Laelius mekes Barbosa & Azevedo 2009, sp. nov.

(Figs. 1–8)

Diagnosis of female. Mandible with five sharpened apical teeth, two basal wider than others (Fig. 3). Clypeus very short (Fig. 2). Pronotum with setae short and thick. Propodeal disc with seven carinae, median and inner discal carinae complete, second pair and outer discal carina incomplete, with longitudinal ridge between median carina and inner discal carina (Figs. 5, 22). Stigma with three short and thick dorsal setae. Radial vein 4.0x longer than basal vein (Fig. 8).

Description of female. Holotype (Fig. 1). Body length 2.37 mm. LFW 1.37 mm.

Color. Palpi, wing venation, trochanters, fore tibia and tarsi light castaneous; pedicel, mandible, tegula, mid tibia, hind tibia castaneous; scape, flagellum, mid coxa, hind coxa, mid femur and hind femur, dark castaneous; head, mesosoma, fore coxa, fore femur and metasoma dark castaneous nearly black; wings hyaline.

Head (Fig. 2). Mandible with five sharpened apical teeth, two basal wider than others, with one thick dorsal setae (Fig. 3). Clypeus with median lobe trapezoidal, apical margin angulate, shorter than wide, with sharpened median teeth at apical margin. First five antennal segments in ratio of about 23:10:7:9:7. WH 1.09x LH. WF 1.0x HE. WF 0.48x WH. OOL 0.71x WOT. VOL 0.52x HE. Distance of posterior ocellus to vertex crest 0.4x DAO. Frons coriaceous, punctures sparse. Frontal angle of ocellar triangle obtuse, ocelli small, ocellar triangle broad, distance between inner margin of posterior ocelli about 3.0x DAO. Temple divergent anterad. Vertex slightly convex, corner rounded, lateral setae short and strong.

Mesosoma. Pronotal disc coriaceous, trapezoidal, side slightly concave, punctures sparse, dorsal setae short and thick. Mesoscutum coriaceous, with short and thick setae between notaulus and parapsidal furrow (Fig. 4). Notaulus conspicuous, incomplete, parallel. Parapsidal furrow shorter than notaulus, as conspicuous as notaulus, not reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum, parallel to each other. Scutellum coriaceous, with four pairs of thick setae. Propodeal disc 1.0x as long as wide, with seven carinae; median carina complete; inner discal carina complete; space between median and inner discal carinae with longitudinal ridge; second pair of discal carina complete; space between inner discal carina and second pair of discal carinae without ridge; outer discal carina incomplete; sublateral carina absent; lateral carina present, followed by short striae; posterior carina complete (Figs. 5, 22). Declivity of propodeum strigulate, median carina present. Mesopleuron with subtegular fovea; sub-alar fovea elongate and closed; anterior fovea opened; mesopleural fovea opened; lower fovea closed; posterior fovea closed; episternal furrow with inner margin not striate (Figs. 7, 23).

Wings (Fig. 8). Tegula without setae. subcostal vein in fore wing with ten dorsal setae; median vein with five; basal vein with two; anal vein with three; and stigma with three dorsal setae. Radial vein slightly curved forward, 4.0x as long as basal vein. Hind wing with three hamuli.

Metasoma. 2.3x longer than wide; tergum II longer than others; terga III–VI with transverse setae line on dorsal surface; metasoma with apex acute.

Material examined. Females (12): Holotype. MADAGASCAR, Fianarantsoa Province, Parc National d'Isalo, 9.1 km 354° N Ranohira, elev[ation] 725m, 27–31.I.2003, 22° 28' 54" S, 45° 27' 42" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad[emy] of Sciences, pitfall trap in gallery forest, BLF7306, CASENT 2088035, CASC. Paratypes. MADAGASCAR, Province d`Antsiranana, 1 female, Réserve Spéciale de l'Ankarana, 22.9 km 224° SW Anivorano Nord, 10–16.II.2001, 12° 54' 32" S 49° 6' 35" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., Calif [ornia] Academy of Sciences, sifted litter in tropical dry forest, 80m, BLF2858[code], CASENT 2113845, CASC; 1 female, Parc National Montagne d’Ambre, elev[ation] 960 m, 26–29.I.2001, 12° 30’ 52” S, 49° 10’ 53” E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, M.E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger & R. Harin’Hala col., Malaise trap, MA-01-01A-02[code], CASENT 2003417, CASC. Antsiranana, 1 female Forêt de Bekaraoka, 6.8km, 60° ENE Daraina, elev 150m, 7.XII.2003, 13° 10' 00" S, 49° 42' 36" E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, B. L. Fisher col., general, collecting, night spiders, tropical dry forest, BLF9876[code], CASENT 2103888, CASC. Mahajanga Province, 2 females, Parc National de Namoroka, 16.9 km 317° NW, Vilanandro, elev[ation] 100m, 12–16.XI.2002, 16° 24' 24" S, 45° 18' 36" E, Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation-tropical, dry forest, BLF6584[code], CASENT 2089972 and CASENT 2089974, CASC; 1 female, Parc National de Namoroka, 9.8 km 300° WNW, Vilanandro, 4–8.XI.2002, 16° 28' 00" S, 45° 21' 00" E,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation, in tropical dry forest, elev[ation] 140m, BLF6448[code], CASENT 2111563, CASC; Toamasina, 1 female, botanic garden near entrance to Andasibe National Park, 1–7.XI.2001, 18° 55.58’ S, 48° 24.47’ E,: M. Irwin, R. Harin'Hala col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, Malaise trap - tropical forest, elev[ation] 1025 m, MA-01-08B-18[code], CASENT 2084797, CASC; Toliara Prov [ince], 1 female, Forêt de Mite, elev[ation] 75m, 20.7 km 29° WNW Tongobory, 23° 31' 27" S, 44° 7' 17" E, 27.II- 3.III.2002,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, Malaise trap - in gallery forest, BLF5849[code], CASENT 2062446, CASC; 1 female, Parc National de Kirindy Mite, 16.3 km 127° SE Belo sur Mer, elev[ation] 80m, 6–10.XII.2001, 20° 47' 43" S, 44° 8' 49" E,: Fisher, Griswold et al. col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, beating low vegetation, tropical dry forest, BLF4728[code], CASENT 2112784, CASC; 1 female, Forêt de Petriky, 12.5 km W 272° Tolagnaro, 22.XI.1998, 25°03.7'S, 46°52.2'E, [elevation] 10m, Brian L. Fisher col., #2072, sifted litte (leaf mold rotted wood) litoral rainforest, CASENT 2007578, CASC. Province Fianarantsoa, 1 female, Parc National Ranomafana, radio tower at forest edge, elev[ation] 1130 m, 16.X–8.XI.2001, 21° 15.05’ S, 47° 24.43’ E, M. Irwin, R. Harin'Hala col., California Acad [emy] of Sciences, Malaise, mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-01[code], CASENT 2085960, CASC; Tulear Province, 1 female, Berenty Special Reserve, elev[ation] 85 m, 8 km NW Amboasary, 5–15.II.2003, 25° 00.40’ S, 46° 18.20’ E, California Acad [emy] of Sciences, M. Irwin, F. Parker, R. Harin’Hala col., Malaise trap, gallery forest, MA-02-22-15[code], CASENT 2116271, CASC.

Distribution. Madagascar.

Etymology. The specific epithet mekes, from Greek, refers to the long length of radial vein in the fore wing.

Variation. Body length 2.04–2.09 mm; LFW 1.29–1.32 mm; clypeus with apical margin slightly angulate, apical vertex slightly rounded, and median carina slightly broad in dorsal view; length of notaulus much shorter than holotype; propodeal disc without ridge between median carina and inner discal carina (Fig. 6); anal vein with four long and thick dorsal setae.

Remarks. After being compared to all other species of Laelius, we concluded this species is most similar to L. nigrofemoratus Terayama from Japan by having the propodeal disc with seven carinae and inner pair of discal carina complete. These are the only species having these characters. However, L. mekes has the second pair of discal carina incomplete, the sublateral carinae absent and the radial vein about 4.0x as long as basal vein, whereas L. nigrofemoratus the second pair of discal carina complete, the sublateral carinae present and the radial vein about 1.0x as long as basal vein. Most species of Laelius have a short radial vein, whereas this is the first record of a long radial vein for Laelius.