Metopius hilaroides, Riedel, 2016

Riedel, Matthias, 2016, Contribution to the genus Metopius PANZER (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Metopiinae) from Africa South of Sahara, Linzer biologische Beiträge 48 (2), pp. 1635-1675 : 1649-1650

Metopius (Metopius) hilaroides BENOIT, 1965: 51

H o l o t y p u s:(♀) Wallekraal Namaqualand, Metopius hilaroides n.sp. holotype ♀ P.L.G. Benoit 1963 (Cape Town), type studied.

T a x o n o m i c a l r e m a r k: The allotypus (6) Augsfontein (Calvinia) C.P., Metopius hilaroides n.sp. Allotype 6 P. L.G. Benoit 1963 (Cape Town), which I have seen, presumably belongs to Metopius hilaris TOSQUINET. Hence , the true 6 of M. hilaroides BENOIT remains unknown.

D e s c r i p t i o n o f ♀:

Body length 15 mm. Flagella with tips broken off. Mandible with one tooth. Second maxillary palpomere semi-globose, about 1.5x as long as wide. Facial shield wide, with dense puncture and strong carinae, length 1.05x width, pointed ventrally. Interantennal lamella high, with very shallow subdistal impression and small distal tooth.

Mesosoma with long whitish hairs. Side of pronotum coarsely punctate, with striation anteriorly. Epicnemial carina above sternaulus obsolete. Central area of propodeum horseshoe-shaped, with strong lateral carina, length 1.2x width, costula lacking. Hind femur about 2.9x height. Hind metatarsus about 0.47x as long as hind tibia. Outer apical spur of hind tibia 0.5x as long as hind metatarsus. Front and middle claws without teeth. Areolet 2.5x wider than long, second recurrent vein with one bulla, reaching areolet basal to its middle.

First tergite with dorsal carinae, sometimes obsolete in the apical third. Its spiracle with a denticular ventral extension. Second and third tergites as following tergites with rounded edges.

Color: Black, metasoma with violet shine. Flagellum reddish-brown. Palps reddish. Yellowish are small stripes on upper facial and lower frontal orbits, interantennal lamella, subtegular ridge, prescutellar carina, narrow apical margins of third to fourth tergites (medially interrupted). Coxae blackish, legs otherwise reddish. Wings slightly brownish.

Male unknown.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: RSA.