll. K.I. Suh. 1 ♂ (YNU) GW, Taebaek-si Cheolam, 12.VIII.1989, coll. J.K. Kim. 1 ♀ (ZIN) GW, Taebaeak-si, Cheolam, 8.V.1991, coll. J.S. Cha. 1 ♂ (ZIN) CB, Mt. Sobaek Ch’ŏndonggyegok, 22.V.1991, coll. J.W. Lee.

Distribution. South Korea.

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Korea.