Laelius mekes Barbosa & Azevedo, 2009

Barbosa, D. N. & Azevedo, C. O., 2009, Laelius Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from Madagascar, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 2170 (1), pp. 1-14 : 2-4

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2170.1.1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5334906

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03E08780-8B78-FF9F-BEB8-FCA4FD675CEC

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Laelius mekes Barbosa & Azevedo
status

sp. nov.

Laelius mekes Barbosa & Azevedo sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–8 View FIGURES 1–8 )

Diagnosis of female. Mandible with five sharpened apical teeth, two basal wider than others ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Clypeus very short ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Pronotum with setae short and thick. Propodeal disc with seven carinae, median and inner discal carinae complete, second pair and outer discal carina incomplete, with longitudinal ridge between median carina and inner discal carina ( Figs. 5 View FIGURES 1–8 , 22 View FIGURES 22–23 ). Stigma with three short and thick dorsal setae. Radial vein 4.0x longer than basal vein ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–8 ).

Description of female. Holotype ( Fig. 1 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Body length 2.37 mm. LFW 1.37 mm.

Color. Palpi, wing venation, trochanters, fore tibia and tarsi light castaneous; pedicel, mandible, tegula, mid tibia, hind tibia castaneous; scape, flagellum, mid coxa, hind coxa, mid femur and hind femur, dark castaneous; head, mesosoma, fore coxa, fore femur and metasoma dark castaneous nearly black; wings hyaline.

Head ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Mandible with five sharpened apical teeth, two basal wider than others, with one thick dorsal setae ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Clypeus with median lobe trapezoidal, apical margin angulate, shorter than wide, with sharpened median teeth at apical margin. First five antennal segments in ratio of about 23:10:7:9:7. WH 1.09x LH. WF 1.0x HE. WF 0.48x WH. OOL 0.71x WOT. VOL 0.52x HE. Distance of posterior ocellus to vertex crest 0.4x DAO. Frons coriaceous, punctures sparse. Frontal angle of ocellar triangle obtuse, ocelli small, ocellar triangle broad, distance between inner margin of posterior ocelli about 3.0x DAO. Temple divergent anterad. Vertex slightly convex, corner rounded, lateral setae short and strong.

Mesosoma. Pronotal disc coriaceous, trapezoidal, side slightly concave, punctures sparse, dorsal setae short and thick. Mesoscutum coriaceous, with short and thick setae between notaulus and parapsidal furrow ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Notaulus conspicuous, incomplete, parallel. Parapsidal furrow shorter than notaulus, as conspicuous as notaulus, not reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum, parallel to each other. Scutellum coriaceous, with four pairs of thick setae. Propodeal disc 1.0x as long as wide, with seven carinae; median carina complete; inner discal carina complete; space between median and inner discal carinae with longitudinal ridge; second pair of discal carina complete; space between inner discal carina and second pair of discal carinae without ridge; outer discal carina incomplete; sublateral carina absent; lateral carina present, followed by short striae; posterior carina complete ( Figs. 5 View FIGURES 1–8 , 22 View FIGURES 22–23 ). Declivity of propodeum strigulate, median carina present. Mesopleuron with subtegular fovea; sub-alar fovea elongate and closed; anterior fovea opened; mesopleural fovea opened; lower fovea closed; posterior fovea closed; episternal furrow with inner margin not striate ( Figs. 7 View FIGURES 1–8 , 23 View FIGURES 22–23 ).

Wings ( Fig. 8 View FIGURES 1–8 ). Tegula without setae. subcostal vein in fore wing with ten dorsal setae; median vein with five; basal vein with two; anal vein with three; and stigma with three dorsal setae. Radial vein slightly curved forward, 4.0x as long as basal vein. Hind wing with three hamuli.

Metasoma. 2.3x longer than wide; tergum II longer than others; terga III–VI with transverse setae line on dorsal surface; metasoma with apex acute.

Material examined. Females (12): Holotype. MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa Province, Parc National d'Isalo , 9.1 km 354° N Ranohira, elev[ation] 725m, 27–31.I.2003, 22° 28' 54" S, 45° 27' 42" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad[emy] of Sciences, pitfall trap in gallery forest, BLF7306, CASENT 2088035, CASC GoogleMaps . Paratypes. MADAGASCAR, Province d`Antsiranana, 1 female, Réserve Spéciale de l'Ankarana, 22.9 km 224° SW Anivorano Nord, 10–16.II.2001, 12° 54' 32" S 49° 6' 35" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., Calif [ornia] Academy of Sciences , sifted litter in tropical dry forest, 80m, BLF2858[code], CASENT 2113845, CASC GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Parc National Montagne d’Ambre , elev[ation] 960 m, 26–29.I.2001, 12° 30’ 52” S, 49° 10’ 53” E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, M.E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger & R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala col., Malaise trap, MA-01-01A-02[code], CASENT 2003417, CASC . Antsiranana, 1 female Forêt de Bekaraoka, 6.8km, 60° ENE Daraina , elev 150m, 7.XII.2003, 13° 10' 00" S, 49° 42' 36" E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, B. L. Fisher col., general, collecting, night spiders, tropical dry forest, BLF9876[code], CASENT 2103888, CASC GoogleMaps . Mahajanga Province, 2 females, Parc National de Namoroka, 16.9 km 317° NW, Vilanandro , elev[ation] 100m, 12–16.XI.2002, 16° 24' 24" S, 45° 18' 36" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation-tropical, dry forest, BLF6584[code], CASENT 2089972 and CASENT 2089974, CASC GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Parc National de Namoroka, 9.8 km 300° WNW, Vilanandro , 4–8.XI.2002, 16° 28' 00" S, 45° 21' 00" E,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation, in tropical dry forest, elev[ation] 140m, BLF6448[code], CASENT 2111563, CASC GoogleMaps ; Toamasina, 1 female, botanic garden near entrance to Andasibe National Park , 1–7.XI.2001, 18° 55.58’ S, 48° 24.47’ E,: M. Irwin, R GoogleMaps . Harin'Hala col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences , Malaise trap - tropical forest, elev[ation] 1025 m, MA-01-08B-18[code], CASENT 2084797, CASC ; Toliara Prov [ince], 1 female, Forêt de Mite , elev[ation] 75m, 20.7 km 29° WNW Tongobory, 23° 31' 27" S, 44° 7' 17" E, 27.II- 3.III.2002,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, Malaise trap - in gallery forest, BLF5849[code], CASENT 2062446, CASC GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Parc National de Kirindy Mite , 16.3 km 127° SE Belo sur Mer, elev[ation] 80m, 6–10.XII.2001, 20° 47' 43" S, 44° 8' 49" E,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation, tropical dry forest, BLF4728[code], CASENT 2112784, CASC GoogleMaps ; 1 female, Forêt de Petriky, 12.5 km W 272° Tolagnaro , 22.XI.1998, 25°03.7'S, 46°52.2'E, [elevation] 10m, Brian L. Fisher col., #2072, sifted litte (leaf mold rotted wood) litoral rainforest, CASENT 2007578, CASC GoogleMaps . Province Fianarantsoa, 1 female, Parc National Ranomafana , radio tower at forest edge, elev[ation] 1130 m, 16.X–8.XI.2001, 21° 15.05’ S, 47° 24.43’ E, M. Irwin, R GoogleMaps . Harin'Hala col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, Malaise , mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-01[code], CASENT 2085960, CASC ; Tulear Province, 1 female, Berenty Special Reserve , elev[ation] 85 m, 8 km NW Amboasary, 5–15.II.2003, 25° 00.40’ S, 46° 18.20’ E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, M. Irwin, F. Parker, R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala col., Malaise trap, gallery forest, MA-02-22-15[code], CASENT 2116271, CASC .

Distribution. Madagascar.

Etymology. The specific epithet mekes , from Greek, refers to the long length of radial vein in the fore wing.

Variation. Body length 2.04–2.09 mm; LFW 1.29–1.32 mm; clypeus with apical margin slightly angulate, apical vertex slightly rounded, and median carina slightly broad in dorsal view; length of notaulus much shorter than holotype; propodeal disc without ridge between median carina and inner discal carina ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 1–8 ); anal vein with four long and thick dorsal setae.

Remarks. After being compared to all other species of Laelius , we concluded this species is most similar to L. nigrofemoratus Terayama from Japan by having the propodeal disc with seven carinae and inner pair of discal carina complete. These are the only species having these characters. However, L. mekes has the second pair of discal carina incomplete, the sublateral carinae absent and the radial vein about 4.0x as long as basal vein, whereas L. nigrofemoratus the second pair of discal carina complete, the sublateral carinae present and the radial vein about 1.0x as long as basal vein. Most species of Laelius have a short radial vein, whereas this is the first record of a long radial vein for Laelius .

R

Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Chile

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Bethylidae

Genus

Laelius

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