Metopius (Metopius) nigrithorax, 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 : 1653-1654

Metopius (Metopius) nigrithorax nov.sp.

H o l o t y p u s: (♀) Tanzania, Mkomazi Game Reserve, Ibaya Hill 0358 S 3747 E, 27 Nov - 10 Dec 1995, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, Montane forest (Cape Town).

D e s c r i p t i o n of ♀:

Body length 17 mm. Flagellum with 57 segments. Mandible with one tooth. Second maxillary palpomere globose, about 1.3x as long as wide. Facial shield wide, length 1.0- 1.1x width, with parallel sides, strong carina and coarse puncture, slightly pointed below ( fig. 22 ). Interantennal lamella high, without distinct indentation or tooth. Frons finely granulate and punctate, vertex smooth. Temple roundly narrowed, about 0.7x as long as eye. Distance of lateral ocellus to eye 1.7x its diameter.

Mesosoma with long whitish hairs. Side of pronotum coarsely punctate, with strong striation anteriorly. Epicnemial carina ends shortly dorsal of sternaulus. Central propodeal area wide, length 1.2x width, slightly narrowed apically, carina apically obsolete. Hind femur length 2.6x height. Hind metatarsus about 0.42x as long as the hind tibia. Outer apical spur of hind tibia 0.4x as long as the hind metatarsus. Claws without visible teeth. Areolet 1.8x as long as wide, second recurrent vein lateral its middle, with one long bulla.

First tergite with smoothened structure in the apical half, with dorsal carina in the basal 2/3, spiracle with small tooth-like ventral extension and without a distinct lateral lamella, sides with dense whitish hairs. Second tergite 0.95x as long as wide, second and third tergites with tooth-like posterolateral extensions, punctate, fourth tergite with rounded extensions. Second and third tergites punctate and smoothened at hind margin centrally, following tergites rugulose-punctate ( fig. 6 ).

Color: Black. Flagellum blackish. Yellow are margins of facial shield ( fig. 22 ), spot on frontal orbit, and small posterolateral spots on second and third tergites ( fig. 6 ). Front and middle femora and tibiae brownish frontally. Wings completely brownish, pterostigma black.

6 unknown.

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

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.