Dissomphalus microstictus Evans, 1969

Alencar, I. D. C. C. & Azevedo, C. O., 2008, A new species-group of Dissomphalus (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), with description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 1851 (1), pp. 1-28 : 4-7

Dissomphalus microstictus Evans, 1969

( Figs. 1–16 )

Diagnosis: male. This species is easily separated from the remainder by the following unique combination of characters: the paramere wide basally in dorsal view; the filament of ventral ramus inserted subapically, nearly as long as ramus and convergent; the dorsal body is large with the basal bar triangular and the connector has a lateral expansion bifurcate; and the basal plate simple.

Description of genitalia ( Figs. 4–8 ): paramere wide basally in dorsal view; apex rounded and arched mesad; ventral margin strongly concave apically, corner small and angled, somewhat concave basally; dorsal margin somewhat convex with subapical obtuse concavity ( Figs. 4, 5, 8 ). Dorsal margin of basiparamere somewhat concave. Cuspis long and arched, apex rounded; digitus with apex pointed and smooth in upper margin. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, laminar, surface horizontal, inner margin straight in ventral view, ventrad except base flat with narrow fold, outer margin convex, filament inserted subapically, nearly as long as ramus, convergent, narrow, thin and arched dorsad ( Fig. 4 ); dorsal body with two pairs of apical lobes, outer pair laminar, surface vertical, wide narrowing to apex, apex straight ( Fig. 5 ), dorsal margin convex in lateral view ( Fig. 7 ) and straight in dorsal view ( Fig. 5 ), ventral margin with subapical strong concavity and projection straight and serrate ( Figs. 6, 7 ), inner pair narrow, membranous, and hairy; basal bar triangular, upper margin straight, lower margin almost touching basal plate; connector with lateral expansion bifurcated; basal plate simple ( Fig. 5 ). Apodeme of aedeagus not extending beyond elliptical genital ring.

Material examined from Azevedo (1999b): HOLOTYPE: ARGENTINA, Tucumán, El Solidad, Las Cejas , [~ 26º53’S 64º44’W], 3–19.vi.1966, L. Stange col. ( FIML) . PARATYPES: 2 males, ARGENTINA, Tucumán, 11 km Las Cejas, [26º53’S 64º44’W], i.1968, L. Stange col. ( UFES). Specimens: BRAZIL: Amazonas, Manaus , Reserva Ducke , [~ 2º47’05”S 60º11’15”W] , 1 male, km 26, 2.v.1978, CDC {Centers for Disease Control} Light trap, J. Arias and N. D. Penny col. 15–3 ( UFES) ; 1 male, Res. 1210, 24.x.1985, Malaise, B. Klein col. ( UFES); Distrito Federal, Brasília, Reserva Ecológica do IBGE, 15º55’58”S 47º51’02”W, J. window trap, Dalmáceo col. ( UFES) : 1 male, 06–13.vi.1980, campo limpo; 1 male, 13–20.ii.1981, campo sujo I; 1 male, 19–26.xi.1981, campo sujo 5; 1 male, 14–28.viii.1981, Cerrado; 1 male, 23–29.x.1981, Cerrado; 1 male, “ 30–7.i.1982 ”, campo sujo ; 1 male, “ 24–8.viii.1982 ”, campo limpo ; 1 male, São Paulo, [São José do Barreiro], Serra da Bocaina , [22º34’S 44º45’W], viii.1973, M. Alvarenga col. ( UFES) ; 1 male, Paraná, São José dos Pinhais, Serra do mar, Br 277, km 54, [~ 25º31’S 49º13’W], 17.viii.1987, Levantamento Profaupar, Malaise trap ( UFES); ARGENTINA, Tucumán, El Solidad , Las Cejas , [26º53’S 64º44’W], C. C. Porter col. ( UFES) : 1 male, 1–21.i.1968; 1 male, 21.i–21.ii.1968; 1 male, 11 kmW Las Cejas, 1–16.xi.1967. New material: BRAZIL, Espírito Santo, Domingos Martins, Pico do Eldorado , 20º22’17”S 40º39’29”W, MT, Tavares & eq. col. ( UFES) : 1 male 26.xi–03.xii.2004; 1 male 03–10.XII.2004; BOLIVIA, Cochabamba: Est [ación] Biol [ogica] Valle del Saita , Univ [ersidad] San Simón, 300 m , 4 males, 67.5 kmE Villa Tunari , rain forest, 17º6’19”S 64º46’57”W, 7–9.II.1999, FIT, F. Génier col. ( CNCI) ; 1 male, 67.5 kmE Villa Tunari , low land, rain forest, 17º6’19”S 64º46’67”W, 9–13.II.1999, FIT, F. Génier col. ( CNCI) ; 1 male, 67.5 kmNE Villa Tunari, 17º6’5.25”S 64º47’8.72”W, 9–13.II.1999, FIT#077, R.S. Hanley col. ( CNCI); Villa Tunari , 16º54’55”S 65º22’06”W, MT, H. Heider col. ( CNCI) : 1 male, 4.I.2001; 2 males, 15.III.2001; 2 males, 8.V.2001; 1 male 01.VII.2001; 2 males, VII.2001.

Variation: body length from 2.70 to 5.70 mm; body lighter or darker than described for holotype; mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth inconspicuous ( Fig. 9 ); tergal process varying from absent to conspicuous; pit on tergal process large or small ( Fig. 12–16 ); tubercle rounded or with sharp rim ( Fig. 10, 11 ); depression more distant or closer to each other, circular or elliptical ( Fig. 12–16 ), deep or shallow; genital apodeme may extend beyond the genital ring; basal bar may touch basal plate; ventral ramus may have outer margin folded basally and filament directed backward as in some specimens from Bolivia. This has also been observed in the male genitalia of the male in copula suggesting this kind of variation may be the result of muscular effect.

Comments: The holotype has the mandible bidentate as the most specimens identified as D. microstictus ( Fig. 1 ). Redighieri & Azevedo (2006) reported the number of mandibular teeth as an intraspecific variation within D. microstictus . We observed some specimens with an additional minute uppermost tooth, including material studied by Azevedo (1999b) although it was not recorded by him. However, the species is better characterized by having the mandible bidentate with a very long and pointy lower tooth like most Dissomphalus species.

Evans (1969) described D. microstictus as having the tergal process with “a pair of small pits with raised rims”, whereas Azevedo (1999b) interpreted the raised rims as “a minute tubercle”. The paratypes analyzed have pits as described by Evans (1969) but specimens may present pits or tubercles, the latter mainly with a small pit on top which may have raised rims.

Distribution: Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina.

Remark: Azevedo (1999b) mislabeled one male of D. connubialis Evans from Brazil, Pernambuco, Caruaru, as D. microstictus .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Dissomphalus microstictus 1, mandible, frontal view; 2, clypeus, dorsal view; 3, tergal process, dorsal view; 4, genitalia, ventral view; 5, genitalia, dorsal view; 6, outer lobe, ventral view; 7, apex of dorsal body, lateral view; 8, paramere, lateral view. (Scale bars = 250 µm).

FIGURES 9–16. Dissomphalus microstictus (variation) 9, mandible, frontal view; 10, tubercle with sharp rim, frontal view; 11, tubercle rounded, frontal view; 12, tergal process (Paraná, Brazil), dorsal view; 13, tergal process (Espírito Santo, Brazil), dorsal view; 14, tergal process (Amazonas, Brazil), dorsal view; 15, tergal process (Brasília, Brazil), dorsal view; 16, metasoma (São Paulo, Brazil), pattern of colors, dorsal view. (Scale bars = 250 µm).