Epyris loisae Tribull

Tribull, Carly Melissa, 2016, Five new species and key for Australian Epyris Westwood (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae), Zootaxa 4105 (4), pp. 368-380 : 370

Epyris loisae Tribull , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 A– 1I)

Examined material. Holotype, ♀. Australia: Western Australia: 30 km ESE Three Rivers Station; Malaise trap in dry bed of Gascoyne River; 24.IV–7.V. 2003; M.E. Irwin and F.D. Parker leg.; 504 m; 25°13.6'S, 118°56.9'E, #066947 [originally stored at CNC, now at ANIC]. Paratype: 1 ♀, same locality as holotype, #066948 [ ANIC].

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Body length 8.5 mm; LFW: 3.72 mm.

Color. Body black. Mandible, palpi, tip of clypeus, antennae castaneous. Metasomal segments black with castaneous borders. Leg bright castaneous with trochanter dark castaneous. Fore wing hyaline with veins light castaneous; stigma dark castaneous ( Fig. 1 ).

Head. Hairy, shining surface strongly punctate with punctures deep, close together, irregularly spaced. Mandible with long setae, three teeth progressing larger posteriorly to anteriorly; lowest tooth largest and sharpened; middle tooth smaller but still sharpened; upper tooth round. Clypeus flattened apically, emarginate, with sharp median ridge and long setae. Eye small, LH 2.6 × HE, with short, erect setae. Ratios of antennomeres 4:1.4:1.5:1.3:1.2:1.2:1.2:1.2:1.1:1.1:1.0:1.1:1.8. LH 1.0 × WH, HE 1.0 × OOL, WF 2.28 × WOT, POL 1.2 × AOL.

Mesosoma. Pronotal disc 0.6 × as long as wide, sculptured in same manner as head. Mesoscutum coriaceous, 1.5 × length of mesoscutellum with punctures only on posterior half; notaulus narrow anteriorly and divergent, broadening posteriorly and converging, each notaulus separated by 1.1 × posterior width. Mesoscutellum coriaceous with punctures and setae on lateral edges; scutellar pit large, subrectangular, each pit separated by 0.1 × width and slanting from center posteriorly towards lateral margin. Dorsal view of metapectal-propodeal complex 0.67 × as long as wide, strongly reticulated on shining surface; metapostnotal median carina and each metapostnotal propodeal suture reaching transverse posterior carina; strong paraspiracular carina present; posterolateral corner foveolate. Fore wing with transverse-median vein strongly arched, convex posteriorly, but not meeting anal vein.

Metasoma. Petiolate and smooth; T3–T7 with sparse punctures, sparse pale setae.

Remarks. Epyris loisae sp. nov. differs most obviously from E. fulvimanus in the sculpturing of the propodeum. In E. fulvimanus , the propodeum is smooth, as opposed to being strongly reticulate in E. loisae . Additionally, the posterolateral corners are strongly foveolate in E. loisae . Finally, in E. fulvimanus , only the tibia is castaneous, and the mesoscutum in E. loisae is much longer, 1.5 × the length of the mesoscutellum as opposed to being equal length in E. fulvimanus .

Etymology. The species name is in memoriam to Lois Tribull, the author’s mother.

Distribution. Australia (Western Australia).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Epyris loisae sp. nov. A. Lateral habitus, B. Dorsal habitus, C. Lateral detail of mesosoma, D. Head, E. Lateral view of head, F. Drawing of mandible, G. Pronotum, H. Mesoscutellum, and I. Dorsal view of metapectal-propodeal complex. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.