Epyris fulgeocauda Tribull

Tribull, Carly Melissa, 2016, Five new species and key for Australian Epyris Westwood (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), Zootaxa 4105 (4), pp. 368-380 : 378

Epyris fulgeocauda Tribull , sp. nov.

( Figs 5 A– 5I)

Examined material. Holotype, ♀. Australia: Queensland: SEQ 25°27’S, 150°08’E. Boggom 12/1. (Nathan, G.) via Taroom. 13 Nov 1996 – January 1997; Cook and Monteith; Baited Flight Intercept #043, #T33399 [QM].

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body length 3.65 mm; LFW: 1.80 mm.

Color. Head and mesosoma black; Clypeus dark castaneous at base, light castaneous at apex. Mandible black at base and castaneous apically. Palpi castaneous. Antennal scape castaneous, remainder lighter castaneous. Metasoma bright castaneous. Leg light castaneous throughout. Fore wing hyaline with castaneous veins; stigma dark castaneous. ( Figure 5 ).

Head. Strongly coriaceous, although somewhat shining, hairy throughout with pits very small. Mandible tridentate and slender with teeth progressing smaller to larger posteriorly to anteriorly; teeth with numerous setae on anterior margin. Clypeus with median lobe pointed and very small raised median ridge. Eye with numerous short, erect, pale setae, LH 2.6 × HE. Ratios of antennomeres 3.6:1.7:1.2:1.0:1.3:1.2:1.2:1.5:1.2:1.2:1.3:1.0:2.2. LH 1.1 × WH, HE.89 × OOL, WF 3.1 × WOT, POL 0.8 × AOL.

Mesosoma. Pronotal disc 0.57 × as long as wide, sculptured in same manner as head. Mesoscutum coriaceous, 1.2 × length of mesoscutellum; notaulus narrow for 2/3 length, slightly divergent anteriorly, each notaulus separated by 5.5 × posterior width. Mesoscutellum coriaceous with sparse pale setae; scutellar pit large, subrectangular, each pit with convex curve to posterior and anterior margins, separated by 0.1 × length, almost touching. Dorsal view of metapectal-propodeal complex 0.92 × as long as wide, shining surface strongly reticulated; metapostnotal median carina and each metapostnotal propodeal suture reaching transverse posterior carina; strong paraspiracular carina present; propodeum with conspicuous transverse striations; posterolateral corner foveolate. Fore wing with transverse-median vein gently arching and meeting anal vein.

Metasoma. Petiolate and smooth; T4–T7 with sparse, pale setae.

Remarks. Epyris fulgeocauda sp. nov. differs from E fulvimanus , and the rest of the species described above, in having the entirety of its metasoma bright castaneous. In addition, unlike E. fulvimanus , the punctures on the surface of the face and pronotum are small, extremely shallow, and almost nonexistent.

Etymology. The species is named for the conspicuously bright metasoma—“fulgeo” is Latin for flash, and “cauda” is Latin for tail.

Distribution. Australia (Queensland).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Epyris fulgeocauda sp. nov. A. Lateral habitus, B. Dorsal habitus, C. Lateral detail of mesosoma, D. Head, E. Lateral view of head, F. Drawing of mandible, G. Pronotum, H. Mesoscutellum, and I. Dorsal view of metapectal-propodeal complex. Scale bar = 0.5 mm