Methocha krombeini, Hanima & Kumar & Binoy & Sureshan, 2021

Hanima, Raveendran K. P., Kumar, P. Girish, Binoy, C. & Sureshan, P. M., 2021, A taxonomic study of Methocha Latreille (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Methochinae) from India with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4999 (3), pp. 258-272 : 259-260

Key to species of Methocha Latreille from the Indian subcontinent (After Krombein 1982)

(Males unknown for M. keralaensis and M. krombeini sp. nov.; females unknown for M. shyamagatra sp. nov. and M. paraceylonica sp. nov.).

1. Females: Wingless; antenna 12-segmented and not arising from beneath frontal tubercle; tibial spur formula 111.......... 2

– Males: Winged; antenna 13-segmented and arising from beneath frontal tubercle; tibial spur formula 122................ 8

2. Ocelli arranged in acute triangle; head strongly narrowed behind eyes [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 18 ], width 2.2–2.7 × narrowest IOD; viewed from above, frons flat to slightly concave; scutum flat, in profile depressed beneath levels of pronotum and scutellum [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 20 ]; mesosoma entirely black. ................................................ 3

– Ocelli arranged in obtuse triangle; head not so strongly narrowed behind eyes [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 15 ], width 1.6–2.1 × narrowest IOD; viewed from above, frons slightly to moderately protuberant above antennae; scutum rounded in profile, not depressed below pronotum and scutellum [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 17 ]; mesosoma mostly red......................... 6

3. Vestiture on mesosomal dorsum black or dull white mixed with dark brown; head 2.7 × as wide as least IOD; POD 2.0 × AOD, 1.1 × OOD. [body predominantly black, apical half of flagellum and tarsi dark brown, sixth tergum and fifth and sixth sterna chestnut] [ Sri Lanka]............................................................... M. ceylonica Krombein

– Vestiture on mesosomal dorsum silvery to cinereous; head 2.2–2.4 × as wide as least IOD; POD 1–1.3 × AOD, 0.4-0.8 × OOD. .................................................................................................... 4

4. Apico-medial margin of clypeal lobe rounded [ India: Kerala]................ M. keralaensis Hanima & Girish Kumar

– Apico-medial margin of clypeal lobe slightly emarginated..................................................... 5

5. IOD at posterior ocelli 1.2 × least IOD; scutellum distinctly convex or bulging; apical half of clypeal lobe black [ India: Kerala]............................................... M. krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy , sp. nov.

– IOD at posterior ocelli 1.7 × least IOD; scutellum concave; apical half of clypeal lobe light red [ Sri Lanka]. ............................................................................................. .. M. taprobane Krombein

6. Frons broader and punctures scatterly distributed [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 22 ], head 1.6–1.7 × as wide as narrowest part of frons, more strongly protuberant above antennae [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 21 ], most puncture interspaces more than 3 × average puncture diameter; pronotal disc evenly convex, without a median groove; mesosternal tubercles anterior to mid coxae strong, acute, separated by a U-shaped emargination, area anterior to tubercles with shallow median fovea [ India: Puducherry; Sri Lanka]. ........................................................................... .. M. litoralis Krombein

– Frons narrower and punctures adjacently distributed [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 31 ], head 1.7–2.1× as wide as narrowest part of frons; puncture interspaces generally subequal to puncture diameters; pronotal disc with median longitudinal groove; mesosternal processes anterior to mid coxae varying from low obtuse teeth separated by a broad, shallow emargination to evanescent transverse ridges............................................................................. 7

7. Head 1.7–1.8 × as wide as narrowest part of frons; frons less densely punctate [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 31 ], with several impunctate interspaces larger than anterior ocellus, most punctures separated from each other by diameter of a puncture, and strongly swollen above antennae; erect vestiture of mesosomal dorsum white to cinereous, punctation sparser, majority of punctures separated by more than diameter of a puncture [ Sri Lanka]............................ M. heveli Krombein

– Head 2.0–2.1 × as wide as narrowest part of frons; frons densely punctate [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 30 ], rarely with an impunctate interspace as wide as anterior ocellus, most punctures separated by half the diameter of a puncture or less, and only slightly convex above antennae [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 15 ]; erect vestiture of mesosomal dorsum brown to black, punctation ranging from subcontiguous to densely punctate, except scutellum occasionally sparsely punctate [ Sri Lanka]..................................................................................................... M. ubiquita Krombein

8. Mesopleuron with a median ovate, impressed, densely setose fossa; ocelli in obtuse triangle; malar space usually well developed, more or less quadrate; hypostomal carina with a strong tooth anteriorly behind mandible; parapsides and notauli present, the latter short; genitalia [ Krombein (1982): Figs 33–35 ] with ventral margin of paramere deeply emarginate medially. ........ 9

– Mesopleuron without such an impressed area; ocelli in acute triangle; malar space short, linear; hypostomal carina low, not toothed; parapsides present, notauli absent; genitalia [ Krombein (1982): Figs 37, 38 ] with ventral margin of paramere rounded and convex medially.................................................................................. 12

9. Clypeal margin deeply emarginate medially; mandible broad; malar space as wide as basal flagellomeres; punctation of mesosoma sparse and delicate; tibiae and tarsi dark......................................................... 10

– Clypeal margin truncate or narrowly rounded in middle; mandible slender; malar space narrower, shorter than basal flagellar width; punctation of mesosoma denser and frequently coarser; base of mid and hind tibiae and all tarsi, except apical segment, pale............................................................................................. ... 11

10. Mesopleuron above median fossa with coarser punctures; OOD 1.7 × POD; mandible completely black; apices of metasomal terga without row of dense punctures [ India: Uttarakhand]. ...................................................................................................... M. shyamagatra Hanima, Girish Kumar & Sureshan , sp. nov.

– Mesopleuron above median fossa with sparser punctures; OOD 1.3 × POD; mandible, except base and tip, light red; apices of metasomal terga with a row of dense punctures [ Sri Lanka]................................. .. M. litoralis Krombein

11. Clypeal process beak-like in profile [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 30 ], viewed from frons with sides converging toward rounded apex; punctures of scutum and mesopleuron coarser and sub-confluent; genitalia [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 33 ] with aedeagus only slightly broadened toward apex [ Sri Lanka].......................................... M. ubiquita Krombein

– Clypeal process blunt in profile [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 31 ], not beak-like, viewed from frons with apex beveled, margin truncate; punctures of scutum and mesopleuron smaller, many intervals half the diameter; genitalia [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 34 ] with aedeagus broadened toward apex [ Sri Lanka]........................................... M. heveli Krombein

12. Ocelli forming large, flat triangle; OOD 1.1–1.5 × POD; lateral area of dorsal surface of propodeum not shagreened, usually two transverse rugulae at apex of dorsal surface; cuspis blunt, not digitate [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 38 ]. ................. 13

– Ocelli forming small, acute triangle; OOD 2.1–2.5 × POD; lateral area of dorsal surface of propodeum strongly shagreened, apex of dorsal surface without transverse rugulae; cuspis slender, digitate [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 37 ]............... ... 14

13. Legs mostly light red, femora rarely light brown; clypeal process narrower, in profile beak-like [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 28 ]; hind margin of pronotal disc narrowly brown [ Sri Lanka].................................. M. taprobane Krombein

– Legs dark except basal fourth of mid and hind tibiae, and tarsi except apical segment testaceous; clypeal process broader, in profile blunt not beak-like [ Krombein (1982): Fig. 29 ]; hind margin of pronotal disc more broadly testaceous [ Sri Lanka]................................................................................. M. kandyensis Krombein

14. Legs dark brown, tarsi sometimes lighter brown; OOD 2.1 × POD.............................................. 15

– Legs light red, tarsi occasionally brown; OOD 2.5 × POD [ Sri Lanka]......................... M. anomala Krombein

15. Punctures of mesopleural disc small, mostly separated by half the average puncture; mesopleuron with continuous crenulate groove anteriorly and above; lateral side of dorsal surface of propodeum shagreened; length of fore wing 7.2 mm [ Sri Lanka]................................................................................. M. ceylonica Krombein

– Punctures on mesopleural disc mostly separated by more than 3 × average puncture; mesopleuron with continuous groove anteriorly and above, with crenulations on anterior part only; lateral side of dorsal surface of propodeum not shagreened; length of fore wing 4.8 mm [ India: Kerala, Karnataka]. ............ M. paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy , sp. nov .

Figures

FIGURES 13–20. Methocha krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 13. Habitus, lateral view; 14. Habitus, dorsal view; 15. Head, and mesosoma, lateral view; 16.Antenna; 17. Head, frontal view; 18. Lower half of head, frontal view; 19. Head, dorsal view; 20. Mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 21–24. Methocha krombeini Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, sp. nov. Holotype ♀. 21. Mesosoma, lateral view; 22. Metasoma, lateral view; 23. Metasoma, dorsal view; 12. Apical metasomal segments and ovipositor, dorsal view.

FIGURES 25–32. Methocha paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, sp. nov. Holotype ♂. 25. Habitus, lateral view; 26. Habitus, dorsal view; 27. Head, lateral view; 28. Antenna; 29. Head, frontal view; 30. Lower half of head, frontal view; 31. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; 32. Mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURES 33–36. Methocha paraceylonica Hanima, Girish Kumar & Binoy, sp. nov. Holotype ♂ 33. Mesosoma, lateral view; 34. Fore wing; 35. Metasoma, dorsal view; 36. Metasoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 37–44. Methocha shyamagatra Hanima, Girish Kumar & Sureshan, sp. nov. Holotype ♂37. Habitus, lateral view; 38. Habitus, dorsal view; 39. Head, lateral view; 40. Antenna; 41. Head, frontal view; 42. Lower half of head, frontal view; 43. Head, dorsal view; 44. Mesosoma, dorsal view.