Melanocryptus aurantius, Aguiar & Santos, 2015

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 : 11-19

Melanocryptus aurantius , sp. nov.

Figures 3, 6 , 14 , 26 , 32 , 44 , 53, 61, 75–81, 126

DESCRIPTION: Female holotype. Forewing 14.75 mm. Body delicately sculptured, at first sight almost smooth (fig. 75), except coarse on propodeum behind anterior transverse carina. Supraclypeal area just below level of each torulus with stout keel (fig. 6); supraantennal area delicately punctulate, nearly smooth, coronal suture raised as a keel in front of anterior ocellum, remaining 0.7 quite low, inconspicuously developed. Antenna with 28 flagellomeres. Malar space 0.68 × mandible basal width. Occipital carina apically meeting hypostomal carina at some distance from base of mandible, Y-shaped where they meet. Pronotum dorsomedial margin not raised, aligned with anterior margin mesoscutum (figs. 77–78); epomia short, delicate but distinct; sculpturing quite delicate, laterocentrally with a few parallel, delicate longitudinal strigation, which extends along ventroposterior margin as short crenulations (fig. 44); pronotum otherwise finely punctulate, matte. Mesoscutum (figs. 77–78) matte, finely punctulate. Notaulus narrow, linear, but deep, converging posteriorly, ending a little anteriad center of mesoscutum. Axillary trough of mesonotum basally widely concave, with a few, weak, concentric crenulation, apically sculptured as scutellum (fig. 32). Scutellar carina advancing little over scutellum, which is subtriangular, dorsally moderately convex, laterally flat (fig. 32). Subalar ridge more or less elongate pyramid. Epicnemial carina reaching about 0.77 of distance to subalar ridge, shape as in figure 44. Sternaulus deep, short, straight (figs. 44, 79); mesepisternum finely, densely, transversely rugulose and alutaceous, coarser above (fig. 44). Forewing (fig. 14) crossvein 1cu-a basal to 1M+Rs by about 0.3 its own length, very slightly and uniformly curved, apex not differentially curved in relation to remaining of crossvein; 2Cua 0.90 length of crossvein 2cu-a. Hind wing (fig. 26) vein Cua 1.90× length of crossvein cu-a.

Transverse furrow at base of propodeum deep, wide, closely and fully crenulate (fig. 53); area anterior to anterior transverse carina centrally arcuately strigate, laterally longitudinally strigate; area posterior to anterior transverse carina transversely coarsely strigate, also somewhat arcuately; area posterior to apophyses somewhat reticulate and rugulose (fig. 53). Anterior transverse carina complete, stout, centrally slightly curved; posterior transverse carina indicated by lateral, low, stout, wide apophyses, and a central, anterior, small transverse portion, barely connected to apophyses (fig. 53). Propodeal spiracle elongate, 3.00× longer than wide. Pleural carina from well defined anteriorly to indicated only by meeting of metapleuron and propodeum posteriorly; propodeum not smoothly continuous with metapleuron, somewhat deep along the line where both meet, forming shallow channel or “step” between them (fig. 44). Metapleuron very finely transversely strigate, matte. T1 spiracle at middle (basal 0.48) (fig. 81); dorsolateral and ventrolateral carinae stout, complete from base to apex; sternite ending slightly but distinctly basad of spiracle (fig. 81). Tergites equally very delicately punctulate. Ovipositor blade shaped, 1.84 time taller than wide at midlength, length 1.24× length of hind tibia, straight (figs. 61A, 75); ventral valve ridges with subapical irregularity (fig. 61B).

Pilosity. Head and mesosoma apparently glabrous (fig. 75), at most with very fine, inconspicuous pilosity; T1 glabrous, remaining tergites with same distinct, dense yellowish pilosity.

Color (fig. 75). Head orange dorsally to more yellowish ventrally; scape basally orange, apically black, flagellum black. Mesosoma orange, with more red hue dorsally; forelegs light orange, except t2–5 dorsally darkened; midlegs light orange, except tibia lateral side and tarsi, dark brown; hind coxa orange, hind trochanter and throchantellus mixed orange and black, remainder of hind leg entirely black. Petiole orange, postpetiole black; T2–8 black with weak metallic bluish hue; S2 mostly white, with black spot laterally, S3 apical margin and S4–5 apical third, white, remainder of S3–5 and entire S6, black. Ovipositor sheath dark brown, the very tip orange, shaft white (fig. 61A). Wings more or less uniformly lightly amber, except forewing apex diffusely darkened (fig. 14).

MALE: Same overall structure and color pattern of female, but with following differences. Smaller, forewing 11.32 mm; antenna with 31 flagellomeres. Propodeum much more delicately sculptured. Mesosternum conspicuously sunk just below sternaulus (fig. 80) (apparently a unique feature in the genus). S1 ending opposite spiracle. Color pattern generally similar, except as follows: supraclypeal area pale yellow; scape entirely orange, flagellum with preapical whitish band, covering flagellomeres 12–15 and basal half of 16; postpetiole orange, only its tip black; tip of hind t2, entire t3–4 and basal half of t5 whitish. Tergites with distinct metallic bluish hue; all sternites entirely white.

VARIATION: Paratypes nearly equivalent to the holotype, except forewing length 15.30– 16.25 mm, with narrowly darkened apical margin; ovipositor 1.22–1.31× length of hind tibia.

BIOLOGY: Unknown.

COMMENTS: The deeply orange head and mesosoma, contrasting with black antenna, hind legs and metasoma, represents a unique color pattern in Melanocryptus . Females are large, spanning 15–19 mm in body length, excluding the ovipositor. Dorsolateral carina conspicuously distinct on entire length of petiole and postpetiole (fig. 81) (vs. differentiated only basally on petiole on all other spp.). The short and straight sternaulus (figs. 79–80) is also unique.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet derives from the Latin aurantium, “orange,” a reference to the deep orange color of the head and mesosoma.

DISTRIBUTION: BRAZIL (Mato Grosso, Espírito Santo) (fig. 126) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Four females, one male. Holotype ♀ BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: ES, Cariacica, Res. Biol. Duas Bocas, Pau Amarelo [primary forest], 23–25.X.2005, YPT, Pt. 21, APAguiar et al., Melanocryptus sp. , BF Santos det. 2007, UFES43055 ( UFES). Triangle mount. Complete, in good condition. Paratypes :

BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: ♀ ES, Pinheiros, Reserva Biológica Córrego do Veado , 18°21.749S 40°09.849′W, Trilha Água Limpa, Pt 20, 9–11. VI .2011, Malaise trap, M. T . Tavares et al., pinned, complete, in good condition ( UFES); ♀ same data except 18°22.246S 40°08.785′W, Estrada Oeste, 10–12. VI .2011, Armadilha Moericke Pt. 8, M. T. Tavares et al. [in alcohol] ( UFES); ♀ Dpto. Zool, UF-Paraná, Conc [eição] da Barra – ES, Brasil 10/09/1969, C. T . and C. Elias, “ Melanocryptus ?, V. Graf det. 19__, pinned, complete, in good condition ( DZUP). Mato Grosso: 3♂ Sinop, M. Grosso , 12°31′S 55°37′W, X.1974, Brazil, M. Alvarenga, Melanocryptus sp. 7 , pinned, left hind tarsi missing, otherwise complete, in good condition ( AEIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Generic features. 1–2, Melanocryptus delos. 3, M. aurantius, apex of antenna. 4–5, M. niger, antennae, ventral, showing the felt stripe. 6, M. aurantius, mandibles and clypeus. 7, M. delos, clypeus, dorsolateral. 8, Unidentified cryptine: note that clypeal tooth is structurally different from that of Melanocryptus.

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 31–41. Mesoscutum and scutellum in dorsolateral view, left side, to show structure of axillary through. All females, except last one. 31, Melanocryptus tesselatus, holotype. 32, M. aurantius, holotype. 33, M. cyaneus. 34, M. delos, holotype. 35–36, M. dnopheros, holotype: dorsal and dorsolateral views. 37, M. hadroglyptus, holotype (flipped horizontally). 38, M. niger. 39, M. violaceipennis (flipped horizontally). 40–41, M. tupan: female from southern Brazil and male from southeastern Brazil.

FIGURES 42–47. Mesosoma, left, females. 42, M. hadroglyptus, holotype (white spot on pronotum is a mite). 43, M. niger. 44, M. aurantius, holotype. 45, M. cyaneus. 46, M. delos, holotype. 47, M. hadroglyptus, holotype (mite on pronotum digitally erased).