Apenesia membranaceus, Lanes, G. O. & Azevedo, C. O., 2004

Lanes, G. O. & Azevedo, C. O., 2004, New species and notes on Apenesia (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from the Brazilian Amazon, Zootaxa 679, pp. 1-16 : 2-4

Apenesia membranaceus sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–4 )

Description.—Male. Body length 3.83 mm; LFW 2.96 mm. Color: head and mesosoma black except pronotal disc dark castaneous; metasoma, mandible, antenna and legs castaneous, palpi and tegula light castaneous, wings hyaline, veins castaneous.

Head ( Fig. 1 ): mandibles with five apical teeth, the lower larger, the four upper small ( Figs. 2–3 ). Clypeus with angulate median lobe, median carina somewhat arched in profile. First four antennal segments in a ratio of 35:10:23:24, segment III 3.8 X as long as broad, segment XI 4.8 X as long as broad. Eyes glabrous. Frons polished, with few punctures. WH 1.02 X LH; WF 0.58 X WH, WF 1.08 X HE; OOL 1.14 X WOT; frontal angle of ocellar triangle acute; distance from the posterior ocelli to vertex crest 0.83 X DAO. Vertex convex, corners rounded. VOL 0.54 X HE.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 1 ): thorax polished and punctation as on frons. Pronotal disc with anterior carina. Notauli incomplete anteriorly, almost reaching the posterior margin of the mesoscutum. Parapsidal furrows weak and incomplete anteriorly. Propodeal disc 0.98 X as wide as long, polished and with basal triangle long and striate, disc otherwise polished, with median and discal carina weakly defined; declivity strigulate.

Metasoma: petiolate, petiole long, 0.31 X as long as tergite I. First two tergites polished, and the others weakly coriaceous. Genitalia ( Fig. 4 ): paramere fused to basiparamere, apical margin with a large concavity, inner lobe rounded, wider and slightly higher than outer corner, the later angulate, base much narrower than the apex; volsella with ventral ramus of digitus dilated, apical margin inclined and truncate, and 0.33 X as long as the paramere; aedeagus with two pairs of apical lobes, the lateral pair large, laminar, surface subvertical and convex, apex slightly folded inward, the median pair small, hardly surpassing the base of the lateral pair.

Material examined.— HOLOTYPE: male, BRAZIL, Amazonas, Manaus, Reserve 1208, 13.V.1986, Malaise trap, B. Klein col. ( INPA). PARATYPES: BRAZIL, Amapá, 1 male, Mazagão, 21.XI.1981, Malaise trap 4 m ( MPEG); Amazonas, Manaus, 4 males, Reserve 1208, 11.II.1986 – 08.IV.1987, Malaise trap, B. Klein col. ( INPA); 1 male, Reserve 1113, 16.I.1986, Malaise trap, B. Klein col. ( INPA); 2 males, Reserve Ducke, 08.IV– 17.VII.1992, Stick trap 1 m, J. Vidal & J. Vidal col. ( INPA); 1 male, Reserve Campina, 08–19.VI.1992, Stick trap, Vidal col. ( INPA); 1 male, Campus Universitário, 23.XII.1978, Malaise trap, B. Klein col. ( INPA).

Variation.—One specimen with mandible with only one apical tooth, the others fused into a single broad tooth, forming a cutting edge.

Comments.—The main character of the nitida species­group is the mandibles with the inner margin consisting of a blade­like edge which is at most slightly undulate, only the tooth being distinct. This species has mandibles similar to the others species of these group, however, the inner margin show four very small but well defined teeth, even though they are partially fused. One specimen has the mandible as the others species of the nitida species­group. The genitalia of this species shows some different characteristics of this species­group, the internal lobes of the aedeagus are very short and sharp and the external lobes are apically membranous, the outer ramus of the parameres is slender, and volsella with ventral ramus of digitus larger.

Etymology.—The name refers to the membranous apex of the outer lobes of the aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 7. 1 – 4 Apenesia membranaceus sp. nov. 1, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 2 – 3, mandible, frontal view, 2 holotype; 3, paratype; 4, genitalia, ventral view; 5 – 7, Apenesia auricula sp. nov. 5, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 6 mandible, frontal view; 7, genitalia, ventral view (Scale bars = 1 mm).