Digonocryptus mettus Aguiar et Ramos, 2011

Aguiar, Alexandre Pires & Ramos, Adriana C. B., 2011, 2846, Zootaxa 2846, pp. 1-98 : 48-49

Digonocryptus mettus Aguiar et Ramos , sp. nov.

Figs 71,72, 160, 198, 238

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Fore wing 11.9 mm.

Head. Ventral tooth of mandible approximately as long as dorsal tooth. Clypeus apical area delimited by smooth border; clypeal margin with two small teeth. Antenna broken; on paratypes, with 24–25 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V; 6–7 flagellomeres at least 50% white.

Mesosoma . Mesopleuron mostly glabrous; mostly smooth, without microsculpturing. Subalar prominence large and round, suboval. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe absent. Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum represented by a few short rugosities crossing discrimen. Lower metapleuron nearly smooth, without microsculpturing. Propodeum: area in front of anterior transverse carina glabrous and polished, smooth, medially without longitudinal ridges. Propodeal apophyses present as very weak scale-shaped structures, part of distinct, uniformly arched posterior transverse carina. Area between transverse carinae obliquely striate-rugose; area behind posterior transverse carina finely and transversely rugose. Fore wing in Fig. 198; vein 3-Cu 1.43 length of 4-Cu. Hind wing in Fig. 238.

Metasoma. Postpetiole dorso-anteriorly convex or flat; dorsolateral and median dorsal carinae absent; petiolar spiracles in dorsal view weakly prominent. Ovipositor 1.24 length of hind tibia. Apex of lower valve with 13 teeth.

Color. Black and yellow. Lateral pattern as in Fig. 71. Orbital band interrupted at malar space only; width on supra-antennal area and temple 0.25 of interocular distance; covering about 0.9 of gena width. Supraclypeal area laterally yellow, centrally with black triangular area from base of antenna to clypeus, including clypeal suture. Clypeus yellow, except black apical area. Labrum yellow. Mesosoma dorsally black, except as follows. Pronotum on collar and along anterior margin with wide yellow stripe from side to side, laterally on dorsal margin with large yellow spot. Propleuron postero-lateral angle with large yellow spot. Mesoscutum centrally, at level of tegula, without yellow spot, but laterally, along notaulus, with an elongate yellow spot on each side extending to about one third of mesoscutum length ( Fig. 160). Scutellum, postcutellum and entire length of scutellar carina yellow. Propodeum as in Figs 71 & 72. Fore and mid femora and tibia brownish yellow. Hind femur and tibia brown. Fore and mid tarsi changing progressively from basally brownish yellow to apically dark brown. Hind t1 basal 0.4 and entire t4–5 dark brown, t1 apical 0.6 and entire t2–3 white. Metasoma dorsally black, except as follows. Postpetiole and T2–8 apically with moderately wide yellow stripe progressively wider laterally.

Morphological variation. Fore wing 8.3–11.9 mm. Ovipositor 1.20–1.36 length of hind tibia. Black on supraclypeal area usually a narrow stripe, clypeal sulcus yellow. Propleuron postero-lateral angle with yellow sometimes covering entire apical 0.25, or about 50% yellow, radiating from postero-lateral angle. Hind tibia basal end sometimes dark brown. Hind t1 sometimes mostly white, only with basal 0.2–0.4 brown or light brown. Apex of lower valve of ovipositor sometimes with 15 teeth.

MALE. Similar to female, except by malar space and supraclypeal area entirely yellow, fore legs yellowish, hind t1 basal 0.7 dark brown. Metasomal tergites yellow stripes very wide, of regular width.

Comments. Distinguished in particular by the two longitudinal yellow marks on mesonotum ( Fig. 160). Quite similar to D. propodeator Kasparyan et Ruíz , sharing with it nearly the same color pattern, but immediately separated from that species by having clypeal margin with two teeth (vs. one). Also distinctive are the mesopleuron and lower metapleuron smooth (vs. covered with tiny punctures); and area in front of anterior transverse carina without ridges (vs. with small medio-longitudinal ridges). The females of the present species also seem to be consistently large, with fore wing length between 8.3–11.9 mm, versus 5.3–7.3 mm for D. propodeator .

Material examined. 4 females, 1 male. HOLOTYPE ♀ “ Sto. Domingo , 680m. // Pich. Prov. Ecuador // V.15– 30.1975// S. & J. Peck ” ( AEIC). Right wings slide mounted; antenna missing, pilosity on right side of propodeum shaved . Paratypes ( AEIC): ♂, same data as holotype . ♀ “ Metate , Oax., Mexico // 85.5 Km. SW of Tuxtepec // X.18.62 900m. // H. & M. Townes ” . ♀ “ Ecuador // or Peru,1963// Luis E. Peña” . ♀ “ 47km. S. S. Domingo // Pich. Pr. , Ecuador // II.17–25.79 L. Ling ”; “ Digonocryptus // sp.21// Tow.1964” .

Distribution. Mexico, Ecuador.