Myrmecopria Ashmead, 1893: 407–446

MASNER, LUBOMÍR & GARCÍA R, JOSÉ LUIS, 2002, The Genera Of Diapriinae (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) In The New World, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2002 (268), pp. 1-138 : 94-96

Myrmecopria Ashmead, 1893: 407–446 .

DIAGNOSIS (♀ 3): Medium­sized individuals (2–2.7 mm), with sexes somewhat similar in general appearance; body light colored, honey­yellow to ferrugineous, extent of rugulose sculpture distinctly greater in female than in male, body with scattered long semidecumbent golden bristles; foamy structures and cushions of hairs not developed; posterior ocelli located posterior to ocular zone (dorsal view); entire head with rough sculpture, irregularly corrugated, especially on postgena, posterior temple and occiput, especially in female; palpi rudimentary, extremely short, not protruding, palpal formula appearing 1–0; petiole in dorsal view distinctly campanulate; apex of tibiae, especially fore and mid with strongly projecting spine on inner side; tibial spurs rudimentary, formula 1–1–1; tarsi, especially fore and mid, remarkably short, compressed, almost foliaceous; petiole robust, broadly campanulate.

DESCRIPTION (♀ 3): HEAD. Head in dorsal view slightly elongate, widest across posterior temples; temple behind eye straight, moderately diverging posteriorly; antennal shelf relatively large, deep, sharply margined posteriorly, especially in female, frons armed with three moderate projections; posterior ocelli located posterior to ocular zone (dorsal view); head in lateral view with antennal shelf in upper half of eye; eye relatively small, with posterior orbit not sinuate, eye slightly shorter or subequal to postgena, higher than malar space; ommatidia large and convex, raspberry­like, each ommatidium subequal in size to ocellus; entire head with rough sculpture, irregularly corrugated, especially on postgena, posterior temple and occiput, especially in female; mandible bidentate, slender, with both teeth long and pointed, lower tooth longer, with upper tooth not truncate; epistomal sulcus indicated basally; palpi rudimentary, extremely short, not protruding, palpal formula appearing 1–0; oral carina moderate; head in ventral view with hypostomal bridge moderate, well defined; occipital flange rudimentary, indicated by irregular rugulosity; female antenna 11­ segmented, clava indistinct, 5–6­segmented, with moderate gaps, progressively incrassate, A11 largest; A1 (♀ 3) robust, cylindrical, not armed apically, with scattered pustules; male antenna 14­segmented, A14 ovoid, subequal in size to A13, apical half of antenna with beadlike segments, A3 distinctly elongate, rest of antenna with almost beadlike segments, A3 and A4 sexually modified, with sharply pointed carina on external apical corner, with scattered semidecumbent hairs, A7– A12 without specialized brushes. MESO­ SOMA. Pronotum in dorsal view with sides well visible; pronotal shoulders not developed; epomium absent; mesoscutum as long as wide, moderately convex; parapsidal lines delicate; tegula smooth; anterior scutellar pit small and shallow, shorter than scutellar disc, with several longitudinal ridges between axilla and scutellar disc; scutellar disc relatively large, semicircular, moderately convex, at most with delicate median longitudinal keel, lateral keel of disc weakly defined; posterior margin of axilla roundly sloping down; axillar depression small but deep; mesopleuron distinctly convex, subrectangular, with distinct oblique submedian line; dorsellum weakly defined; metapleuron almost glabrous, entirely finely rugulose, with massive deep excavation along anterior margin; anterior margin of propodeum with broad transverse cleft; propodeum in dorsal view relatively long, entirely rugulose, median keel variable, from distinct to almost absent, plica usually absent, rarely delicate, posterior margin of propodeum sharp bladelike, with deep median V­shaped excision; wings primarily present, forewing relatively long and narrow, below stigmal vein with only slight infuscation in basal vein area, with moderately long marginal cilia widely exceeding metasoma; stigmal vein distinctly developed; legs long and strong, hind coxa robust, distinctly elongate, femora subclavate, distinctly constrict­ ed basally, middle tibia distinctly arcuate, hind tibia remarkably compressed anteriorly, in lateral view hind tibia with subparallel sides, tibial spurs rudimentary, formula 1–1– 1, apices of tibiae with strongly projecting spine on inner side; pustulae present on fore and mid femora ventrally; tarsi, especially fore and mid, remarkably short, compressed, almost foliaceous, fore and mid tarsi moderately to distinctly transverse; claws relatively small. METASOMA. Petiole in dorsal view robust, broadly campanulate, entirely finely rugulose, without keels, strongly constricted anteriorly, in lateral view subtriangular (especially in female), expanding posteroventrally, petiole in ventral view with median deep excavation flanked laterally by two sharp keels, posterior apex of petiole strongly necklike constricted; metasoma past petiole smooth, in lateral view considerably convex both dorsally and ventrally, entire syntergite with scattered semidecumbent setae; anterior margin of S2 with flexed transparent rim, specialized spot not developed.

RECOGNITION AND RELATIONSHIPS: Myrmecopria is peculiar in several character states: remarkably reduced palpi, presence of strong spine projection on inner apices of tibiae, and reduction of tibial spurs with unique formula 1–1–1. The tarsi are one of the most compressed among all myrmecophilic genera. Myrmecopria is related to Apopria , Ecitovagus , and Townesella ; from Apopria it differs by the presence of eyes and structure of petiole; from Ecitovagus principally by nonelevated anterior lobe of mesoscutum, different shape of propodeum, 11­segmented antenna, and from Townesella by armed frons, with deeply margined antennal shelf and corrugated sculpture of head.

DISTRIBUTION: The only known species, Myrmecopria mellea (Ashmead) , is recorded from Southeastern USA, east of Mississippi, Florida to North Carolina.

BIOLOGY: Myrmecopria mellea is associated with Neivamyrmex opacithorax (Emery) and N. carolinense (Emery) (Masner, 1964) . Majority of specimens were caught in light traps. Wing allectomy was observed in two females collected in raid column of N. carolinense in Alabama.

Neivapria Borgmeier Figure 73

Figures

Figs. 70–79. 70, Myrmecopria mellea (Ashmead) female habitus, dorsal view; 71, M. mellea female, tarsomeres; 72, M. mellea female habitus, lateral view; 73, Neivapria penicillata Borgmeier, female habitus, lateral view; 74, Notoxoides sp. female head&ndash̍onotum, dorsal view; 75, Notoxoides sp. female mesosoma, dorsal view; 76, Notoxoides sp. female habitus, lateral view; 77, Omopria brevipalpis n. sp. female habitus, dorsal view; 78, Ortona hansoni n. sp. female habitus, dorsal view; 79, O. hansoni female habitus, lateral view.