Digonocryptus propodeator Kasparyan et Ruíz, 2005

Aguiar, Alexandre Pires & Ramos, Adriana C. B., 2011, 2846, Zootaxa 2846, pp. 1-98 : 54-55

Digonocryptus propodeator Kasparyan et Ruíz, 2005

Digonocryptus propodeator Kasparyan et Ruíz, 2005:175 . ♀, ♂ Description, keyed, figure. Holotype at Universidade Autonoma de Tamaulipas, Cd. Vitoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico (not examined).

Description. FEMALE. [Translated, revised and complemented from the original description]. Fore wing 5.3–5.7 mm.

Head. Clypeal margin with one teeth. Antennae with 23–24 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V, with 7 articles.

Mesosoma . Mesopleuron pilose short and sparse, smooth, anteriorly with sparse microsculpturing, basally dense microsculpturing. Subalar prominence large and round, suboval. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe apparently indistinct ( Kasparyan & Ruíz 2005, Fig. 137). Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum not described. Lower metapleuron nearly smooth, with small and dense microsculpturing. Propodeum: area in front of anterior transverse carina weakly pilose, with short medio-longitudinal ridges. Propodeal apophyses faint, as weak scale-shaped structures, part of distinct and uniformly arched posterior transverse carina. Area between transverse carinae and fore wing vein 3-Cu not described.

Metasoma. Not described.

Color. Black and yellow. Orbital band interrupted at malar space. Supraclypeal area laterally yellow, centrally with black area from base of antennae to clypeus. Clypeus yellow, except black apical area. Mesosoma dorsally black, except as follows. Pronotum on collar and along anterior margin with wide pale yellow stripe. Propleuron dorso-laterally yellow. Mesoscutum centrally, at level of tegula, without yellow spot, but laterally, along notaulus, with an elongate yellow spot on each side. Scutellum and postscutellum pale yellow. Propodeum entirely black, metapleuron almost entirely yellowish. All femora, fore and mid tibia orange, hind tibia orange except basal 0.15 dark ferruginous. Fore and mid tarsi brownish yellow. Hind t1 basally yellowish, t1 apically, entire t2–3 and t4 basally white, t4 apically and entire t5 brown. Metasoma dorsally black, except T1 basally yellow, postpetiole and T2–8 apically with moderately wide yellow stripe progressively wider laterally.

Morphological variation. Fore wing 5.3–7.3 mm. Ovipositor (sheath) 0.85–1.00 length of hind tibia. Antennae with 23–24 flagellomeres.

MALE. Quite similar to female, except metasoma slender, T1 3.5 and T2 1.2 as long as wide; flagellomeres 9– 16 whitish, malar space and supraclypeal area entirely yellow, fore legs yellowish, fore tarsus pale yellowish, hind tarsus basal 0.5–0.8 dark brown, otherwise whitish. Fore wing 4.2–6.3 mm; antennae with 24–26 flagellomeres.

Comments. Distinguished in particular by the two longitudinal yellow marks on mesonotum, present also only in D. mettus sp. nov. ( Fig. 160), a very similar species, from which D. propodeator can nevertheless be immediately separated by having the clypeal margin with only one tooth (vs. two small teeth). Other differences are as follows: D. propodeator has mesopleuron with tiny punctures (vs. without microsculpturing in D. mettus ); area in front of anterior transverse carina with small medio-longitudinal ridges (vs. without ridges); area between transverse carinae pilose (vs. glabrous). Also, the specimens of D. propodeator analyzed by Kasparyan and Ruíz are much smaller, with fore wing variation between 5.3–7.3 mm, versus 8.3–11.9 mm for D. mettus . Since both species occur in the same region ( Mexico), the relatively intense differences between them seem to further support the idea of two distinct species, since a more subtle morphological gradation would be expected for a single species in the same area.

Material examined. Only the original description and illustrations could be examined.

Distribution. Mexico (Tamaulipas).