Digonocryptus variabilis Aguiar et Ramos, 2011

Aguiar, Alexandre Pires & Ramos, Adriana C. B., 2011, 2846, Zootaxa 2846, pp. 1-98 : 69-70

Digonocryptus variabilis Aguiar et Ramos , sp. nov.

Figs 19, 20, 139, 154, 155, 176, 212, 252

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Fore wing 10.5 mm.

Head. Ventral tooth of mandible approximately equal in length to dorsal tooth. Clypeus apical area delimited by smooth border, medially a brief emargination or incision; clypeal margin with two teeth not sharply defined. Antenna with 27 flagellomeres; white band starting at flagellomere V; 7 flagellomeres at least 50% white.

Mesosoma . Mesopleuron with scarce short hairs, 99% of cuticular surface visible, weakly strigate. Subalar prominence round, somewhat elongate, not keeled. Sulcus between sternaulus and scrobe weak, distinct only near well marked scrobe ( Fig. 176). Posterior transverse carina of mesosternum absent. Lower metapleuron regularly transversely strigate. Propodeum: area in front of anterior transverse carina with faint alutaceous sculpturing, medially without traces of longitudinal ridges. Propodeal apophyses present as distinct scale-like structures. Posterior transverse carina absent. Area behind anterior transverse carina regularly and transversely arcuate-striate, except somewhat radially near petiolar foramen. Fore wing in Fig. 212; vein 3-Cu 1.62 length of 4-Cu. Hind wing in Fig. 252.

Metasoma. Postpetiole dorso-anteriorly approximately flat; dorsolateral carina weak but developed from spiracle to apex; median dorsal carina absent; petiolar spiracles in dorsal view somewhat prominent, protruding from T1. Ovipositor 1.25 length of hind tibia. Apex of lower valve with 15 teeth.

Color. Head and mesosomal dorsum black with yellow marks, body otherwise mostly light orange with highly variable yellow or dark brown areas ( Fig. 154). Lateral pattern as in Fig. 19. Orbital band widely interrupted between 1–3 h; width on supra-antennal area 0.2 of interocular distance, ending abruptly and clearly cut at temple ( Fig. 154), ventrally covering nearly entire width of gena, dorsally tapering and disappearing (as in Fig. 139). Clypeus and supraclypeal area entirely yellow, except dark apical area and clypeal sulcus laterally. Pronotum along entire width of anterior margin yellow from side to side, except lateral corner orange; dorsally black, laterally along dorsal margin with narrow, small yellow stripe. Propleuron colored as respective coxa, except some dark brown apico-laterally. Mesonotum centrally probably with large yellow spot (center destroyed by pin). Subalar prominence, tegula, axillar carina, scutellum and postscutellum yellow. Propodeum as in Figs 19–20; area in front of anterior transverse carina black, except area ventral to spiracle yellowish, area behind carina mostly orange, with black spot anteriorly followed by medio-longitudinal yellow stripe. Legs colored as body, but femora with more red and tibia yellow or yellowish; fore and mid tarsi brown; hind tarsi yellow, except basitarsomere basally and apical tarsomere, brown. Petiole dark brown with large apical yellow spot; T2 basally partially darkened, remaining of T2 and T3–8 light orange.

Morphological variation. Fore wing 10.5–14.3 mm. Ovipositor 1.25–1.38 length of hind tibia. Antenna with 26 flagellomeres. Propodeum posterior transverse carina weakly developed, bell-shaped. Postpetiole dorso-anteriorly weakly but distinctly concave ( Fig. 155). Color: orbital band complete between temple and gena; interrupted at malar space. Propodeum with variable amount of black, from mostly replaced by orange and restricted to 0.5 behind basal carina (specimen from Res. Biol. Duas Bocas) to covering propodeum entirely, except for yellow areas (specimen from Represa do Rio Grande). Specimen from Represa do Rio Grande has fore and mid tibiae with distinct brown stripe covering nearly entire length of dorsal side.

MALE. Unknown.

Comments. The variability of color and color patterns, especially on mesopleuron and propodeum dorsally, is very high for this species. The four examined specimens have propodeal color pattern from entirely black with a central yellow spot to mostly orange with a large longitudinal yellow stripe.

Material examined. 4 females. HOLOTYPE ♀ “ Corcovado, Guan. // IX. 1969 Brazil// Alvarenga&Seabra”; “ Digonocryptus // sp.22// Town. 1957” ( AEIC) . Right antenna apical half, left hind wing, left hind tarsus, missing. Paratypes: ♀ “ Represa do Rio Grande // Guanabara, Brazil // VI. 1966 Alvarenga”; “ Digonocryptus // sp.38 Townes” ( AEIC) . ♀ “ BRASIL: ES: Cariacica// Res. Biol. Duas Bocas// 20°16’21”S 40°28’40”W // 02–03.V.2005 YPT// APAguiar et al. leg. Pt. 07” ( UFES) . ♀ “BRA: ES, Guarapari – Restinga// P.E. Paulo César Vinha // 20°36’S 40°25’W, 4m Mata 27// 8–15.V.2006 YPT// RKawada et al. leg.” ( UFES) .

Distribution. Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil.