Rhabdepyris latissimus Stein & Azevedo, 2007

Stein, P. R. W. & Azevedo, C. O., 2007, Synopsis of lobatifrons species-group (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae, Rhabdepyris) from Neotropical region, with redefinition of the group, Zootaxa 1444 (1), pp. 23-34 : 25-26

Rhabdepyris latissimus Stein & Azevedo , New Species

( Fig. 2–8 )

Diagnosis. Propodeal disc with five discal carinae, without a pair of additional carinae beside median one. Paramedian incomplete, convergent posteriorly. Paramere conspicuously wide, dorsal margin covering slightly aedeagus in dorsal view, apex rounded. Aedeagus apex lower than cuspis apex in lateral view, median portion abruptly narrow.

Description. Holotype. Male. Body length 5.00 mm. LFW 2.86 mm. Body black with dark green metallic reflections; mandible, antenna, tegula and mid femur castaneous; palpi, fore femur, tibiae and tarsi light castaneous; hind femur dark castaneous; coxae black; wings subhyaline, veins and stigma light castaneous.

Head ( Fig. 2 ). Mandible with five apical teeth, uppermost tooth as large as subupper ( Fig. 3 ). Median lobe of clypeus angulate, median carina complete. Length of first four antennal segments in ratio of 27:8:14:11 ( Fig. 4 ). Frons coriaceous and punctate. WH 0.94x LH; WF 0.65x WH; WF 1.22x HE; OOL 1.50x WOT; frontal angle of ocellar triangle acute; distance from posterior ocelli to vertex crest 0.44x DAO. Vertex straight; corner rounded; temple slightly divergent. VOL 0.67x HE.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 2 ). Dorsum of thorax coriaceous and punctate. Notaulus straight, wide posteriorly. Parapsidal furrow straight, short and on posteiror 0.75x of mesoscutum. Scutellar groove as deep as scutellar pit. Propodeal disc 1.86x as wide as long, with five discal and pair of lateral carinae, without additional carinae beside median one; median carina complete and straight; paramedian incomplete, convergent posteriorly; lateral discal carina incomplete, straight, convergent posteriorly, not touching paramedian carina; lateral carina complete, followed for shallow linear depression; space among discal carinae striate; lateral space on discal carinae polished; declivity coriaceous with median carina; propodeal side coriaceous. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 5 ) with upper fovea subrounded; lower fovea elongate and closed, middle area as wide as anterior area, upper margin indistinct medially. Fore femur 2.26x as long as wide.

Genitalia ( Fig. 6–8 ). Paramere wide, longer than basiparamere; apex wide and rounded; dorsal margin straight; ventral margin straight; base truncate. Appendicular process of cuspis with base width 1.0x process width; apex rounded and surpassing transversal portion of cuspis. Aedeagus apex lower than cuspis apex in lateral view, median portion abruptly narrow.

Material examined. Holotype. Male. BRAZIL, Amazonas , Manaus, Reserva 1301, 29.I.1986, B. Klein col. ( INPA) . Paratypes. TRINIDAD, [Saint George], 1 male, M[oun]t S[ain]t Benedict, M [oun]t Tabor , rain for[est], 500 m, 21.VI–8.VII.1993, FIT, S. & J. Peck col. ( CNCI) ; Arima, 2 males, 11 km SE, Arena For [est] Res [erve], 80 m, rain for[est], 22.VI–8.VII.1993, FIT, S. & J. Peck col. ( CNCI) ; 1 male, 16 km N, Andrews Trace, 620 m, up mountain rain for[est], 7–24.VI.1993, FIT, S. & J. Peck col. ( CNCI) . ECUADOR, Esmeraldas, 1 male, Bilba Biol [ogical] Station , 0 o 34'N 79 o 71'W, 500 m, FIT, IV–VII.1996, P. J. Hibbs col. ( CNCI) .

Distribution. Trinidad, Ecuador and Brazil.

Etymology. The specific epithet from Latin refers to the very wide paramere.

Variation. Body black without metallic reflections; femora black; tibia and tarsi dark castaneous; frons and dorsum of thorax inconspicuously coriaceous.

Remarks. Some specimens have dark green reflections on head and mesosoma, which represents the first record of metallic reflections in the lobatifrons species-group. The texture of integument is weakly coriaceous. The paramere is unusually large, almost covering the aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. 1. Appendicular process. a. base; b. apex. 2–8. Rhabdepyris latissimus sp. nov. holotype. 2. Head and mesosoma in dorsal view; 3. Mandible in frontal view; 4. Antenna in frontal view; 5. Mesopleuron in frontal view; 6–8. Genitalia. 6. Ventral view; 7. Dorsal view; 8. Lateral view. (scale bar = 250µm).