Odontepyris muesebecki

Odontepyris muesebecki

ETYMOLOGY.—Named for Carl F.W. Muesebeck in recognition of his several contributions toward our knowledge of Indian Bethylidae.

FEMALE.—Length 3.1–4.0 mm, forewing 2.1–2.6 mm. Body black with antennae beneath, tibiae, and tarsi light red, mandible and tegulae darker red, remainder of appendages varying shades of brown. Wings clear except apical half of forewing slightly infumated, stigma black, prostigma and veins testaceous.

Mandible slender, clypeus with median carina weaker than in O. quadrifoveatus (Muesebeck) (see below), not extending onto front; eyes strongly protuberant, sides of head behind eyes converging abruptly toward slightly concave margin of vertex crest; WH 1.06–1.07 × LH; WF 1.20–1.33 × HE; EV 0.29–0.31 × HE; malar groove present; antennal scrobe ecarinate; front delicately alutaceous, punctures smaller than in O. quadrifoveatus, mostly separated by 2–3 × diameter of 1 puncture; ocelli in acute triangle, OOL 1.05–1.11 × WOT; first 4 antennal segments in a ratio of about 12:6:5:5, third segment length 1.60 × width.

Dorsum of thorax more delicately alutaceous than head, rather shiny, punctures quite small and sparse; scutellum with 4 foveae anteriorly, lateral pair pit-like, median pair shallower, wider, and separated on midline by carina; mesopleuron only slightly swollen behind median fovea; propodeal dorsum with median carina and pair of weaker, incurving sublateral carinae that extend about halfway to apical carina, median area at base smooth or with delicate oblique wrinkles; forefemur length 2.45–2.55 × width; forewing (Figure 2) with prostigma weakly developed, areolet ellipsoidal, at least twice as wide as veins enclosing it.

Second and sixth abdominal sterna with only scattered fine punctures.

MALE.—Length 3.1–3.7 mm, forewing 2.2–2.3 mm. Color and sculpture much as in female, but mandible and entire antennae light red, femora and tibiae lighter brown.

Head having WH 1.03–1.11 × LH; WF 1.26–1.31 × HE; EV 0.29–0.31 × HE; OOL 1.06–1.09 × WOT; first 4 antennal segments in a ratio of about 8:4:3:3, third segment length 1.57 × width.

Genitalia and subgenital plate as in Figure 1a,b.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—Holotype: , Sri Lanka, UVA PROVINCE, Monaragala District: Angunakolapelessa, 100 m, 24–26 Sep 1977, KVK, PBK (USNM).

Paratypes (all USNM): Sri Lanka, EASTERN PROVINCE, Amparai District: 1, Ekgal Aru Reservoir Jungle, 11–12 Jun 1976, in Malaise trap, KVK, PBK, SK. CENTRAL PROVINCE. Matale District: 2, 2, Kibissa, 0.5 mi (0.8 km) W of Sigiriya, 28 Jun-4 Jul 1979, jungle (2 in Malaise trap), KVK. PBK, TW, VK. UVA PROVINCE, Monaragala District: 1, Mau Aru, 100 m, 10 mi (16 km) E of Uda Walawe, 24–26 Sep 1977, KVK, PBK, TW, MJ. 4 , holotype locality, as follows: 1, 30 Sep-1 Oct 1977, KVK, PBK; 1, 17–19 Jun 1978, KVK, TW, LJ, VK; 2, 27–28 Mar 1981, KVK, TW, LW.

A pair of paratypes will be deposited in the National Museum, Colombo, and a female paratype will be deposited in the Natural History Museum, London (BMNH).