Metopius (Metopius) femoralis, 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 : 1646-1647

Metopius (Metopius) femoralis nov.sp.

H o l o t y p u s: (♀) Suldanka B. Sep. 1912 L.P., Metopius discolor CAM. Co-type (Cape Town).

P a r a t y p u s: (♀) N Cape Neuwoudtville Camp Ground 3119 AC 2 Oct 1996, VB Whitehead, SAM-HYM P015602 (Cape Town).

D e s c r i p t i o n o f ♀:

Body length 14-16 mm. Flagellum with 56-57 segments. Mandible with one tooth. Second maxillary palpomere semi-globose to globose, 1.2-1.4x as long as wide. Facial shield with narrowed sides ventrally, coarse puncture and strong carinae, length 1.2- 1.25x width, slightly pointed below ( fig. 19 ). Interantennal lamella high, with a distinct subdistal impression and strong distal tooth. Frons with fine transversal striation, laterally punctate and matte. Vertex punctate. Temple strongly narrowed behind eye, about 0.6x as long as eye (fig. 28). Distance of lateral ocellus to eye 1.3-1.7x its diameter.

Mesosoma with long whitish hairs. Side of pronotum coarsely punctate, with striation ventrally, smooth only at the narrow anterior margin. Epicnemial carina obsolete above sternaulus. Central area of propodeum about as long as wide, with lateral carinae and a ± distinct central longitudinal ridge, apical carina obsolete, costula indistinct. Hind femur slender, length 3.0-3.2x height. Hind metatarsus about 0.4-0.48x as long as hind tibia. Outer apical spur of hind tibia 0.45-0.5x as long as hind metatarsus. Front and middle claws with small basal teeth. Areolet 2.0-2.1x wider than long, second recurrent vein with one bulla, reaching areolet in the middle.

First tergite with dorsal carinae in the basal half to 2/3. Its spiracle with a small ventral tooth, lateral lamella behind spiracle narrow. Second tergite with pointed posterolateral edges, length 1.0-1.05x width. Third tergite about 1.1x as long as wide, third and fourth tergites with rounded edges ( fig. 5 ).

Color: Black. Flagellum red. Upper margin of facial shield and frontal orbit reddish ( fig. 19 ). Palps reddish to yellowish. Yellowish-red are subtegular ridge, prescutellar ridge, apical half of scutellum, postscutellum, small posterolateral spots on propodeum, apical half of first tergite, apical bands (0.2-0.3 length of tergite) of second to fourth tergites, and posterolateral spot or narrow apical band on fifth tergite ( fig. 5 ). Coxae black, ± reddish apically. Legs otherwise red or front and middle femora with apical yellow spots. Hind femur sometimes blackish centrally. Pterostigma yellowish-brown. Wings slightly darkened, more distinctly at apex.

6 unknown.

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

Figures

Figs. 19-24: Face and facial shield of ♀♀: (19) Metopius femoralis HT; (20) M. gambiense HT; (21) M. palpoides HT; (22) M. nigrithorax HT; (23) M. rufofrontalis PT; (24) M. rufigaster ssp. rufigaster HT.

Figs. 5-8: Metasoma of ♀♀: (5) Metopius femoralis nov.sp. PT; (6) M. nigrithorax HT; (7) M. zuluanus BENOIT; (8) M. zuluanops nov.sp.