Pararhabdepyris directus Lim 2024, sp. nov.

Pararhabdepyris directus Lim sp. nov. (Fig. 1A–I) Description. FEMALE. Body length 2.66 mm; LFW 1.82 mm. Color. Head black; mandible dark castaneous; maxillary and labial palpi yellow; antenna brown except basal two thirds of scape dark castaneous. Mesosoma black except pronotal flange and dorsal pronotal area dark castaneous in lateral view; legs castaneous except coxa and femora dark castaneous; wings hyaline, tegula dark castaneous, veins castaneous. Metasoma black. Morphology. Head (Fig. 1C, D): Short, 0.73× as long as wide with straight posterior margin in dorsal view. Mandible with one apical tooth.Median clypeal lobe short with narrow rounded angle apically.First five antennomeres in ratio of 3.2: 1.6: 1.0: 1.1: 1.1 in length; scape, pedicel, flagellomere I–III and XI 2.9, 2.1, 1.3, 1.3, 1.4, and 2.8x as long as wide, respectively. Eye with sparse erect setae; 0.30 mm long, 2.0× as long as gena in lateral view. LE 1.7× OOL; WF 3.0× WOT. Anterior angle of ocellar triangle obtuse, POL 1.6× AOL; OOL 1.5× WOT; posterior ocellus separated from vertex crest by 0.5× DAO in dorsal view. Mesosoma (Fig. 1A, B, E–G): Dorsal pronotal area coriaceous, 0.5× as long as wide, trapezoidal, antero-lateral corner rounded, lateral margin slightly widening distad and sharply wide at distal one third. Mesoscutum coriaceous; notauli complete, deep, curved, converging posterad; parapsidal signum present, straight and slightly converging posterad. Mesoscuto-scutellar suture conspicuous, anterior margin slightly incurved, lateral extremities dilated and curved posterad; mesoscutellar disc coriaceous. Metapectal-propodeal disc 0.8× as long as wide; metapostnotal median carina and one pair of metapostnotal lateral carinae present, metapostnotal median carina reaching transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc and metapostnotal lateral carinae reaching anterior one fourth of disc; metapostnotal-propodeal suture absent; median and submedian area of metapectal-propodeal disc rugulose; transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc straight. Propodeal declivity areolate. Lateral surface of metapectal-propodeal complex weakly strigate. Forewing with pterostigma; 2r-rs&Rs vein 0.6 mm long. Metasoma (Fig. 1H, I): polished and largely smooth. Metasomal tergite II with one pair of transverse thin yellow spots anterolaterally. Male. Unknown. Material examined. Holotype, ♀. DMZ Native Botanical Garden, 916-70 Punchbowl-ro, Haean-myeon, Yanggu-gun, Gangwon province, South Korea, 38°15’8.33”N 128°6’43.06”E, Alt. 636 m, 16.xiii– 20.ix.2022, MT (Malaise trap), S.S. Eo, M.H. Kim & M.C. Kim leg. (KNAE) Etymology. The specific epithet directus refers to the straight transverse posterior carina of the metapectal-propodeal disc. Distribution. South Korea (Gangwon Province). Remarks. This species is similar to P. paradoxus, but, it is distinguished from the latter by having the basal two thirds of scape dark castaneous, coxa and femora dark castaneous; the median and submedian areas of metapostnotal-propodeal disc rugulose; transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc straight, whereas P. paradoxus has the scape light castaneous, legs yellow; the median and submedian areas of metapectal-propodeal disc areolate; transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc incurved. Key to World Pararhabdepyris species (modified from Vargas & Azevedo, 2016) 1. Notaulus absent; mesoscutellar-scutellar sulcus medially narrow and laterally ending in sub-circular deep foveae; 1Cu cell absent.............................................................................................. 2 - Notaulus present; mesoscutellar-scutellar sulcus evenly wide along its length and bend posteriorly at its lateral ends; 1Cu cell present............................................................................................. 3 2. Subocular groove absent; parapsidal signum carinate; metapectal-propodeal disc not areolate......................... 5 - Subocular groove present; parapsidal signum sulcate; metapectal-propodeal disc strongly areolate anteriorly................................................................................................ P. lophos (Thailand) 3. Pronotum castaneous; parapsidal signum absent............................................ P. balios (Australia) - Pronotum black; parapsidal signum present................................................................ 4 4. Transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc incurved in middle with obtuse angle............................................................................................... P. paradoxus (Russia, South Korea) - Transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal disc straight................ P. directus Lim sp. nov. (South Korea) 5. Frontal median polished stripe conspicuous between posterior margin of clypeus and anterior ocellus; lateral surfaces of metapectal-propodeal complex flat at spiracle level in lateral view.................................. P. arabo (UAE) - Frontal median polished stripe absent; lateral surfaces of metapectal-propodeal complex abruptly gibbous at spiracle level in lateral view......................................................................................... 6 6. Eye setose; scape pale castaneous; metapectal-propodeal disc areolate................ P. wafrika (Central African Rep.) - Eye glabrous; scape castaneous; metapectal-propodeal complex faintly striate to polished.................................................................................................... P. ngangu (Central African Rep.)