Odontepyris acrius Alencar et Azevedo

Alencar, Isabel D. C. C. & Azevedo, Celso O., 2011, Revision of Malagasy Odontepyris Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), Zootaxa 2935, pp. 26-40 : 27-29

Odontepyris acrius Alencar et Azevedo , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Diagnosis. Head with vertex crest slightly concave. Antenna with flagellar pubescence sparse, suberect, and long; placoid sensillae absent. Pronotal collar strongly short. Scutellar pit suboval; scutellar groove absent. Pronotal disc with anterior corner rounded. Anterior margin of propodeal disc with anterior median elevation triangular outlined; median carina incomplete; discal carina absent; lateral carina present; sublateral carina thick. Mesopleuron with dentate process undistinguished, gibbous around mesopleural pit. Fore wing with discoidal cell.

Description. Holotype. FEMALE ( Fig. 1 ). Length 4.5 mm. LFW 3.3 mm.

Color. Head and mesosoma black, except anterior region of frons rufo-castaneous; metasoma dark castaneous nearly black; clypeus, mandible, palpi and antenna yellowish; legs dark castaneous to yellowish distad; tegula castaneous; wings hyaline; costa, subcosta, prostigma and stigma dark castaneous, other veins light castaneous.

Head ( Fig. 2 ). Head as long as wide, subtriangular in profile. Mandible evenly wide, with four apical teeth subequal, small. Clypeus punctulate; median lobe long, triangular with apex angulate, base slightly wider than apex; median carina complete extending back into frons, high and convex in profile; emargination between median and lateral lobes angled; lateral lobe short, rounded; with basal pit. Malar space not carinate, with suture between mandible and eye. Antenna length 1.2 mm; first five antennal segments in ratio of 6:4:4:4:3; flagellomeres thick, gradually smaller and shorter distad; segment III twice as long as broad; flagellar pubescence sparse, suberect, and long, without outstanding setae; placoid sensillae absent; papillary sensillae absent. Torulus slightly projected. Eye gibbous, glabrous. Frons weakly coriaceous, shining and puncticulate. WH equal LH. WF 0.5 × WH. WF 1.1 × HE. OOL 0.8 × WOT. Ocelli large; anterior ocellus surpassing imaginary top eye line; frontal angle of ocellar triangle obtuse; posterior ocellus reaching vertex crest. Vertex crest slightly concave. Temple profile convergent posterad in dorsal view, with corner convex, not projected posterolaterad. Occipital carina absent. Maxillary palpus wide and long. Labial palpus wide and short.

Mesosoma ( Figs 3, 4 ). Pronotal collar strongly short, evenly narrow. Pronotal disc weakly coriaceous and sparsely micropapillate, long; anterior margin arched; anterior corner rounded; lateral margin weakly papillate (with small hairy warts); posterior margin convex medially. Mesoscutum with parapsidal furrow complete, conspicuous only at third posteriorly; lateral of mesoscutum weakly elevate posteriorly; lateral margin of mesoscutum not carinate; area between parapsidal furrows irregularly puncticulate. Scutellum weakly coriaceous, long, almost planar in profile, posterior margin convex medially; scutellar pit distinctly present, suboval, deep, separated by 3.5 × pit diameter; scutellar groove absent. Mesoaxillar oval, foveolate inside. Metanotum narrow medially, median region not elevate, coriaceous-puncticulate, with foveae oval laterally, metaxillar pit foveolate anterolaterally. Propodeal disc wider than long; anterior carina narrow, without row of foveae medially, anterior median elevation triangular, outlined and polished; median carina incomplete posteriorly; discal carina absent; lateral carina present, followed by depressed area wide, and strigulate; sublateral carina very wide and imbricate; transverse posterior carina arched followed by narrow depressed foveolate area, corner of carina not projected; space between sublateral carina and median carina imbricate-strigulate anterad and weakly imbricate and shining posterad. Propodeum laterally predominantly imbricate, strongly imbricate dorsally, carinate and foveolate ventrally, foveolate posteriorly, anterior region with three pits, lower one shallower than others, pits equally sized. Propodeal declivity imbricate, with median carina absent; lateral carina conspicuous and sharpened; lower carina wide, arched, followed by depressed foveolate area. Mesopleuron with subtegular groove very large anteriorly, oval, polished, uniformly narrow posterad; dentate process obsolescent; gibbous around mesopleural pit, coriaceous and shining above pit, weakly coriaceous, shining and puncticulate below pit; anterior area of mesopleuron puncticulate; mesopleural fovea small, circular; mesopleural pit very deep; inferior margin of lower fovea distinguished anteriorly.

Wings ( Fig. 5 ). Fore wing with discoidal cell present; M equal Rs; prostigma not continuous to stigma, and wide; posterior stigmal margin truncate, inclined; radial vein arched. Hind wing with five hamuli, distal hamulus discontinuous from basal ones; wing 1.5 × as long as wide.

Legs. Fore femur very expanded; claws bifid.

Metasoma. Weakly coriaceous, shining and puncticulate; setae long; second sternum puncticulate; hypopygium plane, puncticulate.

MALE unknown.

Type material. HOLOTYPE Ƥ, MADAGASCAR: Province Fianarantsoa, near Isalo National Park, at stream east of Interpretive Center, 750 m, 22°37.60'S, 45°21.49'E, 19–26.i.2002, M. Irwin, R. Harin'Hala, MT in open area, MA-02-11A-12, CASENT 2111898. PARATYPE: 1 Ƥ, Province Fianarantsoa, near Isalo National Park, in dry wash east of Interpretive Center, 885 m, 22°37.60'S, 45°21.49'E, 12–22.vi.2002, M. Irwin, R. Harin'Hala, MT in open area, MA-02-11B-32, CASENT 2103385.

Comments. The combination of the absence of the scutellar groove and the presence of the polished triangular area in the anterior part of the median propodeal carina in this species is unique in Odontepyris . Individually these characters are found in other Odontepyris , but not combined in one species.

Odontepyris acrius sp. nov. also differs from other Malagasy species by having the frons shining, the ocellar triangle with an obtuse frontal angle and the discoidal cell present, whereas all other species studied from Madagascar have the frons opaque, the ocellar triangle with an acute frontal angle and the discoidal cell absent. Other significant features are the flagellomeres with erect pubescence and the absence of placoid sensillae, whereas the flagellomeres of other Malagasy species have the pubescence appressed or subappressed and placoid sensillae present.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Odontepyris acrius sp. nov., holotype. 1. Habitus; 2. Head, dorsal view; 3. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 4. Mesosoma, lateral view; 5. Fore wing (scales bar 0.5 mm).