Megaplectes konishii, Watanabe, 2025

Megaplectes konishii sp. nov.

[New SJN: Konishi-oo-ruri-togari-himebachi]

( Figs. 40A–F, 76D, I, 79J)

Type series. Holotype: JAPAN, KPM-NK 103050 , F, Honshu, Nagano Pref., Outaki Vil., Mt. Ontake-san, Hakkaisan , 5. VIII. 2010, K. Watanabe leg.

Description. Female (n = 1). Body punctate and polished; covered with setae; body length 16.0 mm.

Head 0.63 × as long as wide in dorsal view. Clypeus 2.2 × as wide as long; slightly convex in lateral view; densely punctate; with transverse convexity along lower margin; lower margin subtruncate in frontal view, blunt in lateral view. Face 0.3 × as long as minimum width; weakly convex medially; matt; densely punctate medially, sparsely and shallowly punctate laterally. Frons largely strongly concave above antennal sockets; without horn; with pair of large, deep, margined concavities ( Figs. 40D, 76D, I); largely smooth medially, matt laterally. POL 0.8 × as OD. OOL 1.4 × as OD. Gena and occiput densely punctate. Dorsal profile of gena nearly straight in dorsal view; width gradually narrowing posteriorly ( Fig. 40D). Occipital carina complete. Malar space 1.2 × as long as basal width of mandible. Mandible flat at base; lower tooth equal in length of upper tooth. Antenna with 40 flagellomeres; apical part flattened below and tapped to slender apex. FL I 3.4 × as long as maximum depth in lateral view, 1.45 × as long as FL II.

Mesosoma finely and densely punctate. Epomia short; dorsal end situated between collar and dorsal margin of pronotum. Mesoscutum with short and sharp notaulus. Mesopleuron with smooth area around speculum ( Fig. 40E); punctures partly united into groove-like foveola. Epicnemial carina present laterally and ventrally. Sternaulus deep in entire length of mesopleuron. Metapleuron reticulate rugose; with complete juxtacoxal carina. Propodeum largely reticulate rugose; anterior transverse carina absent; posterior transverse carina weak, indistinct medially; lateromedian longitudinal carina largely indistinct; lateral longitudinal carina complete but weak; pleural carina complete; area superomedia indistinct; apophysis weak and obtusely pointed; spiracle oval. Fore wing length 14.5 mm. Areolet as long as maximum width; width steeply narrowing anteriorly; received vein 2m-cu at near middle ( Fig. 40F). Fore wing vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal to vein M&RS ( Fig. 40F). Nervellus subvertical; intercepted slightly posterior to middle. Hind femur densely punctate; 7.2 × as long as maximum depth in lateral view. Tarsal claws simple.

Metasoma finely punctate. T I 2.45 × as long as maximum width; smooth basally and laterally, canaliculate laterally; apical area densely punctate except for smooth area along posterior margin; latero-median carina largely absent except for basal part; dorso-lateral carina largely weak and partly indistinct. T II 0.87 × as long as maximum width. Thyridium present; close to anterior margin of T II; weakly depressed; ca. 2.0 × as wide as length. Ovipositor sheath 0.55 × as long as hind tibia, 1.05 × as long as T I. Ovipositor straight; apex sharp and with some minute teeth dorsally; apex of lower valve with teeth ( Fig. 79J).

Colouration ( Figs. 40A–F). Body (excluding wings) metallic blue. Setae goldish-brown. Subapical part of mandible tinged with reddish-brown. Labrum and palpi ivory except for small brown spot of second segment of maxillary palpus. Frontal and facial orbits with pair of longitudinal yellow markings. FL VII to FL XII with white markings. Ventral surface of flagellum and membranous parts of metasomal sternites partly tinged with reddish-brown. Tegula yellow. Apical part of femora tinged with reddish-brown. Apices of femora, bases of tibiae, TS II to TS IV of all legs, and basal part of hind TS V ivory. Tibiae and tarsi blackish-brown to yellowish-brown except for ivory areas. Posterior margins of T I and T II narrowly tinged with reddish-brown. Ovipositor reddish-brown. Wings dark brownish-hyaline. Veins and pterostigma blackish-brown except for yellowish-brown wing base.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Japan (Honshu).

Bionomics. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name is from Dr. Kazuhiko Konishi, a Japanese ichneumonologist and one of my teachers of ichneumonology.

Remarks. This is a remarkable species with blue metallic body, and there are many dissimilarities, such as sculpture, compared with other species in the genus, so the generic position may need to be reanalysed in future study.