Metopius (Peltocarus) zuluensis, Riedel, 2016

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 : 1665

Metopius (Metopius) zuluensis BENOIT, 1965: 41

H o l o t y p u s:(6) M fongosi Zulul. W E Jones, Metopius (Peltocarus) zuluensis n.sp. holotype 6 P. L.G. Benoit det., 1963 (Cape Town), type studied.

F u r t h e r m a t e r i a l: Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve , Ibaya Lau 3.58S 37.48E 16 26.XI-10.XII.1995, leg. S van Noort (Cape Town) ; Zimbabwe, Matopos Nat. Park , 16 29.XI.1993, leg. F. Koch (Berlin) ; RSA, Natal , Weenen, 16 III.1925, leg. H.P. Thomsset (London) .

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

Body length 13-17 mm. Flagellum with 47-49 segments. Mandible with one tooth. Second maxillary palpomere club-sized, 2x as long as wide. Facial shield wide, length 1.0x width, with parallel sides, strong carina, coarsely punctate, pointed ventrally. Interantennal lamella high, without distinct notch or distal tooth. Frons granulate and superficially punctate, matte. Temple finely punctate, shining, narrowed behind eye, 0.6x as long as eye. Distance of lateral ocellus to eye 1.4-2.0x its diameter.

Mesosoma with long whitish hairs. Side of pronotum coarsely punctate, striate anteriorly. Epicnemial carina ends dorsal of sternaulus. Central propodeal area with lateral carina, narrowed apically, its carina obsolete apically. Hind femur length 2.6x height. Hind metatarsus about 0.45x as long as hind tibia. Outer apical spur of hind tibia 0.4-0.45x as long as hind metatarsus. Areolet 2.0x as long as wide, stalked, second recurrent vein lateral its middle and with one or two bullae.

First tergite with dorsal carina in basal 0.7 or nearly complete, spiracle with strong denticular extension ventrally, lateral lamella narrow. Second to fourth tergites with tooth-shaped posterolateral extensions, following tergites rounded posterolaterally.

Color: Black. Flagellum reddish-brown to dark brown. Yellow or cream-yellow are palps, base of mandible, labrum, face, frontal orbit up to anterior ocellus, scape and pedicel ventrally, spot on upper pronotal margin, often small spots on dorsal mesopleuron, subtegular ridge, prescutellar ridge, apical margin of scutellum, postscutellum, posterodorsal spot on propodeum, triangular dorsolateral spots on first to third tergites (or apical bands on second and third tergites), narrow apical bands on the following tergites. Front and middle legs cream-yellow, with red or brown stripes. Hind leg red to dark reddish-brown, sometimes cream-yellow spots on hind coxa, hind trochanter, base and apex of hind femur, hind tibia apical, and hind tarsus. Hind tarsus black. Pterostigma yellow to brown, wings slightly darkened apically.

♀ unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: RSA,newforTanzania.