Melanocryptus delos Aguiar, 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 : 25-30

Melanocryptus delos Aguiar , sp. nov.

Figures 1–2, 7 , 9 , 18 , 29 , 34 , 46 , 49 , 54, 66, 87–91, 125

Melanocryptus sp. nov.: Santos and Aguiar, 2013: 225; Tedesco and Aguiar, 2013: 86, 89. Outgroup of cladistic analysis.

Melanocryptus niger [lapsus calami]: Santos and Aguiar, 2012: 37, 39, 40; Santos and Aguiar, 2013: 229. Outgroup of cladistic analysis.

DESCRIPTION: Female holotype. Forewing 11.10 mm. Body delicately sculptured. Supraclypeal area dorsally with distinct, slightly raised midlongitudinal carina; supraantennal area sparsely pilose, coronal suture short but distinct. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres. Malar space 0.65 mandible basal width. Occipital carina laterocentrally without emargination; apically fusing smoothly with hypostomal carina, forming a Y. Pronotum dorsal margin medially thick, distinctly raised above level of the anterior margin of mesonotum (fig. 88); epomia conspicuous but short, dorsally splitting into a few thin rugosities; pronotum laterocentrally with parallel, delicate longitudinal strigation, which extends along ventroposterior margin as short subcrenulation (fig. 46); otherwise smooth, shiny. Mesoscutum somewhat matte, covered with delicate punctulate (figs. 87–88). Axillary trough of mesonotum centrally with transverse, crenulated channel, otherwise nearly smooth (fig. 34). Notaulus faint, linear, straight, converging posteriorly, ending at center of mesoscutum (figs. 87–88). Scutellar carina advancing a little over scutellum, which is protuberant and weakly elongate. Epicnemial carina reaching 0.55 of distance to subalar ridge, shape as in figure 46. Subalar ridge large, swollen, somewhat elongate oval. Sternaulus nearly straight, deep, crenulate, restricted to anterior 0.55; mesepisternum with punctulate associated with pilosity only, otherwise smooth. Forewing (fig. 18) crossvein 1cu-a basal to 1M+Rs by about 0.15 its own length, its posterior end curved toward wing base; 2Cua 0.83 length of crossvein 2cu-a. Hind wing (fig. 29) vein Cua 2.16× length of crossvein cu-a.

Transverse furrow at base of propodeum moderately deep, densely crenulate (fig. 54). Area anterior to anterior transverse carina smooth; area between anterior and posterior transverse carinae from concentric centrally to obliquely rugulose laterally; area posterior to posterior transverse carina rugulose in varied directions; anterior transverse carina complete, centrally slightly curved forward; posterior transverse carina indicated by two lateral, low, wide apophyses connected with a midanterior transverse portion (fig. 54). Propodeal spiracle elongate, 2.80× longer than wide. Pleural carina weak, delicate, fragmented (fig. 49). Metapleuron finely, densely rugulose, matte. T1 spiracle at middle (basal 0.49); dorsolateral carina differentiated only from spiracle to apex; ventrolateral carina from basally conspicuous to apically inconspicuous; sternite ending opposite spiracle. Tergites finely punctulate, more distinct on T2–3. Ovipositor somewhat blade shaped, 1.62 times taller than wide at midlength, its length 0.95× length of hind tibia, very slightly curved downward; ventral valve ridges with subapical irregularity (fig. 66).

Pilosity. Supraclypeal area sparsely pilose (figs. 89–90). White pilosity covering entire upper and lower divisions of metapleuron, propodeum laterally, hind coxa (fig. 46). Mesosoma dorsally, including propodeum and entire mesoscutum and scutellum, nearly glabrous. T1 glabrous, other tergites with short yellowish pilosity, progressing from T2 nearly glabrous to T8 densely pilose.

Color (figs. 1–2). Black, with faint bluish reflections, wings with two wide stripes. Body chiefly black with a few bluish reflections, and with following white marks: along eye margin, narrow stripe on supraclypeal area (fig. 90), wide spot on supraantennal area, very narrow stripe along 1–2 h; T1 apex with wide curved stripe, not reaching lateral margin; T2 apical margin with narrow, complete, uniform stripe; T7 apical margin narrowly, then a wide spot laterally. Yellowish areas: spot on forefemur apex mesally, and foretibia ventromesal stripe from end to end, and entire lateral side. Ovipositor sheath dark brown, shaft white. Forewing hyaline, with two wide, fuscous stripes, crossing wing fully from anterior to posterior margin: one centrally, basad to pterostigma, one apically, fully covering apical 0.31 of wing, including areolet entirely. Hind wing apex with narrow, C-shaped fuscous stripe.

MALE: Superficially similar to female, mostly because of overall color pattern, but with several differences. Differences from female and diagnostic features as follows, based on specimen UFES60555, from same locality as female holotype. Generally considerably smaller than female, but forewing length 6.5–12.0 mm. Antenna with 30 flagellomeres, all flagellomeres of similar shape, cylindrical, from 5 (flagellomere 1) to 2 times (apical flagellomeres) as long as wide. Supraclypeal area dorsally, near toruli, with stout, somewhat triangular carina; remainder of body structurally as in the female. Color pattern quite distinct from that of female. Antenna with central white band (flagellomere 12 apex, 13–17 entirely, 18 basally). White or whitish on following areas: entire labial and maxillary palpi, supraclypeal area, orbital band interrupted only at malar space and from 11 h to 1 h, progressing from very narrow on temple to very wide on gena, ventrally; most of propleuron, entire anterior region of pronotum, anterad epomia; tegula except posterior tip, subalar ridge, mesepimeron dorsally, scutellum, foreleg except brownish femur and brown t5, some spots on midcoxa anteriorly, entire midtrochanter, midcoxa anteriorly, entire tibia, midbasitarsus on basal third, most of hind trochanter, basal 0.2 of hind tibia, entire hind t2–4, hind t5 except tip; S1 entirely, T1 on basal half, reaching level of spiracles, and at apex, T2–3 and T7–8 with wide apical transverse stripe (fig. 91). Wing light amber, with apical fuscous stripe ending at, but not covering, the areolet.

Male and female share what seems to be a distinctive feature of the species, the dorsoposterior margin of pronotum thick and distinctly raised above the level of the anterior margin of mesonotum (fig. 88). The sculpture of the mesonotum and structure of notaulus of the male and female are also quite similar, a feature somewhat characteristic of the species.

MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION: Females and males show relatively stable structure and color patterns. Small variations which might be of some interest are as follows. Female: Central stripe of forewing of reduced size in the only known female from southern Brazil. Antenna with 25–27 flagellomeres. T7 apical white stripe variable, sometimes wide and somewhat divided into sections, or dorsally narrowed or absent and present only laterally as a large to small spot. Ovipositor shaft dark brown. Male: Antenna with 28–31 flagellomeres. Orbital band sometimes not reaching beyond 5 h. Forewing 7.00– 9.80 mm. Forefemur varies from whitish to blackish. The specimen from Ecuador has reduced yellow areas on pronotum and tegula, and its apical fuscous stripe of front wing is restricted to the anterior portion (similar to fig. 15).

COMMENTS: Quite similar to the related M. tesselatus and M. hadroglyptus , from both of which it can be differentiated as follows. Females: (1) forewing apical infuscation covering the apex entirely (vs. not reaching to the wing tip, which remains hyaline in M. tesselatus ; fig. 18 vs. 17, 19); (2) orbital band absent dorsally at least from 11 to 1 h, often more (vs. wide and complete at least from 10 to 2 h, often from 9 to 3 h; fig. 2 vs. 72); (3) T7 apical whitish stripe narrow, irregular or absent (vs. usually wide and uniform); (4) notaulus faint, almost indistinct (fig. 88) (vs. thin but distinct, well marked in M. tesselatus , or deep, meeting behind, in M. hadroglyptus ); (5) maxillary palpus often spotted in pale yellow or whitish (vs. dark brown); (6) mesosoma laterally, posterior of point of insertion of hind wing, with short, somewhat sparse pilosity (vs. densely pilose, hairs long, overlapping; fig. 46 vs. 70); (7) mesopleural suture almost glabrous and straight, or at most slightly curved (vs. densely pilose and bent/angled at level of hypoepimeron); (8) pleural carina faint, fragmented (vs. distinctly developed and complete in M. tesselatus , or conspicuously widely crenulate in M. hadroglyptus ; fig. 49 vs. 48, 50).

Males can be differentiated from those of M. hadroglyptus as follows: (1) flagellomeres without apical tufts of pilosity, flagellum cylindrical (vs. flagellomeres from f4 to subapical ones with distinct tuft of pilosity apicoventrally, so that antenna is apparently serrate, as in fig. 98); (2) hind tibia basal 0.2 and t2–5 whitish (vs. hind tibia entirely black, hind tarsus black or at most t3–4 whitish); (3) petiole whitish from base to almost level of spiracles, then with a large apical whitish spot (vs. petiole black, postpetiole with smal apical whitish spot); (4) white band of antennae formed by entirely whitish flagellomeres (vs. flagellomeres of white band ventrally dark brown or brown); (5) pleural carina a fine line (vs. widely crenulate); (6) wing around base of vein 1M+Rs and crossvein 1cu-a hyaline (vs. surrounded by narrow infuscated area, as in fig. 71); (7) sternites almost completely whitish (vs. with alternated black and white stripes, areas of about same size).

M. delos can potentially be mistaken as M. cyaneus , particularly in function of a predominantly black body with some metallic bluish reflections, T2 and T7 with apical whitish stripe or spots, forewing with two conspicuous fuscous stripes, and hind wing apex weakly fuscous. Melanocryptus delos is however easily separated by having a propodeum of quite different structure, with complete anterior transverse carina, posteriad of which it is distinctly rugulose, and bearing low, linear apophyses (vs. carina widely interrupted centrally and curved forward, polished surface, and tall and stout apophyses in M. cyaneus ; fig. 54 vs. 55), ovipositor short, 0.95× length of hind tibia (vs. 1.55), ovipositor slightly but distinctly curved downward (vs. straight), and supraclypeal area mostly glabrous (vs. covered with conspicuous, dense white pilosity). Males of these two species are also similar, but the male of the present species can be promptly recognized by having a distinct white band on the antenna (vs. absent, antenna entirely bluish black for male M. cyaneus ), T1–3 and T7 with conspicuous apical white stripe (vs. entirely black), and forewing only with apical fuscous stripe (vs. central and apical spots or stripes). Geographical distribution also apparently partially distinct: M. delos mainly occurring in southeastern and southern Brazil, while M. cyaneus seems to be typical of Central America. The distributions of these two species overlap, however, at least in Colombia (fig. 127 vs. 121).

The greatly superior number of male specimens available for study is probably related to the fact that the specimens were collected mostly with Malaise traps, which collect predominantly males for Melanocryptus ( Aguiar and Santos, 2010) .

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet derives from the Greek work delos , “evident, visible, clear,” as a reference to the fact that this is a large and conspicuous species.

DISTRIBUTION: Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Argentina (fig. 125). In Brazil, apparently most common in the southeastern and southern portions of the Atlantic Forest (Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Twenty-one females, 64 males. Holotype ♀ from BRAZIL: Minas Gerais, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Trilha do Gambá 1, Mata secundária baixa, 10–17. XII .2005, Malaise trap, J.C. R . Fontenelle, UFES60584 ( UFES). Triangle mount, complete, in good shape. Paratypes: ARGEN-

TINA: ♂ Missiones, P.N. Iguazu, Pto Canoas , 09. XII.1990– 06.I. 1991 , 180 m, S. and J. Peck, Malaise ( AEIC); ♂ same data except 08. XII.1990 ( AEIC); ♂ Tucuman, S. Pedro d. Colalao , II.1949 , 1200 m, Arnau ( CNCI). BRAZIL: Bahia: ♂ Firmino Alves, Fazenda Santo Antônio , 14°59′51″S 39°55′55″W, 09.IV.2003 , Malaise, Pt.6, J. Cardoso and J. Maia, UFES60551 ( UFES). Espírito Santo: ♀ Cariacica, Reserva Biológica de Duas Bocas, Pau Amarelo , 23–25.X.2005 , YPT, Pt14, A.P. Aguiar et al., UFES51244 ; 2♀ same data except 26–28.X.2005 , YPT, Pt06, UFES43047 , UFES43054 ; ♂ Rio Novo do Sul, Sítio Bortoloti , 12–17.X.2007 , Malaise, Pt.04, F. Rampinelli and M. Araújo, UFES43051 ( UFES); ♂ Santa Maria de Jetibá, Fazenda Paulo Seick, Área 1, 20°02′31.1″S 40°41′51.3″W, 29. XI –06. XII.2002, Malaise B3, M. Tavares, C. Azevedo, et al., UFES43049 ( UFES); ♂ Domingos Martins, Mata Pico do Eldorado , 20°22′17″S 40°39′29″W, 03–10. XII.2004, Malaise T6 , M. Tavares et al. ( UFES); ♂ same data except 26. XI –03. XII.2004, Malaise B 8 ( UFES); ♂ Cariacica, Reserva Biológica de Duas Bocas, Pau Amarelo , 21–30.X.2005 , Malaise, Pt12, A.P. Aguiar et al., UFES51243 ( UFES). Minas Gerais: 2♀ Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, Trilha do Gambá 1, Mata secundária baixa, 10–17.VII.2002 , Malaise trap, J.C. R. Fontenelle , UFES60585 , UFES60586 ; ♀ same data except 17 – 24.VII.2005 , UFES60587 ; ♀ same data except Trilha do Vinhático 1, Mata secundária alta, 09. XI.2000, UFES60590 ; ♀ same data except Trilha do Vinhático 3 , UFES60591 ; ♀ same data except 09–15.VII.2004 , UFES60592 ; ♀ same data except Trilha do Gambá 2, Mata secundária baixa, 17–24.VIII.2002 , UFES60588 ; ♀ same data except Área da Tereza 2, Mata Primária , 01–08.VII.2003 , UFES60589 ; ♂ Dionísio, Fazenda Morro do Gavião, Mata primária, 22–29.X.2005 , Malaise, J.C. R. Fontenelle , UFES60562 ( UFES); ♂ same data except Pt. 2, 05–12. XI.2005, UFES60557 ( UFES); 3♂ same data except 22.X.2005 , UFES60560 , UFES60561 , UFES60577 ( UFES); ♂ same data except Pt. 3, 24–31.VII.2005 , UFES60559 ( UFES); ♂ Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, 19°42′S 42°33′W, Trilha da Lagoa Bonita 2, Mata secundária baixa, 20–26.X.2000 , Malaise trap, J.C. R. Fontenelle , UFES60558 ( UFES); 2♂ same data except Trilha da Lagoa Bonita 3, 02–09. XI.2000, UFES60556 , UFES60579 ( UFES); 2♂ same data except 13–20.X.2000 , UFES60576 , UFES60578 ( UFES); 2♂ same data except Área da Tereza 2, Mata primária, 01–08.VII.2003 , UFES60564 , UFES60565 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 12–19.X.2000 , UFES60563 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 02–09. XI.2000, UFES60580 ( UFES); ♂ same data except Área da Tereza 3, 31.VII–07.VIII.2002 , UFES60566 ( UFES); ♂ same data except Trilha do Gambá 3, 10–17.VII.2001 , UFES60555 ( UFES); ♂ same data except Trilha do Vinhático 1, Mata secundária alta, 13–19.X.2000 , UFES60567 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 01–08. XI.2001 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 09 . XI, UFES60568 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 22–29.X.2005 ( UFES) ; ♂ same data except Trilha do Vinhático 2, 13–19.X.2000 , UFES60569 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 24.X.2002 , UFES60451 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 03–10. XI.2004 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 10–17.VII.2007 , UFES60581 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 04–11. XI.2007, UFES60554 ( UFES); 3♂ same data except Trilha do Vinhático 3, 24.X.2002 , UFES60570–60572 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 10–17. VI.2002, UFES60582 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 10–17. VI.2003, UFES60573 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 03–10.X.2004 , UFES60574 ( UFES); ♂ same data except 24–31.VII.2005 , UFES60575 ( UFES). Paraná: ♂ Foz do Iguaçu , 03. XII.1966, Excursão Depto Zoologia UFPR; ♂ Fênix, Reserva Estadual ITCF, 08. IX.1986 , Levantamento Entomológico PROFAUPAR, Malaise ( DZUP); 3♂ Antonina, Reserva Sapitanduva , 15.IX.1986 , Levantamento Entomológico PROFAUPAR ( DZUP); 2♂ same data except 06.X ( DZUP); ♂ same data except 13.X ( DZUP); ♂ same data except 20.X ( DZUP); ♂ same data except 08 . XII ( DZUP); ♂ same data except 29. VI.1987 ( DZUP). Santa Catarina: ♀ Itajaí , 22.II.1994 , E.M. Oliveira ( DZUP); ♂ Blumenau , 18–27.X.1976 , Depto Zoologia UFPR ( DZUP). ECUADOR: ♂ Pastaza, 22 km SW Puyo , 900 m, 14–16.VII.1976 , S. and J. Peck ( AEIC). Other specimens: BRAZIL: Rio de Janeiro: ♀ Mangaratiba, Muriqui , VII.1969 , M. Alvarenga ( AEIC); 2♀ and 2♂ Teresópolis , 8.III.1966 , Townes and Townes ( AEIC); 2♂ same data except 11.III ( AEIC); ♂ same data except 13.III ( AEIC); ♀ same data except 09.III.1966 ( AEIC) ; ♂ Guanabara, Represa Rio Grande , I.1972 , M. Alvarenga ( AEIC); ♂ same data except VII.1972 ( AEIC) . São Paulo: ♀ Barueri , 16.IV.1955 , K. Lenko ( AEIC). COLOMBIA: ♀ Leticia , 10.VII.1970 , H. Howden and A. Howden ( AEIC). PERU: ♀ Avispas, nr. Marcapata , 1–15.X.1962 , Luis Peña ( AEIC) .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Single cladogram recovered for data of tables 1–2. Concavity constant, K = 3.046875. Exact search with implicit enumeration. Best score: 6.21202.

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).

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.