Zethus ( Zethoides ) coracoides Lopes & Hermes, 2025

Lopes, Rogério Botion & Hermes, Marcel Gustavo, 2025, The Neotropical Zethus biglumis species-group (Hymenoptera, Vespidae, Zethinae): description of three new species, with notes on the evolution of the group, Zootaxa 5701 (2), pp. 122-130 : 126

Zethus ( Zethoides) coracoides Lopes & Hermes , sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype female: “ Brasil, Minas Gerais \ Ingaí, Res. Biol. \ Boqueirão 21°20'47"S \ 44°59'27"W 16.vii.2015 \ E. Pires col. \\ Planta 3” [ CEUFLA].

Diagnosis. The combining traits of the absence of a subapical deflected tooth in the mandible, a practically straight clypeal apex, strongly projected humeral angles and slender petiole render this species readily recognizable among its closet relatives.

Description of female. Coloration. Black with the following yellow markings: ventral surface of flagellum; spot on ocular sinus; humeral angles; median spot on pronotum, pronotal lobe; spot on postero-lateral end of pronotum; subapical bands on T1 to T3 and S2 and S3 (darker on T3 and S3). Testaceous-colored: scape; pedicel; flagellum, that becomes gradually lighter apically; apex of mandible; posterior margin of pronotum; apex of fore femur; fore tibia; fore tarsus; mid tibiae, but darker; mid tarsomeres. Fore wings hyaline, light brown, with costa darker and dark brown venation.

Structure. Clypeus without subapical ridge nor teeth, apex nearly straight with an evident median blunt tooth. Mandible 4-toothed and without inflexed tooth. Genal margin sinuous. Pronotal carina high as a translucent lamella on dorsum and short and sinuous laterally. Humerus rounded with angles strongly projected as spines. Outer margin of tegula raised along its entirety and curved with accentuated curvature on posterior third, ending nearly transversal to body axis. Scutellum convex. (Metanotum destroyed by pin insertion). Mid tibia with two apical spurs. Socket of hind coxa with reflexed inner margin. Spines on outer surface of mid tibia scattered and in a line in the hind tibia. Posterior surface of propodeum weakly concave. Dorsal propodeal aperture present, as slit without dorsal margin. Apical propodeal lamella triangular, with mildly translucent margin. T1 regularly convex in profile view, with the greatest width of the expansion near the middle of its length. S1 flat. T2 and S2 elongated, in profile with straight posterior region nearly as long as expansion of the segment. T2 lamella longer laterally than medially. S2 regularly convex. T3 lamella tripartite. S3 lamella reduced with large median lobe.

Sculpture. Clypeus with dense macropuncatation and obsolete micropunctation. Interantennal carinas blunt, forming a cross. Macropunctures of head, dorsum of pronotum, scutum and scutellum large, dense and shallow with cariniform interspaces. Coalescent macropunctures on pronotum and only a few observed on anterior portion of mesoscutum. Micropunctures discernable on latero-posterior tip of pronotum; postero-median portion of mesoscutum and on scutellum. Posterior margin of pronotum smooth. Notauli absent. Welts evident, smooth and long, reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum. Discoid puncture present on top of a smooth tubercle. Mesopleura without dorsal suture. (Metanotum destroyed). Propodeum with complete lateral carina and submedian carinas reaching only 2/3 of propodeum. Propodeal concavity with weak transverse striae. Some strong oblique striae branch laterally from submedian and lateral propodeal carinas. T1 with sub-basal carina well-developed. T1 with moderate coarse macropunctation interspaced by smooth areas. T2 and T3 with very dense micropunctation that obscures any macropuncture and is interrupted subapically, where a smooth band is formed. S2 mostly smooth with sparse small macropunctures, laterally taken over by very dense micropunctation. S3 with very dense micropunctation basally, gradually transforming into moderate macropunctarion apically. T4 densely micropunctate. (T5 and S5 covered by preceding sclerites). T6 and S4 to S6 shagreened with apical very shallow and small punctation.

Pilosity. Overall covered by long erect golden setae. Clypeus also with golden and appressed pilosity on lateral and dorsal portions. Erect setae longer on propodeum. T2 with dense golden tomentum that becomes gradually sparser on following terga. Erect setae on T4 to T6 and S4 to S6 limited to apical portion.

Fore wing length 9.6 mm.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil ( Minas Gerais)

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to another process of the human scapula, the coracoid process. It is to be interpreted as noun in apposition.