Dissomphalus uber 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 : 23-25

Dissomphalus uber Alencar & Azevedo , New Species

( Figs. 33–34 )

Diagnosis: aedeagus with ventral ramus broad; apical half with an inclined expansion with a medial acute thorn; dorsal body wide, narrowing to apex; crown-process with long lateral prolongation in middle of dorsal body.

Description: male, body length 3.3mm; LFW 2.7mm. Color: head and mesosoma black; clypeus, mandible and metasoma dark castaneous; palpi castaneous; antenna light castaneous and gradually darker in distal part; legs dark castaneous becoming lighter in distal part except trochanters yellowish; wings subhyaline.

Head: mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth inconspicuous. Clypeus projected forward, trapezoidal median lobe, lateral teeth slightly prominent, median carina complete. First four antennal segments in ratio of ~24:5:8:7, segment XI 1.3x as long as wide. Frons coriaceous, punctures shallow, separated by 1.0–1.5x their diameter. LH 1.0x WH; WF 0.6x WH; WF 1.4x HE; OOL 1.1x WOT; DAO 0.3x WOT; posterior ocelli distant from crest of vertex 1.0x DAO. Vertex convex with rounded corners; VOL 0.9x HE.

Mesosoma: thoracic dorsum coriaceous and punctate as on frons, setae long. Pronotal disc 0.3x length of mesoscutum, anterior margin carinate. Notaulus complete. Propodeal disc 1.0x as long as wide, irregular rugosity with strong striae surrounded by weaker ones, median carina incomplete and more strongly developed than others, corner of posterior portion polished and shiny, delimited by weak striae; lateral surface of propodeum somewhat coriaceous and shiny; declivity reticulate striate, median region polished and shiny. Fore femur 3.0x as long as wide.

Metasoma: tergum II with pair of circular, large and deep lateral depressions, separated by 0.8x their diameter, distant from posterior margin of tergum I 0.7x their diameter; each depression with tuft of convergent long setae directed backward; anterolateral margin with long setae. Hypopygium with posterior margin straight.

Genitalia ( Figs. 33–34 ): paramere wide in lateral view, apex acute and arched mesad, inner part with distinct long seta, dorsal margin straight with subapical concavity, base much developed, ventral margin concave. Basiparamere wide, much longer than paramere, margin concave. Cuspis long and strongly arched with straight apex, digitus arched ventrally, apex thin, apical margin serrate, basal projection acute and directed dorsally with short setae. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, laminar, surface horizontal and angulate ventrally, completely wide; apical half with an expansion inclined with medial acute thorn inclined; dorsal body wide, narrowing to apex with concavity mesad, ventral margin straight with subapical concavity, dorsal margin somewhat convex, crown-process with long lateral prolongation in middle of dorsal body. Apodeme of aedeagus not extending beyond elliptical genital ring.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE: male, ECUADOR, Napo, [Orellana], Hacienda Aragon, Sierra Azul, 2250m, 0.67ºS 76.5ºW [0°4’12”S 76º30’W], 17.II–8.III.1996, Malaise trap, P. Hibbs col. ( LACM). PARATYPES: 2 males, PERU, Huãnuco, Cord[illera] Azul, 39km NE Tingo Maria, 1700m, montane rain forest, [9ºS 75º34’60”W], 11–14.I.1983, trap site 672, A. Newton & M. Thayer col. ( CNCI).

Variation: some specimens have the clypeus subtrapezoidal, metasoma lighter and dorsal body with acute projection at dorsal margin.

Comments: this species is easily identified in having peculiar prominence similar to an udder in the apical half of ventral ramus of aedeagus. This species could easily be misidentified as belonging to the punctatus group because it has a tergal process with tuft of long setae directed backward and a depression shallower than in the other species of the D. coronatus group. However, D. uber does not run to the D. punctatus group in Azevedo (2003) because it has a mandible with three teeth.

Etymology: the specific epithet comes from Latin and refers to the apical half of the ventral ramus of the aedeagus reminiscent of an udder.

Distribution: Ecuador, Peru.

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 34. 24 – 27, Dissomphalus pronus sp. nov. 24, genitalia, ventral view; 25, genitalia, dorsal view; 26, apex of dorsal body, ventral view; 27, apex of dorsal body, lateral view; 28 – 30, Dissomphalus ramosus 28, genitalia, ventral view; 29, genitalia, dorsal view; 30, apex of dorsal body, ventral view; 31 – 32, Dissomphalus sinatus sp. nov. 31, genitalia, ventral view; 32, genitalia, dorsal view; 33 – 34, Dissomphalus uber sp. nov. 33, genitalia, ventral view; 34, genitalia, dorsal view. (Scale bars = 250 μm).