Methocha cavipyga Lin, 1966

Narita, Keisuke & Mita, Toshiharu, 2021, A review of the subfamily Methochinae from Taiwan (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae) with description of a new species and redescription of the known species, Zootaxa 4964 (2), pp. 303-329 : 309-310

3. Methocha cavipyga Lin, 1966

Figs 23–33

Methocha cavipyga Lin, 1966: 190–191 . Type locality: Paomengszu , Keelung. Figs 2D, 2I, 3D, 3I .

Material examined. Type material. Holotype, ♂, Paomengszu , Keelung, 18.iv.1958, K. S. Lin leg. [ TARI]. Nontype materials. 1♂, Wufeng, Taichung, 26.ix.–4.x.1979, K. C. Chou leg. [ TARI]; 1♂, N22.2433, E120.8354, Alt. 480m, Shizi, Pingtung, 15.v.2017, T. Mita leg. [ ELKU].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Asian Methocha species by a combination of the following characters: the distally narrowed mandible; the incurved clypeal apex; the dorsally granulate, anteriorly longitudinally carinate, and medially areolate propodeum; the infuscate wings; the dorsally carinate hind coxa; the subapical tooth shorter than the apical one on the mandible; the presence of the severally carinae between a pair of the strong carina of the T1; presence of a row of the stout setae on the posterior margin of the S2–S5 respectively; the costate anterior transverse depression of the T2–T4 respectively; the triangularly cleft distal apex of the S7.

Redescription. Male.

Head ( Figs 26, 27 ). Head 0.8 times as long as wide in frontal view; temple weakly rounded in dorsal view; ocelli forming regular triangle, POL:AOL:DAO = 1.0:1.0:0.6; vertex sparsely punctate: 2.0–5.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces; frons densely punctate: punctures 0–2.0 puncture diameters apart, impunctate or transversely rugose and excavated between antennal sockets, basal part of antennal sockets longitudinally rugose; antennal lobe developed, surface distinctly coriaceous; gena sparsely punctate; clypeus with dense small punctures, usually with acute projection but sometimes projection weak with apex rounded, clypeal apex incurved; mandible narrowed in apical half, lower tooth longer than upper one; maxillary palpus slightly shorter than length of pronotum, ratio of length to width of palpomeres III–VI: 3:6–12:8–10:10; flagellum inconspicuously flattened, ratio of length to width of flagellomeres I–III: 1.4:1.8–2.4:2.1–2.8.

Mesosoma ( Fig 25 ). Pronotal disc punctate: several punctures around anterior margin larger on other part, 1.0–5.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, anterior transverse carina absent, more or less transversely rugulose around anterior third, lateral surface punctate: punctures smaller and shallower on dorsal surface, with smooth interspaces, lower part striated, narrow surface below striae smooth or punctate by large punctures; mesoscutum punctate: punctures 1.0–4.0 puncture diameters apart, surface around anterior sixth to fifth coriaceous or rugulose; notauli marked by transversely striated wide depression, reaching posterior two-third of mesoscutum, sometimes both sides of depression conversing at around two-third of mesoscutum, posterior margin effaced; mesoscutellum bulging, dorsal surface punctate: punctures 2.0–5.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, lateral surface densely punctate, lower surface striated; mesepisternum convex, punctate by sparse small punctures, with smooth interspaces, punctures on narrow surface above episternal sulcus sometimes slightly denser on other part; episternal sulcus deep; precoxal sulcus obscure or absent; metanotum elevated, smooth, laterally striated, anterior margin with deep crescentic depression; metapleural region smooth, surface around spiracle striated; propodeum ( Fig 28 ) dorsally granulate, surface in anterior fourth longitudinally striated, other part entirely areolate, laterally transversely striated or punctate-areolate, posteriorly granulate, indistinctly areolate or irregularly longitudinally carinate, sometimes median carina more distinct, medially smooth.

Legs. Hind coxa dorsally carinate and parabolically elevated in lateral view; all tarsal claws ( Fig. 29 ) strongly curved in apical half, tridentate, apical tooth sharp, subapical one truncate, shorter than apical one, basal one minute, shorter than half subapical one.

Metasoma. Metasomal terga smooth with sparse punctures, setose, AMW:MTL:PMW = 1.0:3.0–3.5:2.5–3.5; T1 ( Fig 30 ) with pair of strong carina before spiracles, with several longitudinal carinae between carinae, sometimes median furrow developed, reaching posterior sixth; anterior transverse depression of T2–T4 costate, T5–T7 without carina, smooth; posterior margins of S2–S5 with row of stout setae, S7 coriaceous, with elliptic depression medially, distal apex triangularly cleft; hypopygium setose; paramere ( Fig 31 ) hairy around apical two-third, both sides parallel, without projection; aedeagus ( Figs 32, 33 ) with cylindrical, median membranous lobe exposed dorsally.

Color. Black, except apical third of mandible dark reddish brown, maxillary palpus pale yellow, tegula brown, wings infuscate, legs brown.

Measurements. BL 8.3–9.0 mm, HL 1.0– 1.2 mm, HW 1.3–1.6 mm, WF 0.7 mm, EL 0.8–1.0 mm, ML 2.5–3.2 mm, MW 1.0– 1.1 mm, FWL 5.6–6.0 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 23–25. Methocha cavipyga Lin, 1966, individual, male. 23 Dorsal habitus, 24 lateral habitus, 25 mesosoma, lateral view.

FIGURES 26–33. Methocha cavipyga Lin, 1966, individual, male. 26 Head, frontal view, 27 head, lateral view, 28 propodeum, 29 hind tarsal claw, 30 T1, dorsal view, 31 right paramere, lateral view (right side is dorsal), 32 aedeagus, dorsal view, arrow indicating median membranous lobe, 33 aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bars are given in mm.

FIGURES 1–3. Methocha alutacea Lin, 1966, individual, male. 1 Dorsal habitus, 2 lateral habitus, 3 mesosoma, lateral view.