Tiphia pallisteri Allen 1972

Tiphia (Tiphia) pallisteri

There are only a few male Tiphia from the Peru-Equador-Bolivia area in which there is no anterior transverse carina of the first tergum. Two of these, T. pallisteri and T. penai, have the radial cell greatly exceeding the second cubital cell in lateral extension. T. pollesteri differs from T. penai in having long, high ridges buttressing the transverse carina of the dorsal pronotum, in strongly reticulate lateral areas of the dorsal propodeum and in possessing a lateral denticle on sternum 5.

HOLOTYPE.—♂; Moyobamba, San Martin, Peru, 1,800 ft. (550 m), 19–XII–1946 (J. C. Pallister) (AMNH).

MALE.—Front with punctures largely of second-degree density with polished impunctate interspaces twice as wide as an ocellus. Head 2.1 times as wide as least distance between eyes. Cheek slightly wider than an antennal fossa. Mandible without preapical denticle.

Dorsal pronotum (Figure 19) with transverse carina exceptionally high, and buttressed by a complete transverse series of long, high cross ridges, primary punctures reduced to about 20 and these are chiefly on the sides. Lateral pronotum conspicuously dished with a broad polished area at its center. Mesopleuron with conspicuous scalariform prepectal ridge; upper anterior slope with a total of less than 10 large primary punctures located near the suture and about an equal number of small, widely separated ones near crest of slope. Legs black. Hind tibia with a longitudinal ridge on inner face; no apparent sensorium. Tegula without shagreening or groove on outer margin. Forewing with membrane moderately infumate; radial cell greatly exceeding second cubital cell in lateral extension; sectors of second cubital cell in terms of inner sector (itob) are 10:22:17:18.

Dorsal propodeum rugulose to reticulate both on lateral discs and within areola; areola rectangular, almost twice as long as wide; posterior aspect of propodeum moderately reticulopunctate. Tergum 1 without anterior transverse carina; dorsum broadly and very coarsely punctate; preapical band abruptly impressed only on anterior border and consisting of a row of coarse, elongate, irregularly-shaped punctures separated by much less than their average diameter. Terga 3 and 4 with punctures relatively sparse, moderately coarse, and relatively uniform in size and distribution; intermediate terga without microscopic apical grooves in middle area. Sternum 5 with a small, appressed lateral denticle.

Length 5.2 mm.

FEMALE.—Unknown.