Methocha taiwanica Tsuneki, 1986

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 : 325-327

11. Methocha taiwanica Tsuneki, 1986

Figs 109–116

Methocha taiwanica Tsuneki, 1986: 82–85 . Type locality: Yuli, Hualien. Figs 120–126.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype, ♂, Yuli , Hualien, 26.vi.1968, K. Tsuneki leg. [ USNM].

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Asian Methocha species by a combination of the following characters: the punctate ocellar region; the bilobate clypeal process; the incurved clypeal apex; presence of the anterior transverse carina on the pronotal disc; the punctate mesoscutellum by large punctures; the foveolate mesepisternum; presence of the median ridge on the dorsal surface of the propodeum; the infuscate wing; the longitudinally rugose surface around anterior margin of the T1; the infuscate wings; presence of a row of the stout setae on S2–S6 respectively; the semicircularly cleft distal apex of the S7.

Redescription. Male.

Head ( Figs 112, 113 ). Head 0.6 times as long as wide in frontal view; temple weakly rounded in dorsal view; ocelli forming obtuse triangle, POL:AOL:DAO = 1.0: 0.5: 0.3; vertex sparsely punctate: puncture 0.5–2.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, ocellar region punctate; frons densely punctate: punctures 0–2.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, slightly excavate and punctate above antennal sockets; surface around clypeal apex with small punctures, clypeal process present, with apex bilobate, anterior fifth translucent, clypeal apex incurved; mandible not distally narrowed, lower tooth longer than upper one; maxillary palpus longer than pronotal disc; ratio of length to width of palpomeres III–VI: 12:11:10; flagellum conspicuously flattened, ratio of length to width of flagellomeres I–III: 2:2.5:2.4.

Mesosoma ( Fig 111 ). Pronotal disc punctate around anterior half by large punctures, with smooth interspaces, smooth around posterior half, anterior transverse carina developed, surface around anterior margin irregularly transversely rugose, lateral surface punctate around upper half, with smooth interspaces, smooth around lower half, lower surface longitudinally striated; mesoscutum punctate: punctures around anterior two-third larger, 0.5–1.5 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, punctures around posterior third smaller, 1.0–3.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, notauli marked by transversely striated wide depression, reaching posterior fourth of mesoscutum, posterior margin effaced; mesoscutellum slightly bulging, punctate by large punctures, puncture 0.5–1.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, lateral slope densely punctate by small punctures, with smooth interspaces, lower surface rugulose; mesepisternum medially foveolate, covered with densely large punctures, 0.5–1.0 puncture diameters apart, with smooth interspaces, punctures on narrow surface above episternal surface denser, with usually smooth, sometimes inconspicuously transversely rugulose interspaces, episternal sulcus deep, precoxal sulcus obscure; metanotum smooth, inconspicuously transversely striated around upper half, coriaceous around lower half in lateral view; metapleural region smooth around anterior half, longitudinally striated around posterior half; propodeum ( Fig 114 ) entirely areolate, median ridge dorsally present; surface smooth.

Legs. Hind coxa not carinate dorsally; all tarsal claws ( Fig 115 ) strongly curved around apical half, tridentate, apical tooth sharp, inner margin inconspicuously rounded out around apical two-third, subapical one truncate, shorter than apical one, basal one triangular, slightly longer than half subapical one.

Metasoma. Metasomal terga smooth with sparse small punctures, AMW:MTL:PMW = 1.0:3.5:2.9; T1 ( Fig 116 ) distinctly convex, with pair strong carina before spiracles, surface around anterior margin slightly longitudinally striated, anterior transverse depression of T2–T7 smooth, without carina; posterior margins of S2–S6 with row of stout setae; S7 covered with sparse small punctures, with smooth interspaces, distal margin semicircularly cleft; hypopygium setose, ventral surface densely longitudinally striated.

Color. Black, expect apical fifth of mandible reddish brown, maxillary palpus testaceous, tegula dark brown, wings infuscate, legs dark brown.

Measurements. BL 7.5 mm, HL 1.1 mm, HW 1.7 mm, WF 1.0, EL 0.7 mm, ML 2.7 mm, MW 1.1 mm, FWL 5.8 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Eastern Taiwan.

Remarks. This species is characterized by the following characters: the bilobate clypeal process; the developed anterior transverse carina of the pronotum; the foveolate mesoscutum; the infuscation of the wings. These characters are also shown among M. heveli Krombein, 1982 , M. litoralis Krombein, 1982 , M. ubiquita Krombein, 1982 , from Sri Lanka, and M. uchinanensis Terayama & Mita, 2015 from Japan. These species are similar to each other, but can be distinguished by the propodeal sculpture.

Figures

FIGURES 109–111. Methocha taiwanica Tsuneki, 1986, holotype, male. 109 Dorsal habitus, 110 lateral habitus, 111 mesosoma, dorsal view, the arrow indicating the fovea.

FIGURES 112–116. Methocha taiwanica Tsuneki, 1986, holotype, male. 112 Head, frontal view, 113 head, lateral view, 114 propodeum, 115 hind tarsal claw, 116 T1, dorsal view. Scale bars are given in mm.