Meria leucospila, Boni, 2009

Boni, M., 2009, Afrotropical species of the ancient genus Meria ILLIGER 1807 (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1817-1861 : 1836

Meria leucospila nov.sp.

Holotype Ƌ - Namibia = / Namibia LÜDERITZ DISTRICT Obib waters 19-21.IX.1997 28°00’S 16°38’EE.Marais & Kirk-Spriggs malaise trap sample/, NNMW

Paratype Ƌ - Namibia = (2) / Namibia LÜDERITZ DISTRICT Obib waters 19-21.IX.1997 28°00’S 16°38’EE.Marais & Kirk-Spriggs malaise trap sample/, NNMW; (1) / Namibia: LÜDERITZ Rooiberg 27°38’S 16°28’E 22-24.IX.1997 Kirk Spriggs & Marais malaise trap sample/ / NNIC /, NNMW

Male. Holotype. Figs 85-91A . Measurements: body length = 12.5 mm; forewing length = 6.5 mm.

Black, brown, white. Wings hyaline. Brown: Semitransparent basis of hypostoma; most of mandibles; most of the legs with lighter tarsi, tibiae and tip of femurs; lateroterga from 2 nd to 7 th terga; sterna; veins and pterostigma. White: two irregular spots on clypeal disk; two small stripes on each Tsa; base of mandibles; two very narrow stripes along fore border of N 1 disk; apex of LaSt 2; spot on fore and mid coxae; three small spots very close to eachother on 1 st tregum; three small spots along apical border on 2 nd to 6 th terga and sterna, their distance bigger than their size; two lateral spots on 7 th tergum. Swollen hypostomal basis; cOc almost complete, worn out just near the middle of it; Secu stripe at least as wide as thickness of flagellomeri; lamellar keel along the fore border of N 1 disk interrupted medially in two subrounded (in frontal aspect) portions wearing out toward anteroventral corner; Em 3 and lateral P almost smooth and shining; upper third of fore surface of mid femur with dense very weak p and hair, lower two thirds smooth; strong longitudinal lamellar keel along the inner ventral edge of X 3; well expressed graduli on 2 nd to 7 th terga; sul present on 1 st to 6 th terga; quite deep transversal median furrow on 2 nd to 6 th sterna extending laterally like it happens in lasiotera ( Fig. 33 ); surface before it more densely p than surface behind it (a general pattern in the genus). p is denser on clypeus, lower frons, lateral N 1, Es 2, N 3, posterior and lateral P, bearing long white hair which conceals the underlying integument. Tergal disks are bipunctate with micro p becoming more scattered from 1 st to 7 th tergum.

Variability. Little variations in shape of colour patterns. Size varies from 12 to 14 mm.

Note. Very distinct by the dense hair, the shape of sterna, the bipunctate surface of terga and shape of genitalia.

Female: unknown.

Ecology: unknown.

Derivatio nominis: from the Greek words λευκός = white and σπίλον = spot.

Figures

Figs. 85-91A: Meria leucospila Ƌ. 85: head, dorsal aspect; 86: head, frontal aspect; 87: pronotal disk, dorsal aspect; 88: pronotal disk, lateral aspect; 89: basal metameri with particular, dorsal aspect; 90: 7 th tergum, dorsal aspect; 91: gonostylus and aedeagus, lateral and ventral aspect; 91A: volsella (85, 86, 88, 89: scale bar = 2 mm) (87, 90: scale bar = 1 mm) (91, 91A: scale bar = 0.5 mm).

Figs 29-36: Meria lasiotera Ƌ. 29: head, dorsal aspect; 30: head, frontal aspect; 31: vertex, lateral aspect; 32: pronotal disk, dorsal aspect 33: side of 4th metamerus (particular), lateral aspect; 34: 7th tergum, dorsal aspect; 35: gonostylus and volsella; 36: aedeagus, lateral and ventral aspect (29, 30, 32: scale bar = 2 mm) (31, 34: scale bar = 1 mm) (33, 35, 36: scale bar = 0.5 mm).