Meria oinodes, Boni, 2009

Boni, M., 2009, Afrotropical species of the ancient genus Meria ILLIGER 1807 (Hymenoptera, Tiphiidae), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1817-1861 : 1828-1829

Meria oinodes nov.sp.

Holotype ♀ - Namibia = /WINDHOEK SE 2217 Ca 9.12 Nov 1973 / /H15022/ / NNIC /, NNMW Paratype ♀ - Namibia = (2) /WINDHOEK SE 2217 Ca 9.12 Nov 1973 / /H15022/ / NNIC /, NNMW Paratype Ƌ - Namibia = (7) /WINDHOEK SE 2217 Ca 9.12 Nov 1973 / /H15022/ / NNIC /, NMW

Female. Holotype. Figs 1-7 . Measurements: body length = 9 mm; forewing length = 5mm.

The basic body colur is reddish brown, darker in Sc 1, Sc 2, 1 st sternum and areas behind preapical rows of points on terga, while most of mandibles, tibiae and tarsi,veins of the wings are light brown. Wings darkened. Patterns of p like in M. tripunctata, but on disk of the P which is mostly smooth with few p only along its lateral edges and no wrinkles. Pale yellow hair on the scape, where it strikingly contrasts with the integument of the head, mandible and clypeus, whitish hair elsewhere. Subhorizontal rough wrinkles on the posteroventral corner of lateral N 1. Well expressed median furrow on the dorsal P. 3 rd CSM present. Gradulus well expressed on 2 nd and very weak on 3 rd tergum. Sul very short on 3 rd and 4 th terga. Preapical rows of p on metameri strongly bent like in Poecilotiphia.

Male. Figs 8-17. Measurements: body length = 12 mm.

Black, brown and pale yellow. Wings hyaline.

Pale yellow: most of clypeus and mandible, tip of Tsa, small spot on apex of the scape, two lateral long spots along foreborder and subapical stripe on N 1, half tegula, spot on Es 2, apex of X 1 and X 2, apical femurs, most of tibiae, tarsi, narrow subapical stripe with irregular foreprofile on 1 st to 6 th terga and 2 nd to 5 th sterna. Brown: border of Tsa, base of hypostoma, tip of mandible, flagellum, veins of the wings, shadows on metasoma.The whole of ventral border of clypeus is semitransparent.

Base of hypostoma scarcely swollen and with well expressed PoG, its length ¼ length of FoO. Secu stripe about 1/3 flagellar surface. No laminted keel along the foreborder of the N 1 disk, which ends with a strong anteroventral tooth. Su 3 like a stitch; Em 3 mostly smooth; lateral P smooth but a small posterior area. Signum very long (as long as 2 nd hindtarsomerus). Foresurface of the mid femur is almost completely hairless. Velum of the fore tibial spur not combed. Very fine poligonal mR (visible only at ✕80 magnification with single cell hardly detectable) on 1 st tergal disk and apical half of 2 nd to 6 th sterna. Transversal microreticulation visible at ✕50 magnification on basal half of 2 nd to 6 th sterna. p are densely packed on clypeus, Tsa, lateral frons, lateral N 1, lateral Sc 2, postscutellar area, lower and and lateral disk of P; more scattered with large smooth areas on vertex, mid N 1 and Sc 2, Sc 1. Nowhere hair concealing underlying integument.

Variability: only little differences about size can be detected about specimens of both sexes.

Ecology: unknown.

Derivatio nominis: from the Greek οινώδης = coloured like wine, because of the vinous colour of the female.

Discussion. About females, the chararacter states of the key and the disposition of bristles on the scape are the same as in Poecilotiphia; the states 1χ, 1δ, 1ε and 1φ have also the function to discriminate the genus Meriodes from Meria. The mandible, wings, and foretibial spur are the same as in Meria. About males, the characters given in the key are not as settled as in females. Two other taxa at least ( M. rufinodis and M. luteipes) have character state very close to 24α and other eight ( M. rufinodis , M. micruroides, M. pulchella, M. masaica , M. vonizongo, M. luteipes, M. gradilis, M. rufonigra) show the character 24δ. The absence of the combed edge on the fore tibial spur is a peculiarity which ocuurs elsewhere within the tribe only in Iswara WESTWOOD 1851 males; its outline is as the same as in Poecilotiphia CAMERON 1902 males. Flagellum, hair and genitalia are like in Meria. There could be sufficient grounds to group them under a new subgeneric name, nevertheless we lack definitive and incontestable proof about their coupling; moreover its unicity together with the weakness about the distinctive character states of the males both advise to exclude a similar drastic action for the present. Therefore in default of more data the choice to maintain them within the ancient genus Meria has been made.

Figures

Figs 1-7: Meria oinodes ♀. 1: head, dorsal aspect; 2: head, frontal aspect; 3: head, lateral aspect; 4: head, ventral aspect; 5: labium and Pal, ventral aspect; 6: labrum, frontal aspect;. 7: scape, frontal aspect. Fig. 8-17: Meria oinodes Ƌ. 8: head, dorsal aspect; 9: head, frontal aspect; 10: flagellum; 11: glossa and paraglossa, ventral aspect; 12: pronotal disk, dorsal aspect; 13: pronotal disk, lateral aspect; 14: fore tibial spur; 15: 7 th tergum, dorsal aspect; 16: 7 th metamerus, lateral aspect; 17: volsella and gonostylus. (1, 3, 8, 9, 10: scale bar = 2 mm) (2, 4, 7, 12, 13, 15, 16: scale bar = 1 mm) (6, 11, 14, 17: scale bar = 0.5 mm).