(Figs 126–134)

Type material. Holotype female [CNCI] on slide: NEPAL. DHAWALAGIRI, Goropani Pass, 2850 m, 5.x.1983, A. Smetana, screen sweeping. The holotype lacks most of one antenna except for the scape and one forewing. Paratype: NEPAL. DHAWALAGIRI (DHAULAGIRI) [Zone], PARBAT [District], Ridge E of Goropani Pass (also spelled as Ghoropani, Gorepani, or Ghorepani), 3100 m, 7.x.1983, A. Smetana, I. Löbl [1 ♂ on slide, CNCI].

Description. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma dark brown to black, petiole light brown, gaster brown to dark brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum dark brown; legs light brown except metafemur and metatibia brown.

Antenna (Fig. 126) with scape almost as long as clava, radicle 0.24x length of scape, remainder of scape 4.7x as long as wide, a little wider medially than basally, almost smooth; pedicel a little shorter than F1; all funicle segments much longer than wide and more or less subequal in length (F2–F5 a little longer and F6–F8 slightly shorter), F5, F7, and F8 each with 2 mps (remaining funicle segments without mps); clava 3.3x as long as wide, as long as combined length of F6–F8, with 7 mps.

Mesosoma (Fig. 127) with pronotum very weakly sculptured, almost smooth; anterior half or so of mesoscutum with inconspicuous sculpture and its posterior half or so smooth, midlobe of mesoscutum with a long median groove about as wide posteriorly as width of a notaulus, anteriorly narrowing and extending to almost 0.7x length of mesoscutum; anterior scutellum with inconspicuous sculpture (the cells almost as large as on mesoscutum), posterior scutellum smooth, shining, metanotum smooth, shining, with posterior margin slightly, broadly rounded; propodeum (Fig. 128) mostly smooth, with median carina much shorter than semioval median areole, lateral carinae almost parallel to median carina, extending to anterior margin of propodeum.

Forewing (Fig. 129) 2.8x as long as wide; disc with a slight brownish tinge throughout (more so as a sinuate, narrow, brownish strip behind venation, also extending beyond venation along posterior margin to a little more than half length of the wing), densely setose but bare just behind base of submarginal vein, slightly truncate apically; longest marginal seta about 0.19x greatest width of wing. Hind wing (Fig. 133) about 18x as long as wide; disc with a slight brownish tinge and densely setose throughout; longest marginal seta 2.5x greatest width of wing.

Pro- and mesocoxae smooth, metacoxa with weak reticulate sculpture.

Petiole 2.9x as long as wide, a little wider apically than basally, smooth, short (0.85x as long as metacoxa); ovipositor occupying about 0.9x length of gaster, slightly exserted beyond apex of gaster (by less than 0.1x own length), 1.2x length of metatibia.

Measurements (µm) of the holotype. Mesosoma: 480; petiole: 120; gaster: 584; ovipositor: 545. Antenna: radicle: 51; rest of scape: 158; pedicel: 58; F1: 76; F2: 85; F3: 82; F4: 79; F5: 80; F6: 70; F7: 73; F8: 70; clava: 220. Forewing: 1427:501; longest marginal seta: 94. Hind wing: 1009:55; longest marginal seta: 136. Legs (given as coxa, femur, tibia, tarsus): fore: 115, 260, 267, 303; middle: 106, 273, 400, 318; hind: 142, 276, 442, 324.

MALE. Similar to female except for the normal sexually dimorphic features and the following [body length is impossible to measure because of the way the detached head is slide-mounted]. Antenna (Fig. 130) with scape plus radicle yellowish, 4.6x as long as wide, pedicel light brown, and flagellum dark brown; mesosoma as in Fig. 131, propodeum as in Fig. 132; forewing (Fig. 133) with strong brownish tinge particularly conspicuous (but uneven) behind and just beyond venation; hind wing 15x as long as wide, disc with a strong brownish tinge and very densely setose throughout; petiole much longer than in female (5.0x as long as wide), 1.2x as long as metacoxa; legs a little darker than in female, particularly hind leg brownish; genitalia as in Fig. 134.

Diagnosis. Among the described species of Ooctonus, O. lapen sp. n. is characterized by the unique combination of the following features: the anterior half or so of mesoscutum with weak, inconspicuous reticulate sculpture and its posterior half or so smooth, and the midlobe of mesoscutum with a long median groove, about as wide posteriorly as width of a notaulus, anteriorly narrowing and extending to almost 0.7x length of mesoscutum.

Hosts. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name (a noun in apposition) is a reverse spelling of the name of its country of origin (Nepal).