Metopius (Metopius) eritreae MORLEY, 1912: 81

Riedel, Matthias, 2016, Contribution to the genus Metopius PANZER (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Metopiinae) from Africa South of Sahara, Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1635-1675 : 1644-1645

Metopius (Metopius) eritreae MORLEY, 1912: 81

H o l o t y p u s: (6) Type 565, BM Type Hym 3b1002, B.M. Type Hym Metopius eritreae Morley 1912 , Abyssinia Asmara Eritrea VII (London), type studied.

D e s c r i p t i o n of 6:

Body length 15 mm. Flagellum with 55 segments. Mandible with one tooth. Temple rather wide, roundly narrowed, seen from dorsal about 0.9x as wide as eye. Interantennal lamella high, with small subdistal indentation and larger distal tooth. Eyes divergent ventrally. Sides of facial shield almost parallel, slightly narrowed ventrally and slightly pointed basally, coarsely punctate, length 1.0x width. Second maxillary palpomere semiglobose, 1.4x as long as wide. Frons rugose-punctate. Vertex punctate. Distance of lateral ocellus to eye 1.9x its diameter.

Mesosoma with whitish hairs. Side of pronotum punctate, with coarse striation anteriorly. Epicnemial carina bent to the anterior border of mesopleuron and running parallel to subtegular ridge (but very weak on mesopleuron). Area centralis of propodeum 1.5x longer than wide, open caudally, costula partly distinct. Hind femur slender, length 3.3x height. Hind metatarsus 0.45x as long as hind tibia, outer tibial spur 0.45x as long as hind metatarsus. Front and middle claws with small basal teeth. Areolet stalked, oblique, 1.6x wider than long, second recurrent vein lateral its middle and with two bullae.

First tergite without distinct extension ventrally to spiracle and narrow lateral carina, dorsal carina strong in the basal half to 2/3. Second tergite 1.05x as long as wide. Second tergite with denticular posterolateral edge, posterolateral edge of third tergite blunt, following tergites with rounded edges.

Color: Black. Flagellum reddish. Reddish are mandibles, labrum, gena, clypeus in part. Palps, face, facial shield, frontal orbit up to anterior ocellus, scape and pedicel beneath, upper margin of pronotum, large spot on mesopleuron, spot on subtegular ridge (partly confluent with mesopleural spot), prescutellar ridge, scutellum almost completely, postscutellum, posterolateral spots on propodeum, apical 2/3 of first tergite, apical half of second and third tergites, apical margins of following tergites (narrowed medially). Sixth and Seventh tergites partly reddish. Front and middle legs including coxae yellow. Front and middle coxae and femora with reddish-brown spots. Hind coxa black, with small yellow spot on outer side. Hind femur black, with yellow spots at base and apex. Hind tibia and tarsus chestnut-brown. Pterostigma yellowish. Wings almost hyaline, apex of front wings not distinctly infuscate.

♀ unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Ethiopia.