Megaprosternum wakawaka, Colombo & Azevedo, 2024

Colombo, Wesley D. & Azevedo, Celso O., 2024, Revision of the strongly flattened Megaprosternum Azevedo (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 958 (1), pp. 1-47 : 37-39

Megaprosternum wakawaka sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CD8B790-5F5C-4AD3-9895-28700252A31D

Fig. 13

Differential diagnosis

The males of this species differ from the males of the other species by having the antennae with 10 flagellomeres.

Etymology

The epithet wakawaka is derived from the Waka Waka, an Aboriginal Australian community in the state of Queensland.

Material examined

Holotype

AUSTRALIA – South East Queensland • ♂; “S[outh] E[ast] Q[ueens]l[an]d, W[est] of Brisbane , Moggill Farm , 25m., 23–27.I.1961, J.L. Gressitt, Malaise trap ”; BPBM.

Description

Male

MEASUREMENTS (mm). Body length 1.6; LH 0.32; WH 0.26; WF 0.18; WOT 0.08; surface of median clypeal lobe 0.08; HE 0.13; OOL 0.16; LFW 0.93.

COLOR ( Fig. 13A–B ). Head, mesosoma and metasoma castaneous.

HEAD ( Fig. 13C ). Rectangular, in lateral view; sides of head converging posterad, in dorsal view; malar space 0.5× HE; median clypeal lobe straight, as long as lateral ones, with pair of lateral carinae, converging posteriorly, lobe delimitation indistinct; mandible with three apical teeth; hypostoma rounded medially; antenna with 10 flagellomeres, pedicel longer than flagellomere I; eye weakly setose, contour protruding; frons smooth and coriaceous; ocellar triangle with anterior angle obtuse, postocellar line almost as long as DAO.

MESOSOMA ( Fig. 13D–E ). Pronotal flange polished and coriaceous, with posterior margin at most 1.5 × as wide as anterior one; dorsal pronotal area polished, posterior margin almost straight; probasisternum very large, anterior margin strongly angulated, posterior margin almost straight; epicnemium with anterior margin almost straight. mesoscutum longer than mesoscutellum medially; parapsidal signum absent; transscutal fissure conspicuous; mesoscuto-scutellar suture absent; mesopleuron with mesepimeral lobe not evident, anterior mesopleural fovea absent, mesopleural epicoxal lobe not evident, mesopleural pit present, upper mesopleural fovea absent; metapectal-propodeal disc longer than wide medially, without evident constriction at propodeal spiracle; transverse anterior carina present; lateral marginal carina absent; paraspiracular sulcus absent; paraspiracular carina absent; metapostnotal median carina absent; propodeal spiracle circular, on lateral surface of the metapectal-propodeal complex; metadiscrimen absent; metafurcal pit absent; forewing with prestigmal abscissa of radial 1 oval; 4.0 × as long as pterostigma; 3.0 × as wide as Sc+R vein, prestigmal flexion line present, pterostigma large and oval; hind wing with three equidistant distal hamuli.

METASOMA. S2aa with anterior margin straight, S2pa as long as wide medially, widening posterad; second abdominal spiracle circular; third abdominal sternum with anterior margin straight; abdominal tergum narrowing apicad; hypopygium with spiculum narrowing apicad, hypopygeal anterolateral apodeme present ( Fig. 13F ).

Female

Unknown.

Remarks

This species is known only from the male holotype, and its genitalia is lost. However, the uniqueness of having the antennae with 10 flagellomeres confirmed its identity in comparison to other species known from males, such as M. cleonarovorum , M. neolongiceps , and M. pentagonal , all of which are known for males with 11 flagellomeres.

Host

Unknown.

Distribution

Australia (Queensland).

Figures

Fig. 13. Megaprosternum wakawaka sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (BPBM). A–B. Habitus. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view.C. Head, dorsal view.D–E. Mesosoma. D. Dorsal view.E. Ventral view.F. Hypopygium, external view. Scale bars: A–B = 500 μm; C–F = 125 μm.