Methocha cariniventris, Narita, Keisuke & Mita, Toshiharu, 2018

Narita, Keisuke & Mita, Toshiharu, 2018, Two new species of the genus Methocha from Laos (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae), ZooKeys 775, pp. 59-68 : 59

Methocha cariniventris sp. n. Figs 1-3, 4, 5-12

Material examined.

Holotype, ♂, LAOS: Mt. Phou Pan Gnai, Houa Phan Prov., VI. 2009, H. Kojima leg. (ELKU).

Diagnosis.

This species is characterized by combination of the following characters: the distally wide mandibles; the translucent distal margin of the clypeus; the areolate propodeum; infuscate near apical 1/2 of the wings. This species is similar to M. foveiventris Lin, 1966 and M. punctata Williams, 1919 in the body size, but it can be distinguished by the striate propodeum (reticulate rugose in M. foveiventris ) and the translucent distal margin of the clypeus (opaque in M. punctata ).

Description.

Male. Head (Figs 5, 6). Height 0.7 times as long as wide in frontal view; temple weakly rounded; ocelli forming regular triangle, POL: AOL: DAO = 1.0: 1.0: 0.6; vertex punctate: punctures smaller and sparser than those on frons, 1.0-5.0 puncture diameters apart, with interspaces smooth; frons densely punctate: punctures 0-1.0 puncture diameters apart, deeply excavated above antennal lobes; antennal lobes developed; gena punctate as vertex; clypeus (Figure 4) densely covered with small punctures, distinctly convex, semicircular laterally, apical 1/5 translucent, subtruncate; mandible not narrowed distally, lower tooth longer than upper tooth; maxillary palpus shorter than length of pronotum, length (width) of segments II–VI showing following ratio: 1.0 (0.3): 2.0 (0.3): 3.0 (0.3): 2.4 (0.3): 2.4(0.3); flagellum weakly flattened, length (width) of flagellomeres I–III showing following ratio: 1.7 (1.0): 2.3 (1.0): 2.4 (1.0).

Mesosoma (Figure 3). Pronotal disc punctate: punctures 1.0-3.0 puncture diameters apart, with interspaces smooth, anterior transverse carina absent, lateral surface punctate as dorsal surface, transversely faintly rugulose medially; mesoscutum punctate: punctures smaller and denser anteriorly, with interspaces smooth, sometimes coriaceous, larger and sparser medially; notauli indicated by transversely striate wide depression, reaching posterior 1/3, posterior margin effaced; mesoscutellum elevated, dorsal surface sparsely, lateral slope finely punctate, with interspaces smooth, lateral lower surface transversely carinate; mesepisternum convex, coarsely punctate: punctures 1.0 puncture diameter apart, with interspaces smooth, narrow surface above episternal sulcus densely punctate: punctures 0-0.5 puncture diameters apart, episternal sulcus deep, precoxal sulcus obscure, faintly depressed; metanotum elevated, smooth, laterally striate, anterior margin with deep crescentic depression; metapleural region antero-dorsally smooth, posteriorly rugose; dorsal surface of propodeum (Figure 7) irregularly longitudinally areolate, with interspaces smooth, lateral surface coarsely puncto-reticulate, posterior surface transversely rugose.

Legs. Hind coxa dorsally carinate, parabolically elevated in lateral view; claws (Figure 8) curved at apical 1/2, tridentate, subapical tooth stout, truncate, basal tooth minute, less than 1/5 as long as subapical tooth.

Metasoma. Tergites smooth with sparsely located punctures and setae; AMW: MTL: PMW = 1.0: 2.9: 2.5; T1 (Figure 9) with pair of strong carinae present before spiracle, rugose between carinae, medial furrow present around anterior 4/5, shallower and wider posteriorly; anterior transverse depression of T2 costate, T3-T7 without carinae, smooth; posterior margin of S2-S6 with row of brown stout setae; punctures on S7 smaller than those on S1-S6, 1.0-2.0 punctures diameters apart, posterior margin of S7 not cleft; ventral surface of hypopygium longitudinally striate, hairy; paramere (Figure 10) narrow, apical 1/4 slender; aedeagus (Figs 11, 12) with apical membranous lobe, apical hook faintly curved ventrad, aedeagal apodeme moderately curved ventrad except distal apex.

Color. Black; scape brown; distal margin of clypeus translucent yellow; maxillary palpus dark yellow; apical 1/3 of mandible dark brown; tegula dark brown; wings weakly tinged with brown, with apical 1/2 strongly infuscate; legs dark brown.

Measurements. BL 11.0 mm, HL 1.5 mm, HW 2.1 mm, WF 1.0 mm, EL 1.1 mm, ML 3.9 mm, MW 1.7 mm, FWL 4.7 mm.

Etymology.

The name is derived from the propodeal sculpture.

Distribution.

Laos: Houa Phan Province.

Remarks.

The female is unknown.