Ophrynopus aridus, Galdino & Vilhelmsen & Parizotto, 2025

Ophrynopus aridus sp. nov.

lsid:zoobank.org:act: 56D67D45-DA1B-4F36-802A-EFCBAF56C974

( Figs 1–10 View FIGURES 1–6 View FIGURES 7–10 )

Description. Holotype female. Body length 7.0 mm; fore wing length 4.8 mm. Integument predominantly black; two distal articles of maxillary palp and legs ferrugineous, except for dark brown hind tarsomeres. Fore wing mostly hyaline, with two infuscated areas; proximal one extending from vein C to vein M+Cu and distally to base of pterostigma; distal one from end of pterostigma to just below vein M and distally extending to one-third of radial cell. Pterostigma black; small white spot covered with white pilosity below pterostigma; veins predominantly brown. Hind wing hyaline, slightly infuscated in distal third ( Fig. 1 and 3 View FIGURES 1–6 ).

Head. Ocellar corona narrow, distance between median ocellus and lateral coronal teeth approximately equal to 1.5 × as long as width of ocellus. Compound eye abutting lateral ocelli ( Fig. 2 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Distance between lateral ocelli 1.5 × as long as distance compound eyes. Frons areolate, each pit with single flattened setae; without dorsal transverse and lateral longitudinal frontal carina. Postocular carina extending along complete posterior margin of eye, glabrous area between posterior margin of eye and postocular carina ( Fig. 1 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Occipital carina situated laterally, ventrally continuous with lateral border of subantennal groove. Vertex and gena areolate, points slightly shallow and sparse posteriorly, with short setae, slightly denser on vertex. Ventral half of gena with whitish pilosity more conspicuous. Antennomere 9 expanded distally and without carina laterally.

Thorax. Pronotum shorter medially than sublaterally, coarsely areolate, each pit with single short and flattened seta as on frons, pits slightly larger than on head. Mesoscutum areolate, with setae smaller than on pronotum, and with distinct longitudinal carina along of its length. Mesoscutellum with sparser punctures than mesoscutum ( Fig 3 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Mesepisternum with vertical carina well developed anterolaterally, with whitish setae ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Metanotum coarsely areolate, predominantly glabrous, with median longitudinal carina absent. Middle leg with single row of eight pegs; tibial spurs of unequal length; first tarsomere as long as remaining tarsomeres combined. Hind femur swollen, about 2.5 × as long as wide, hind tibiae with two irregular rows of denticles, longitudinal carina laterally; tibial spurs of unequal length, inner about one-third of length of outer.

Abdomen. Tergum 1 areolate, laterally with distinct postspiracular and subspiracular carina. Terga 2–5 finely areolate-punctate, without inconspicuous pilosity. Tergum 2 almost as long as tergum 3 and tergum 4 combined, with short longitudinal anteromedial carina and rounded smooth areas laterally. Terga 6–8 more irregularly rugose and sparsely punctured. Terga 7–8 with sparse, whitish pilosity ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Terga 9 finely areolate punctate anteriorly, coarsely areolate in ventral half, with distinct longitudinal carinae submedially. Sterna homogeneously areolate-punctate ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 1–6 ).

Male. Body length 3,0–3,4 mm, fore wing length 2mm; Integument predominantly black, even more so than female ( Fig. 7–9 View FIGURES 7–10 ). Two distalmost antennomeres and maxillary palp ferruginous ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7–10 ); tarsomeres brownish ( Fig. 7 View FIGURES 7–10 ). Pilosity and sculptures as in female. Sternum 9 with three posteriorly directed spines, one anteromedially and two posterolaterally ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 7–10 ).

Type material. Holotype female. Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina / -9.65763 -38.5079, Copo/ Azul, 27.vi–07.vii.2024,/ E. Galdino & P. Costa Cols GoogleMaps . Paratypes. Female: Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina ,/ L2 500, -9.66695, -38.4721,/ Armadilha Copo Azul, 1.5m,/ 27.vi.-07.vii.2024 / E. Galdino & P. Costa cols. GoogleMaps Male: Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina ,/ L1 500, -9.65805, -38.4722,/ Armadilha Copo Azul, 1.5m,/ 27.vi.-07.vii.2024 / E. Galdino & P. Costa cols. GoogleMaps Male: Brasil, Bahia, Paulo Afonso,/ ESEC Raso da Catarina ,/ L2 500, -9.66695, -38.4721,/ Armadilha Copo Azul, 1.5m,/ 27.vi.-07.vii.2024 / E. Galdino & P. Costa cols GoogleMaps .

Etymology. The species name refers to the dry habitat where the wasp was collected.

Remarks. Ophrynopus aridus sp. nov. resembles Ophrynopus carinatus Vilhelmsen & Smith, 2002 in the color pattern and punctation of the head and thorax. However, O. carinatus has the pronotum of approximately equal length in dorsal view, while in O. aridus sp. nov. the pronotum is medially shorter than sublaterally. In O. carinatus the sculpture on the upper mesopleura is denser with irregular depressions, while in O. aridus sp. nov. the depressions are rounded and more separated.