Melanocryptus hadroglyptus 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 : 32-36

Melanocryptus hadroglyptus Aguiar , sp. nov.

Figures 9 , 19 , 30 , 37 , 42, 47 , 50 , 63 , 98–99, 120

DESCRIPTION: Female holotype. Forewing 9.50 mm. Body delicately sculptured. Supraclypeal area dorsally with distinct, longitudinal protuberance; supraantennal area laterally smooth, coronal suture irregularly shaped, depressed in front of ocelli. Antenna with 25 flagellomeres. Malar space 0.61 mandible basal width. Occipital carina laterocentrally without emargination; subapically slightly irregular (fig. 99). Pronotum dorsomedial margin not raised above level of anterior margin of mesonotum; epomia stout, distinct, vertical, dorsally straight, not curving mesally; pronotum (figs. 42, 47) laterally with few rugulosities associated with epomia, ventroposterior margin with short subcrenulation, otherwise smooth, shiny. Mesoscutum partially shiny, covered with delicate punctulate. Notaulus deep, narrow but distinctly microcrenulate, straight, converging and meeting posteriorly, ending close to posterior 0.1 of mesoscutum. Axillary trough of mesonotum basally with transverse, crenulated channel, otherwise mostly smooth, dorsally sculptured as scutellum (fig. 37). Scutellar carina ending at scutellum, which is moderately protuberant, triangular (fig. 37). Epicnemial carina reaching about 0.8 of distance to subalar ridge, shape as in fig. 47. Subalar ridge conspicuous, elongate oval. Sternaulus (fig. 42) sinuous, deep, crenulate, on anterior 0.7 of mesepisternum, which is mostly smooth. Forewing (fig. 19) crossvein 1cu-a basad vein 1M+Rs by little more than its own width, its posterior end slightly but distinctly curved toward wing base; vein 2Cua 0.72 length of crossvein 2cu-a. Hind wing (fig. 30) vein Cua 2.78× length of crossvein cu-a.

Transverse furrow at base of propodeum deep, from centrally wide to laterally narrow, fully crenulate. Propodeum generally smooth; anterior transverse carina complete, centrally bent forward, at this same region anteriorly with two small carinae projecting divergently anteriorly, posterior face of carina with short, stout rugosities; posterior transverse carina only indicated by three large, conspicuous scale-shaped apophyses, two lateral, one central. Propodeal spiracle elongate, 2.94× longer than wide. Pleural carina conspicuously crenulate (fig. 50). T1 spiracle at middle (basal 0.53); dorsolateral and ventrolateral carinae absent, except at the very base of petiole; surface smooth, polished; sternite ending opposite spiracle. T2–8 with fine sculpturing associated with pilosity, coarser on T2. Ovipositor somewhat blade shaped, 2.14× taller than wide at midlength, but 19% taller at apex than at base; its length 1.13× length of hind tibia, straight; ventral valve ridges with subapical irregularity (fig. 63).

Pilosity. Supraclypeal area sparsely pilose, hairs short, whitish. Thick silvery pilosity covering mesepisternum posteroventrally, entire upper and lower divisions of metapleuron, propodeum laterally, and hind coxa (fig. 47); propodeal pilosity becomes easily invisible depending on angle of illumination; mesoscutum and scutellum inconspicuously pilose. T2–8 covered with fine yellowish pilosity, T8 apex with long, dense, erect pilosity.

Color. Black, with wide, yellowish ivory stripes on head and metasoma (fig. 42), forewing with two wide dark stripes (fig. 19). Body black, T2–8 with weak bluish reflections, with following whitish to yellowish marks: supraclypeal area with narrow streaks along eye margin between 8–9 h; most of supraantennal area except black around toruli and midlongitudinally; proceeding laterally without reaching ocelli, continuing laterally as narrow stripe until about 4 h; T1 with two large apical spots almost entirely fused with each other centrally, T2 and T7 with wide apical stripe extending from one side to the other, on T2 narrowing centrally, on T7 covering most of tergite. Sternites black, except yellowish for S2 apical 0.2 and S4–5 narrowly at apical margin. All legs dark brown, foretibia ventrally with narrow yellowish streak. Ovipositor sheath, including shaft, dark brown. Forewing hyaline, with two wide, fuscous stripes, reaching fully from anterior to posterior margins; apical stripe not reaching apical 0.1 of wing, but covering areolet entirely. Hind wing nearly entirely hyaline (fig. 30).

MALE: Structurally similar to female, but color pattern differs considerably; see cladistic analysis for details (tables 1–2, fig. 9).

VARIATION: Longitudinal carinae at anterior area of propodeum faint; propodeum behind posterior transverse carina rugulose; eye margin between 8–9 h light brown; apical whitish spots on T1 totally fused. Males show complex variation; see cladistic analysis (tables 1–2, fig. 9). The male from Colombia (Camp Sautata) is unique in having a yellow spot dorsoposteriorly on the metapleuron. The male from Panama (Coclé) is unique in having pleural carina sharply deep and truly crenulate, i.e., crenuations mostly unconnected to rugosities from propodeum, and forecoxa entirely black.

BIOLOGY: An unidentified phoretic mite present in one female (fig. 42).

COMMENTS. Similar to M. tesselatus , from which it can be differentiated by having the notaulus deeply impressed, distinctly microcrenulate, clearly converging and meeting posteriad of tegulae (vs. faint, ending quite separated, and at level of tegulae, in M. tesselatus ); subalar ridge light brown, contrasting with black mesepisternum (vs. black, concolorous with mesepisternum; fig. 47 vs. 70); scutellar carina ending at scutellum (vs. distinctly advancing over anterior third of scutellum; fig. 37 vs. 31); pleural carina conspicuously crenulate (vs. linear; fig. 50 vs. 48); S1 ending opposite petiolar spiracle (vs. distinctly basal); and T8 apex with long, erect pilosity (vs. delicate, decumbent pilosity). Other differences might be less stable: hind wing vein Cua about 2.80× length of crossvein cu-a (vs. 1.9; fig. 30 vs. 28); areolet entirely covered by apical stripe (vs. not covered, not even partially; fig. 19 vs. 17); minor differences in the shape of the dorsal protuberance of supraclypeal area, number of flagellomeres, and shape of epomia and epicnemial carina (see descriptions).

Also somewhat similar to M. delos , from which it can be differentiated as follows: on both sexes, the forewing apical stripe of infuscation covering the areolet partially or entirely, but not reaching to the wing tip, which remains hyaline (vs. stripe not or barely reaching areolet on males, and wing apex entirely covered by infuscation on both sexes, for M. delos ). Females: (1) Orbital band wide and complete at least from 10 to 14 h, often from 9 to 15 h (vs. absent from 11 to 13 h, often more; fig. 42 vs. 2); (2) T7 apical yellowish stripe wide and uniform (vs. narrow, irregular, or absent); (3) Notaulus deep, meeting behind (vs. faint, almost indistinct, not meeting, ending centrally); (4) Maxillary palpus dark brown (vs. often spotted in pale yellow or whitish); (5) Mesosoma laterally, posterior to level of hind-wing base, densely pilose, hairs overlapping (vs. short, sparse pilosity; fig. 47 vs. 46); (6) Mesopleural suture densely pilose and bent (angled) at level of hypoepimeron (vs. almost glabrous and straight or at most slightly curved; fig. 47 vs. 46); (7) pleural carina conspicuously crenulate (vs. faint, fragmented; fig. 50 vs. 49). Males: (1) flagellomeres from f4 to apical with distinct tuft of pilosity apicoventrally, so that antenna is apparently serrate (fig. 98) (vs. without tufts, antenna cylindrical); (2) hind tibia entirely black, hind tarsus black or at most with t3–4 whitish (vs. hind tibia basal 0.2 and t2–5 whitish); (3) petiole black, with small apical whitish spot (vs. petiole whitish from base to almost level of spiracles, apical spot large); (4) subapical white band of antennae covering dorsal and lateral sides of flagellomeres only (vs. respective flagellomeres entirely whitish); (5) pleural carina distinctly crenulate (vs. delimited by a fine line); (6) base of vein 1M+Rs and crossvein 1cu-a surrounded by narrow infuscated area (vs. hyaline); (7) sternites with alternated black and white stripes or areas of about same width/size (vs. sternites almost completely whitish).

Males are also somewhat similar to those of M. whartoni ; see Comments of that species for differential details.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet derives from the combination of the Greek words hadros, “thick, stout, strong,” + glyptos, “carved,” in reference to the distinctly crenulate notaulus and pleural carina.

DISTRIBUTION: Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador. (fig. 120).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Three females and 24 males. Holotype ♀ COSTA RICA: Golfito, VII.22.1981, “B.K. Dozier Collector, Melanocryptus sp. det. Santos 2010 ( FSCA). Pinned, hind right t5 missing, otherwise in good condition. Paratypes: BELIZE: ♂ BR. HONDURAS [old name for Belize], Middlesex , 125 m , 25.IV.1965, E.C. Welling ( CNCI). COLOMBIA: ♂ Camp Sautata, Rio Atrato, Colom ., 12. XI –14. XII .1967 ( AEIC). COSTA RICA: ♂ Pto. Viejo, La Selva Sta ., 18.II.1980, 50 m, W. Mason ( AEIC). ECUA- DOR: ♂ ECUADOR, Pichincha, 47 km S. Santo Domingo, Rio Palenque, Sta ., 1–14.VII.1975, A. Forsyth ( CNCI); ♂ ECU[ ADOR]: Pich. [incha] 500 m, Tinalandia, 16 km SE. Sto . Domingo , 4–14. VI .1976 , S. and J. Peck ” ( AEIC). Other specimens: COSTA RICA: ♀ Est. Biol. La Selva , 50–150 m, 10˚26′N, 84˚01′W, Jul. 1993, INBio-OET, 15 Julio 1993, bosque primário, M/07/157; ♀ same data except “ May 1993 ” + “ 3 Mayo 1993, M/10/089” ( MUCR); ♀ Heredia, Prov., Pto. Viejo, Finca La Selva , 13–16.VII.1973, D.C. Rentz, K. R . Brodey + Arboretum II ( CASC); ♂ CR [ Costa Rica ], Puntarenas, Golfito-United Fruit Co., VII-I-1976, M. Wasbauer, malaise trap + UC Berkeley, EMEC , 731734 ( EMEC). ECUADOR: 2♂ Pichincha, nr. Tinalandia , 09–13. V .1987 , 1150 m, Brown and Coote; Tinalandia, 16 km SE Sto. Domingo , 04–14. VI . 1976 , 500 m, S. Peck and J. Peck ( AEIC); ♂ Palmar , Manabi, 0°10′S 79°28′W, 06.IV. 1941, 200 m ( AMNH); 7♂ same data except 07.IV ( AMNH); 2♂ same data except 10.IV ( AMNH); ♀ same data except 11.IV, also handwritten label “ Melanocryptus /det. Porter ” ( AMNH); ♂ same data except 27.IV ( AMNH). PANAMA: 2♂ Barro Colorado, Canal Zone , II- 18-1829, Collector C.H. Curran ( AMNH); ♂ same data except XII- 24-1928 ( AMNH) [both specimens with handwritten label “Hoplophorina n. sp., Prat ’41”]; ♂ Provincia de Panama, Capira, Cerro Campana [spelled “Comana” in label], 800 m , 1. II.1987, Edward S. Ross ( CASC) .

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 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.

FIGURES 61–69. Ovipositor and ovipositor tip, left. 61A–B, M. aurantius, holotype. 62, M. tesselatus, holotype. 63, M. hadroglyptus, holotype. 64, M. niger. 65A–B, M. cyaneus. 66, M. delos, holotype. 67, M. rufigladius, holotype. 68, M. tupan. 69, M. tesselatus, paratype.