Dissomphalus ramosus 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 : 20-21

Dissomphalus ramosus Alencar & Azevedo , New Species

( Figs. 28–30 )

Diagnosis: aedeagus with ventral ramus with apical half narrowing to apex and convergent to inner margin, apex with small fold directed dorsally; dorsal body wide, apex of apical part with three arms in ventral view; dorsal one thicker than others, straight, outer margin serrate and apex rounded slightly converging mesad; median arm longer and thinner than dorsal one, directed laterad; ventral arm shorter than others with apex thin and folded ventrally and laterad; crown-process with long lateral prolongation in middle of dorsal body.

Description: male, body length 3.4mm; LFW 2.7mm. Color: head and mesosoma black, except the pronotum slightly lighter; clypeus and metasoma dark castaneous; mandible castaneous; antenna light castaneous and gradually darker in distal part; palpi and legs light castaneous except metafemur castaneous; wings subhyaline.

Head: mandible tridentate, uppermost tooth inconspicuous. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, median carina complete. First four antennal segments in ratio of ~15:7:6:6 segment XI 2.0x as long as wide. Frons coriaceous, opaque, punctures shallow, separated by 1.0–1.5x their diameter. LH 1.0x WH; WF 0.8x WH; WF 1.5x HE; OOL 1.1x WOT; DAO 0.3x WOT; posterior ocelli distant from crest of vertex 0.8x DAO. Vertex straight with rounded corners; VOL 0.9x HE.

Mesosoma: thoracic dorsum weakly coriaceous, long hair and inconspicuous punctures. Pronotal disc 0.5x length of mesoscutum, anterior margin carinate. Notaulus complete. Propodeal disc 0.8x as long as wide, reticulate striate perpendicular to median carina complete; lateral surface of propodeum with weak and fine striae; declivity reticulate striate. Fore femur 2.4x as long as wide.

Metasoma: tergum II with pair of circular, somewhat inclined and deep lateral depressions, separated by 0.8x their diameter, each depression with tuft of setae directed backward, antero-lateral margin with long setae. Hypopygium with posterior margin convex.

Genitalia (28–30): paramere with apical margin convex, apex inclined, inner surface of apex with distinct long seta, dorsal margin straight with subapical concavity, base of paramere developed, ventral margin concave. Basiparamere rounded in ventral view. Cuspis arched and acutely pointed, digitus short with apex thin, apical margin arched and serrate, base with rounded protuberance. Aedeagus with ventral ramus shorter than dorsal body, laminar, surface horizontal and angulate to ventral side, basal half wide, inner margin irregular, apical half narrowing to apex and convergent to inner margin, apex with small fold directed dorsally; dorsal body wide, surface vertical, apical part narrow with concavity mesad, apex with three arms in ventral view ( Fig. 30 ); dorsal one thicker than others, straight, outer margin serrate and apex rounded slightly converging mesad; median arm longer and thinner than dorsal one, directed laterad; ventral arm shorter than others with apex thin and folded ventrally and laterad; 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, Pichincha, 47km S. S[an]to Domingo, Rio Palenque Res[erve] St[ation], 160–180m, rainforest, [0°30’S 79°9’W], 29.IV–5.V.1987, 2MT, B.V, Brown and L.D Coote col. ( PMAE). PARATYPES: 1 male, COSTA RICA, Heredia, La Selva Biol[ogical] St[ation], [10º25’48”N 84º1’12”W], 6–11.VII.1993, Malaise#3, B. V. Brown and D. Feener col. ( LACM); PANAMA, Panama, 5 males, Altos de Campana Nat[ional] P[ark], [8°41’30”N 79°53’W], 10–14.VIII.1999, Malaise trap, A. Santos and P. González col. ( MIUP); 4 males, Cerro Azul, Las Nubes, [9°10’N 75°25’W], 9–15.X.1999, Malaise trap, R. Cambra and A. Santos col. ( MIUP); 1 male, Monte Fresco, Cerro Azul, [9°10’N 79°25’W], 17–18.I.1998, T. amarillo, A. Santos col. ( MIUP); 2 males, Colón, Santa Rita Arriba, Sierra Llorona lodge, Macizo Station Rita, [9°20’16”N 79°46’48”W], 22.XII.1997, Malaise trap, D. Quintero col. ( MIUP); 1 male, Darién, Darién National Park, Cruce de Mono, Est. INRENARE, [7°52’ N 77°47’ W], 10.II–4.III.1993, Malaise trap, R. Cambra and J. Coronado col. ( MIUP); 1 male, Coclé, El. Copé, Omar Torrijos H[errera] [National Park], 570– 670m.s.n.m., [8°37’N 80°36’W], 26–30.IX.1999, Malaise trap, A. Santos, P. Gonzáles col. ( MIUP); ECUADOR, Pichincha, 10 males, Tinalandia, [0°30’S 79°9’W], 14.VI.1976, S. and J. Peck ( PMAE); 1 male, Rio Palenque Res[erve] St[ation], 49km S. S[an]to Domingo, [0°30’S 79°9’W], 30XI.1975 ( PMAE); 2 males, Rio Palenque Res[erve] St[ation], [0°30’S 79°9’W], 5.V–25.VII. 1985, 250m, S. and J. Peck ( PMAE); 1 male, VENEZUELA, Zulia, Los Angeles del Tucuco, [9°50’55”N 72°48’31”W], 15–16.IV.1981, A. S. Menke and L. Hollenberg col. ( USNM);.

Variation: some specimens have the frons weakly coriaceous and shiny, mesosoma rufous castaneous, propodeal disc irregularly rugose, posterior part polished and shiny, median carina incomplete or irregularly rugose with striae varying in strength, metasoma dark castaneous, tergal process with depression varying in depth, tuft wider or less dense, hypopygium with posterior margin straight or slightly concave, dorsal body of aedeagus with ventral arm of apex smaller and straight.

Comments: this species is similar to D. uber in having crown-process of dorsal body with long lateral prolongation in middle. However, D. ramosus has apical half of ventral ramus narrow and apex of dorsal body with three arms whereas D. uber has wide apical half of ventral ramus of aedeagus with peculiar prominence similar to udder and apex of dorsal body with no arm.

Etymology: specific epithet comes from Latin and refers to arms on upper part of dorsal body of aedeagus.

Distribution: Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador.

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).