Dissomphalus culteratus Alencar & Azevedo, 2006

Alencar, I. D. C. C. & Azevedo, C. O., 2006, Definition of the coronatus species-group (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae, Dissomphalus) with description of thirteen new species, Zootaxa 1330, pp. 1-26 : 9-11

Dissomphalus culteratus Alencar & Azevedo , New Species

( Figs. 10–11 )

Diagnosis: aedeagus with ventral ramus with apical half narrow, apex acute, outer margin straight and inner margin microserrate; dorsal body wide, narrowing to apex, apical part with concavity mesad, apex biramous, ventral arm pointed, dorsal arm smaller than ventral, both arms directed laterad; crown-process with long lateral prolongation in middle of dorsal body.

Description: male, body length 3.1mm; LFW 2.5mm. Color: head and mesosoma black except pronotum slightly lighter; clypeus dark castaneous; mandible, palpi and legs light castaneous; metasoma castaneous; antenna light castaneous and gradually darker in distal part; wings subhyaline.

Head: mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth inconspicuous. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, median carina complete and tall in profile. First four antennal segments in ratio of ~16:7:6:7, segment XI 1.5x as long as wide. Frons coriaceous, punctures small, separated by 2.5–3.0x their diameter. LH 1.0x WH; WF 0.7x WH; WF 1.7x HE; OOL 1.4x WOT; DAO 0.3x WOT; posterior ocelli distant from crest of vertex 0.6x DAO. Vertex straight developed behind eyes with rounded corners; VOL 1.3x HE.

Mesosoma: thoracic dorsum somewhat coriaceous, shiny, punctures larger and sparser than on frons. Pronotal disc 0,65x length of mesoscutum, anterior margin with irregular foveae. Notaulus complete. Propodeal disc 0.7x as long as wide, irregularly rugose, median carina incomplete, posterior part polished and opaque; lateral surface of propodeum with striae which become finer posteriorly; declivity areolate. Fore femur 3.0x as long as wide.

Metasoma: tergum II with pair of circular, large and deep lateral depressions, separated by 1.0x their diameter; each depression with tuft of convergent setae directed backward, latero-anterior margin with long setae. Hypopygium with posterior margin with median convexity.

Genitalia ( Fig. 10–11 ): paramere with apex arched mesad, inner surface of apex with distinct long seta, dorsal margin straight with subapical small concavity and base much developed, ventral margin concave. Basiparamere rounded in ventral view. Cuspis long and arched, acutely pointed, digitus with apical margin strongly serrate, basal margin straight, base with long setae, short and thin protuberance directed dorsally. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, laminar, surface horizontal and arched ventrally, basal half wide, inner margin sinuous; apical half narrow, acutely pointed, outer margin straight and inner margin microserrate; dorsal body wide, narrowing to apex, apical part with concavity mesad, apex with two arms, ventral arm acute and directed laterad, dorsal arm smaller than ventral one and directed laterad; crown-process with long lateral prolongation in middle of dorsal body. Apodeme of aedeagus extending beyond elliptical genital ring.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE: male, PANAMA, Chiriquí, Hartman’s Farm, [8°51’N 82°46’W], 3.VII.1981, B. Gill col. ( PMAE). PARATYPES: COSTA RICA, Monteverde, 1520m, D. H. Lindeman col.: 1 male, 15–23.VII.1983, 1 male, 25.VI–2.VII.1983 ( PMAE); COSTA RICA, [Puntarenas], San Vito de Coto Brus, Las Cruces, 1200m, [8°28’12”N 82°34’12”W], Malaise trap, B. Gill col.: 2 males, 17.VIII–12.IX.1982, 1male, 9.VII–7.VIII.1982 ( CNCI); 2 males same data as holotype ( MUIP).

Variation: some specimens have the body lighter, propodeal disc reticulate striate, tergal process closer or more distant, tuft less dense.

Comments: this species is similar to D. uber in the shape of dorsal body of aedeagus, but D. culteratus has apex of dorsal body biramous and the apical half of ventral ramus narrower than basal half with inner margin serrate, whereas D. uber has apex of dorsal body not biramous and apical half of the ventral ramus with an expansion with acute thorn medially.

Etymology: specific epithet comes from Latin and refers to the inner margin of the ventral ramus of the aedeagus which resembles a knife.

Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 11. 1 – 4, Dissomphalus aculeatus sp. nov. 1, metasoma, dorsal view; 2, genitalia, ventral view; 3, genitalia, dorsal view; 4, outer lobe of aedeagus, dorsal view; 5 – 6, Dissomphalus auritus sp. nov. 5, genitalia, ventral view; 6, genitalia, dorsal view; 7 – 9, Dissomphalus coronatus sp. nov. 7, genitalia, ventral view; 8, genitalia, dorsal view; 9, apex of dorsal body, lateral view; 10 – 11, Dissomphalus culteratus sp. nov. 10, genitalia, ventral view; 11, genitalia, dorsal view. (Scale bars = 250 μm).