Rugosothynnus monteithae, Brown, Graham, 2015

Brown, Graham, 2015, Rugosothynnus gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae: Thynninae: Rhagigasterini), a newly recognised Australian genus, Zootaxa 3925 (3), pp. 361-386 : 378-379

Rugosothynnus monteithae sp. nov.

( Figs 9 , 28 , 35–36 )

Diagnosis. Male. Clypeal carina branched but not strongly developed; clypeus depressed from carina branch to apex; pronotum rugose punctate; S1 sagittally carinate; S2 weakly anteromedially raised but not tuberculate; cuspis subtriangular distally, slightly distoventrally produced and hooked. Female. Head black with small, transverse orange spot mesad to eye ventrally and about half area of eye; metasoma with punctures finer than mesosoma dorsally; pygidium shallowly punctate, not anteromedially raised.

Description. Male. Head. Rounded, not emarginate posteriorly, not narrowed behind eyes; clypeus truncate, convex, weakly depressed apically with obscure inverted Y-shaped carina, closely punctate laterally, sparsely punctate medially; antennal prominence with U-shaped carina, produced below carina to antennal insertions; frons transversely carinate, rugosely punctate, sagittally carinate and weakly depressed below transverse carina; vertex closely punctate, impunctate posterolaterad to hind ocelli; gena closely punctate.

Mesosoma . Pronotum narrower than head, transversely rugosely punctate, anterior margin emarginate, raised, carinate, strongly produced laterally; mesoscutum rugosely punctate; tegulae closely punctate; mesoscutellum closely punctate, flat, subtriangular, narrowly rounded posteriorly; metanotum closely punctate, below level of mesoscutellum; propodeum oblique posteriorly, not transversely carinate, closely to rugosely punctate anteriorly with small medial impunctate area, finely transversely rugosely punctate posteriorly; fore coxae closely and finely punctate; mesopleura closely punctate ventrally, rugosely punctate dorsally.

Metasoma. T1–6 punctate; S1–2 rugosely punctate, S3–7 closely punctate, S2–5 sparsely punctate posteriorly; gradulus straight and impunctate on T2–6, straight and weakly punctate on S3–6, discontinuous medially on S6, obscure on S7; T1 truncate anteriorly, subtuberculate above truncation; S1 medially raised and carinate; S2 weakly raised anteromedially; hypopygium with angulate basal angles; cuspis hooked; paracuspis short.

Colour. Black; ocellar macula orange; wings weakly infuscate.

Length. Body 20 mm; fore wing 14 mm; hind wing 11 mm.

Female. Head. Subrectangular, posterior angles rounded; clypeus truncate, sagittally carinate; frons longitudinally rugosely punctate, weakly sagittally sulcate; vertex longitudinally rugosely punctate, not medially depressed; gena closely punctate; eyes large and elliptical; mandibles bidentate.

Mesosoma .. Pronotum flat, not depressed near posterior angles, anterior angles not produced, longitudinally rugosely punctate; mesoscutellum weakly convex, narrowed posteriorly, rugosely punctate; propodeum flat, not laterally depressed, truncate posteriorly, not densely setose, longitudinally rugosely punctate dorsally, impunctate laterally, closely and finely punctate posteriorly.

Metasoma. T1–5 rugosely punctate, punctures may be elongate and longitudinally aligned especially laterally; S1–5 closely punctate; T1 truncate, anterior angles rounded; T5 and S5 not produced; pygidium subtriangular, not spinose, closely punctate, not tuberculate.

Colour. Black; mandibles and legs dark ferruginous; frontal maculae and antennae ventrally; antennae brown dorsally. yellow frontal maculae mesad to eye and about area of eye.

Length. Body 13 mm.

Distribution. Ranges of south-eastern Queensland from Emu Vale to Lamington National Park.

Etymology. This species is named after the collector of the holotype, Mrs S.R. Monteith.

Remarks. The sexes are tentatively associated only by the proximity of Emu Vale to Stanthorpe, and as such the female has not been made a paratype.

Males resemble R. fulvescens sp. nov. and R. confusus sp. nov. which have S2 subtuberculate anteromedially. Differs from R. corrugatus by: punctation closer and deeper, closely punctate to rugose-punctate on head, mesosoma and S1; clypeus with an obscure inverted Y-shaped carina; antennal prominence with U-shaped carina; pronotum with anterior margin strongly produced laterally; mesoscutellum flat; propodeum oblique posteriorly; T1 subtuberculate above truncation; S1 medially raised and carinate; S8 with angulate basal angles; wings weakly infuscate.

Females resemble R. corrugatus which has the vertex orange, and R. tristis which has the pygidium sparsely punctate. Differs from R. corrugatus by: head subrectangular; frons weakly sagittally sulcate; vertex longitudinally rugosely punctate; gena closely punctate; pronotum flat; mesoscutellum rugosely punctate; propodeum flat; S1–5 closely punctate; pygidium subtriangular, not spinose, closely punctate; black with mandibles and legs dark ferruginous, frontal maculae and antennae ventrally orange, and antennae dorsally brown.

Material examined. Queensland: Holotype ♂ Bald Mtn area, via Emu Vale, 27–31.i. 1972, 3–4000 ft (914–1219 m), S.R. Monteith, ( ANIC); paratype; 1♂, same data as holotype, ( NTM); 1♂, Lamington National Park, 6–7.iii. 1980, 914 m, H.E. Evans and A. Hook, ( UQIC). Non-type: 1♀, Stanthorpe, 25.x.1932, ( UQIC).

Figures

FIGURE 28. Distribution of Rugosothynnus spp.: R. fulvescens sp. nov., closed circles; R. houstoni sp. nov., open squares: R. monteithae sp. nov., closed squares; R. neocorrugatus sp. nov., triangle; R. schichai sp. nov., dotted circle.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Rugosothynnus spp., females, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. 8. R. monteithae sp. nov., ovipositor exerted; 9. R. tristis; 10. R. confusus sp. nov.

FIGURES 35 – 38. Rugosothynnus spp. 35. R. monteithae sp. nov., genitalia, male, right lateral view; 36. R. monteithae sp. nov., genitalia, male, dorsal view; 37. R. neocorrugatus sp. nov., genitalia, male, right lateral view; 38. R. neocorrugatus sp. nov., genitalia, male, dorsal view. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.