Melanocryptus whartoni Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Santos, Bernardo F., 2015, Revision of Melanocryptus Cameron (Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), with description of seven new species, American Museum Novitates 2015 (3836), pp. 1-56 : 51-53

Melanocryptus whartoni Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino

Figures 15 , 27 , 51 , 115–118

Melanocryptus whartoni Kasparyan et Ruíz-Cancino, 2008: 173 , 367. ♂. Type in UATM (pictures examined). Description, figures.

REDESCRIPTION. Male. Forewing 7.60 mm. Body generally smooth, shining (fig. 115– 117). Supraclypeal area dorsally with small projection or bump; supraantennal area smooth, polished, coronal suture indistinct. Antenna with 30 flagellomeres, apex of flagellomeres without distinct tuft of pilosity, white band formed by flagellomeres 11–18. Malar space 0.59 mandible basal width. Occipital carina laterocentrally without emargination; apically fusing smoothly with hypostomal carina, forming a Y. Pronotum dorsomedial margin not distinctly raised above level of the anterior margin of mesonotum; epomia distinct but short, vertical; short crenulation along ventroposterior margin; pronotum otherwise smooth, polished. Mesoscutum mostly smooth. Axillary trough of mesonotum basally with transverse channel, entirely rugulose, this sculpture somewhat transverse. Notaulus distinctly impressed, linear, straight, slightly converging posteriorly, ending at center of mesoscutum. Scutellar carina not advancing over scutellum, which is large, somewhat trapezoidal, not distinctly protuberant. Epicnemial carina shape slightly arched (fig. 117). Subalar ridge wide, low. Sternaulus curved, deep, crenulate, extending on anterior 0.8 of mesepisternum, which is delicately sculptured, mostly smooth. Forewing (fig. 15) crossvein 1cu-a basal to vein 1M+Rs by about 0.2 its own length, its posterior end slightly curved toward wing base; 2Cua 0.63 length of crossvein 2cu-a. Hind wing (fig. 27) vein Cua 2.93× length of crossvein cu-a.

Transverse furrow at base of propodeum densely crenulate. Propodeum area anterior to anterior transverse carina smooth, polished, perfectly contiguous with transverse furrow; area posterior to it conspicuously rugose (fig. 51); anterior transverse carina complete, centrally bent forward; posterior transverse carina indicated by confluence of small lateral and anterior apophyses (fig. 51). Propodeal spiracle elongate, 2.54× longer than wide. Pleural carina distinct and linear on its entire length (fig. 51). Upper and lower metapleuron almost smooth, polished. T1 spiracle at middle (basal 0.48); dorsolateral and ventrolateral carina indistinct; sternite ending distinctly apicad at spiracle. T1 nearly polished, smooth, T2–8 distinctly alutaceous, also with sculpturing associated with pilosity. T8 longitudinally split (similar to fig. 108).

Pilosity. Supraclypeal area sparsely pilose. Moderate white pilosity covering upper and lower divisions of metapleuron, propodeum laterally (fig. 51), and hind coxa. T1 glabrous; remaining tergites with short, distinct yellowish pilosity, more abundant on apical tergites.

Color (figs. 115–117). Black with whitish marks, wings hyaline except for wide preapical fuscous area, reaching toward, but not invading, the areolet. Flagellomeres 12–17 entirely white, 11 and 18 ventrally partially darkened. Pale yellow to whitish on the following: spot at base of mandible; entire labrum and supraclypeal area; supraantennal area except midlongitudinally; wide areas of eye orbits, except interrupted at 12 h and at malar space; entire propleuron, pronotal collar, subalar ridge, tegula, scutellum, and mesoepisternum; large spot ventroposteriorly on mesepisternum, large dorsal area on lower division of metapleuron; legs as in figures 115– 117; T1 basal 0.3 and apical 0.2, T2–3 and T7 widely at apical margin; sternites white, except laterosternites dark brown.

VARIATION: The full ranges for the most relevant external variation are as follows: forewing 7.60–10.60 mm; sternaulus from indistinctly to distinctly crenulate; pleural carina from distinct to somewhat indistinct and fragmented (crossed by fine transverse rugosities); white band on antennae with flagellomeres 12–17 entirely whitish; pronotal collar from entirely yellowish to blackish on ventral apex; T7 whitish on apical 0.3–0.8. A specimen from Venezuela (figs. 116– 117) lacks the ventroposterior white spot on the mesepisternum, and the specimen from French Guyane lacks the spots on both mesepisternum and metapleuron.

Female. Unknown.

BIOLOGY: One male specimen reared from an unidentified pyralid borer ( Lepidoptera , Pyralidae ) in wild rice, Oryza latifolia (Poaceae) .

COMMENTS: The examined specimens are most similar to the males of M. hadroglyptus , but show a set of features that are most parsimoniously interpreted as belonging to a separate group (fig. 9; see cladistic analysis). The present species can be separated from M. hadroglyptus by the forewing apical infuscation not reaching areolet, even though ending at it (vs. covering areolet entirely or at least partially in males of M. hadroglyptus ); flagellomeres with regular pilosity (vs. apex with distinct tuft of hairs, rendering a somewhat serrate aspect to antenna; fig. 116 vs. 98); propleuron, tegula, mid coxa, and hind t2 and t5 entirely pale yellow to whitish (vs. partially to entirely darkened); pleural carina linear (vs. widely crenulate); white band of antenna ventrally entirely or mostly whitish (vs. ventrally darkened); and sternites mostly white (vs. mostly brown or dark brown).

DISTRIBUTION: Mexico, El Salvador (first record), Costa Rica (first record), Venezuela (first record), French Guiana (first record) (fig. 118).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: 11 males. COSTA RICA: ♂ C. Rica: Escazú , May 21, 1987, H. and M. Townes ( AEIC); ♂ same data except 25. V .1987, H. and M. Townes; ♂ same data except 26. V ( AEIC) ; ♂ San Vito de C.B., Las Cruces , 28.VI-05.VII.1983, 1200 m, B. Gill ( AEIC). FRENCH GUIANA : ♂ Guyane Française, Nouragues (ins), 4°94′18″N, 52°43′57″W, 19.II.2010, S.E. A.G. ( UFES). COLOMBIA : ♂ Camp. Sautata, Rio Atrato , XII .1967 ( AEIC). EL SALVADOR : ♂ 5 miles north of Quezaltepeque , VI-17.1963 + D.Q. Cavagnaro and M.E. Irwin Collectors ( CASC). VENEZUELA : 3♂ Zulia, Tucuco , 23.IV.1981, H.K. Townes; same data except 26.IV; same data except 28.IV ( AEIC) ; ♂ Guasdualito, II.5.1950, Bax and Guagliumi, 175 m, USNM2048979 , pinned with host cocoon ( USNM).

Species Inquirenda

Figure 100

COMMENTS: For two male specimens, morphological association with the known females was not evident. As organized in the key to species provided above, these specimens also seem to belong to a distinct taxon. Males of Melanocryptus exhibit, however, a complex dynamic of morphological variability, making its interpretation too risky with few specimens and without the corresponding female. The specimens in question are therefore better interpreted, at least for now, as species inquirenda.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: 2 males. ECUADOR: ♂ Napo Province, Rio Napo, Cabanas Alinahui , 01°00′S, 77°25′W, late December 1994, P. Buickerood ( CASC); ♂ Pastaza, Pompeya, Napo River, 14–22. V .1965, L.Peña ( CNCI) .

Figures

FIGURES 10–21. Right wings. 10, Melanocryptus niger, female from Bolivia. 11, M. niger, female from Colombia. 12, M. tupan, female from southern Brazil. 13, M. tupan, male from southeastern Brazil. 14, M. aurantius, female holotype. 15, M. whartoni, male from French Guiana. 16, M. cyaneus, female from Venezuela. 17, M. tesselatus, female holotype. 18, M. delos, female. 19, M. hadroglyptus, female holotype. 20, M. dnopheros, female holotype. 21, M. violaceipennis, female from Suriname.

FIGURES 22–30. Right hind wing. 22, Melanocryptus niger, female from Bolivia. 23, M. niger, female from Colombia. 24, M. tupan, female from southern Brazil. 25, M. tupan, male from southeastern Brazil. 26, M. aurantius, female holotype. 27, M. whartoni, male from French Guiana. 28, M. tesselatus, female holotype. 29, M. delos, female. 30, M. hadroglyptus, female holotype.

FIGURES 48–51. Propodeum, left. 48, M. tesselatus, holotype. 49, M. delos, holotype (flipped horizontally). 50, M. hadroglyptus, holotype. 51, M. whartoni, male. Figures 52–54. Propodeum, dorsal, females. 52, M. tesselatus, holotype. 53, M. aurantius, holotype. 54, M. delos, holotype.