Sclerodermus domesticus Latreille, 1809

Azevedo, Celso O. & Colombo, Wesley D., 2022, Synopsis of the Neotropical Sclerodermus Latreille (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) with description of a new species attacking human beings, Zootaxa 5124 (5), pp. 501-519 : 505

Sclerodermus domesticus Latreille, 1809

Figs 1A , 2

Diagnosis, female. Body 4.1–4.8 mm long. Castaneous. Mandible with two or three apical teeth, upper one small and rounded. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, apical margin curved upward medially in frontal view. Antenna thick, pedicel longer than flagellomeres, flagellomeres about as wide as long or wider than long, except last. Distance between toruli less than their own diameters. Eye with few setae. Frons nearly polished to weakly coriaceous, with few small punctures, with weak and short anterior median line. LH 1.08–1.18 WH, WF 0.55–0.59 WH, WF 1.86–2.08 HE. Vertex slighlty to clearly outcurved. Sides of head parallel, slightly outcurved, head wider slightly posteriorly eye. VOL 2.07–2.25 HE. Mesoscutum 1.15–1.32 as wide as long. Metapectal-propodeal disc trapezoidal, side diverging posteriorly, median, lateral and posterior transverse carinae absent. Propodeal spiracle round placed at lateral of metapectal-propodeal complex. Micropterous, wing very slightly longer than tegula, veins absent. Profemur 1.8–2.2 as long as wide. Apical margins of sternites IV–VI bi-emarginated.

Diagnosis, male. Body 3.0 mm long. Dark Castaneous, forewing hyaline. Mandible with three apical teeth. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, apical margin curved upward medially in frontal view. Pedicel longer than flagellomeres, flagellomeres longer than wide. Distance between toruli less than their own diameters. Eye bulging, with few setae. Frons nearly polished, with few small punctures, with weak and short anterior median line. LH 1.09 WH, WF 0.57 WH, WF 1.3 HE. OOL 1.0 WOT; frontal angle of ocellar triangle right. Vertex outcurved. VOL 1.0 HE. Notaulus absent. Parapsidal signum weak but complete. Mesoscutum-mesoscutellar sulcus evenly arched, ends not dilated. Mesoscutum 1.15 as wide as long. Metapectal-propodeal disc weakly coriaceous, 1.15 as wide as long, side parallel, median, lateral and posterior transverse carinae absent. Propodeal spiracle round placed at lateral of metapectal-propodeal complex. Forewing with costal cell opened by absence of costal vein; radial cell nearly closed by absence of proximal end of M+Cu vein; first cubital cell opened at low distal corner by absence of distal end of A vein and absence of posterior end of cu-a vein; A vein very dilated proximally; 2r-rs&Rs vein absent. Profemur 2.5 as long as wide. Hypopygium with spiculum 0.3 as long as plate, posterior margin incurved. Genitalia: harpe divided in two arms, ventral arm longer and much wider than dorsal arm; cuspis wide, apical margin incurved; aedeagus with of pair of rounded apical lobes.

Material examined. Holotype ♀: GERMANY, ( ZMBH). Non-types: ♀, FRANCE, Sr. S.S. Saunders, identified by Westwood, 1881 ( OXUM); 1 ♀, GERMANY, 12.IV.[17]58, Habelmann col. ( ZMHB), ♂, GERMANY, Berlin, in Hause, Habelmann col. ( ZMHB). These specimens were determined by Klug in 1809. It is missing data on label of the type, but all material is apparently from Germany, Berlin, in Hause, collected in 12.IV.[17]58 by Habelmann.

Remarks. The median clypeal lobe of this species is well developed in comparison to other species of the subfamily. The mandibles of the German female were not examined because of their preservation.

Sclerodermus domesticus is the type species of Sclerodermus . It has a confusing nomenclatural history, which sometimes was misattributed to Klug in Latreille (1809). However, Pujade et al. (2021) clarified the problem and properly concluded the authorship of this species is Latreille (1809).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neotropical Sclerodermus, holotype females, habitus in dorsal view. A. S. domesticus; B. S. galapagensis; C. S. iridomyrmicicola; D. S. macrogaster; E. S. spilonotum; F. S. soror; G. S. wilsoni.; H. S. chicomendesi sp. nov. Scale-bars: 100µm.

FIGURE 2. Neotropical Sclerodermus domesticus, males. A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Forewing, dorsal view; C–D. Genitalia (C ventral view, D lateral view). Scale-bars: 100µm.