Carinostigmus bucheilus Krombein 1984

Carinostigmus (Perissostigmus) bucheilus

The female of C. bucheilus is separated at once from the other four Ceylonese species of Carinostigmus by having two rather than three apical mandibular teeth (cf. Figures 8, 14); by having the labrum very broad and evenly rounded at apex (cf. Figures 9–13), and by having the palpi, apical margin of labrum, basal half of mandible and underside of scape white, in addition to the pronotal lobe (the only white area in the other four species). It differs also from those of C. congruus (Walker), C. costatus, new species, and C. griphus, new species, in having a weak frontal carina that is not armed with a projection near the middle, and in having a narrow groove along inner eye margin with evanescent crenulations (cf. Figures 3–7).

The male is unknown but presumably it will differ from those of C. congruus, C. costatus, and C. griphus in having a weaker median ridge on the front which lacks a projection near the middle. It is probable also that the male will have white markings on the head that should be lacking in males of the other three species.

So far as is known this is a montane species occurring at altitudes above 1610 m, and in areas characterized by relatively high rainfall averaging 2160–3900 mm annually.

ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name is formed from the Greek bu- (large) and cheilus (lip), in allusion to the very large labrum.

HOLOTYPE.—; Sri Lanka, Central Province, Nuwara Eliya District, Hakgala Natural Reserve, 6–7 Feb 1979, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, T. Wijesinhe, S. Siriwardane, T. Gunawardane (USNM Type 101123).

FEMALE.—Length 5.5 mm. Black, shiny, the following white: palpi, basal half of mandible, apex of labrum, scape beneath and pronotal tubercle; the following testaceous to light red: apical half of mandible except teeth, labrum except apex, underside of coxae, trochanters, undersides of fore and mid femora, fore and mid tibiae and tarsi; the following light to darker brown: tegula, fore and mid femora above, and underside of hind tibia. Wings clear, stigma black, veins dark brown.

Head in frontal view (Figure 7); viewed from above, head moderately narrowed, width at occiput 0.5 times greatest width; clypeus with median lobe moderately broad and produced, truncate at apex with a semicircular emargination in middle, an emargination of same size on either side between median lobe and a blunt tooth (Figure 13); frontal ridge very weak, without projection near middle (cf. Figure 19); ocular groove narrower than in C. clypeolus, crenulations evanescent; vertical aspect of front and vertex delicately shagreened; upper horizontal surface of front and vertex with tinier, more dispersed punctures than in C. clypeolus, no groove before anterior ocellus; occipital groove narrow and delicately crenulate; head beneath (Figure 23) with small scattered punctures and a few weak longitudinal rugulae laterally.

Anterior pronotal ridge weak, lateral angles acute but weak; notauli and parapsidal lines weakly impressed, the former crenulate; scutum with larger punctures than on head, closer than in C. clypeolus, many of those in middle separated by about the width of a puncture, anterolaterally with close transverse rugulae that curve toward middle and become longitudinal, posteriorly with short longitudinal gouges (Figure 42); scutellum with narrow, weakly crenulate groove anteriorly, elsewhere with somewhat smaller and more scattered punctures than on scutum; metanotum with parallel ridges converging slightly toward middle; mesopleuron with fine punctures beneath wing base, smooth elsewhere except for short horizontal ridges posteriorly, scrobal sulcus, omaulus and hyposternaulus more weakly crenulate than in C. congruus; stigmal fovea elliptical, shorter and narrower than in C. clypeolus; propodeal enclosure (Figure 42) with irregular, more or less radiating rugulae anteriorly, posteriorly with transverse rugulae; dorsal area adjacent to enclosure with close oblique rugulae; small rounded smooth area on upper half of posterior surface adjacent to furrow and below that irregularly rugosoreticulate; lateral propodeal surface rugosoreticulate above and with close vertical rugulae below.

Abdominal petiole slender (Figure 52), elongate, 8.0 times as long as width at middle, dorsal surface rounded, carinae lacking dorsally and laterally; pygidium small, oval, depressed, delicately shagreened.

MALE.—Unknown.

PARATYPES (all USNM except when specified otherwise).—4, same locality as holotype as follows: 1, 1650–1800 m, 23–25 Feb 1977, K.V. Krombein, P.B. Karunaratne, P. Fernando, D.W. Balasooriya; 3, 23–24 Apr 1981, 2 in Malaise trap, K. V. Krombein, T. Wijesinhe, L. Weeratunge. 1, Hakgala Forest Reserve, 28 Feb 1974, P.J. Chandler (London). 6, Kandy District, Adams Peak Trail, 4.5 mi (7.2 km) W Maskeliya, 1610–1710 m, 20–21 Oct 1977, K.V. Krombein, T. Wijesinhe, M. Jayaweera, P.A. Panawatta. Two paratypes have been placed in the National Museum, Colombo.

Paratypes are 5.0–5.9 mm long and show little variation from the holotype in color or sculpture.

* * *

* Males are unknown of C. bucheilus, new species, and C. clypeolus, new species. Females of these two species have a very weak median frontal carina lacking a projection near the middle, and a narrower groove along the inner eye margin. It is reasonable to assume that their males would have weaker, unarmed frontal carinae and a weaker ocular groove than males of C. congruus (Walker), C. griphus, new species, and C. costatus, new species. Considering the other characters of female C. bucheilus, it appears probable that the male will have an acetabular carina and subomalus anteriorly on the mesosternum, at least as many white markings on the head, predominantly testaceous to light reddish legs, and comparatively weak sculpture on the head. Characters of male C. clypeolus are more difficult to predict, but presumably it should have comparatively darker legs than males of other species, and weaker sculpture on the head and propodeum.