Type species:

Ojuelos juachicus Khalaim & Ruíz-Cancino, sp. n.

Composition.

The new genus contains only the type species, Ojuelos juachicus, described below.

Diagnosis.

The new genus belongs to the group of three genera (Cubus, Colpotrochia and Triclistus) having a characteristic lamella separating the antennal sockets and reaching the median ocellus (this lamella possesses a longitudinal groove in it, just below the median ocellus) (Fig. 7), and can be distinguished from these genera by the characters given in the key above. Besides characters mentioned in the key, Ojuelos differs from Colpotrochia by the first metasomal segment not petiolate and evenly tapered anteriorly (Fig. 11), and lower tooth of mandible very small (Fig. 5), and from Triclistus by the subgenital plate of female without a deep V-shaped invagination posteriorly (Fig. 13) (some species of Triclistus also have hypopygium only weakly emarginate).

Ojuelos can be distinguished from all other genera of Metopiinae by combination of the following characters: 1) frons with a medial, longitudinal lamella that possesses a groove in dorsal surface (Fig. 3); 2) face very weakly convex in profile and separated from clypeus by a weak groove; 3) first metasomal tergite in dorsal view gradually widening posteriorly (Fig. 11) (not petiolate as in Colpotrochia); 4) mesosternum without a pair of flattened, finger-like processes projecting posteriorly over bases of mid coxa (projections present in Cubus); 5) propodeum lacks most carinae, only the area posteroexterna is bounded by carinae, whereas the longitudinal carinae are absent anteriorly.

Description.

Fore wing length 9.5 mm, body length about 12.6 mm. Body and legs predominantly black, flagellum yellowish brown, wings yellow with distal margin broadly infuscate (Fig. 8).

Head: Mandibles stout, not twisted, with lower tooth strongly reduced (very small and inconspicuous) and upper tooth broad and chisel-shaped (Fig. 5). Labrum exposed, short and apically truncated (Fig. 6). Malar space half as long as basal width of mandible. Clypeus 3.0 times as broad as high, more or less flat in lateral view, separated from face by weak and broad transverse impression (Fig. 5). Face and upper 0.8 of clypeus very densely and coarsely punctate (punctures partly merging). Face very weakly convex, with upper part produced dorsomedially into a triangular projection that extends posteriorly as a thin, longitudinal lamella between bases of antennae; this lamella reaching to the median ocellus, and dorsally with a conspicuous groove (Fig. 7). Ocelli not enlarged. Back of head steeply declivous behind the posterior ocelli. Occipital carina dorsally close to foramen magnum, almost complete but obliterated ventrally before hypostomal carina (Fig. 4). Hypostomal carina strong, raised into a high flange (Fig. 4). Flagellum of antenna rather short and thick; all flagellomeres, excepting three basal and one apical flagellomere, distinctly transverse (Fig. 2).

Mesosoma: Propleuron not enlarged. Epomia very sharp and strongly raised, close to anterior margin and extending upwards (Fig. 7). Notauli completely absent. Mesopleuron strongly inflated (lateral sides of mesopleuron conspicuously protuberant in dorsal view). Epicnemial carina reaching almost margin of pleuron immediately below the subalar prominence, with a secondary carina extending from pleural margin near lower corner of pronotum, to join the subtegular ridge. Sternaulus absent. Posterior transverse carina of mesopleuron present laterally and absent ventrally. Propodeum rather short, convex, almost ecarinate, with only area posteroexterna clearly bounded by carinae, and with weak and short longitudinal carina extending anteriorly from anterior margin of area posteroexterna (Fig. 10). Propodeal spiracle large and oval (Fig. 10). Pleural carina between propodeum and metapleuron complete. Submetapleural carina complete, strongly raised anteriorly.

Wings: Fore wing with stalked rhombic areolet (Fig. 8), vein cu-a strongly inclivous and distad Rs&M. Vein 2m-cu slightly S-curved, with one long bulla. Hind wing with distal abscissa of Cu1 distinct, meeting cu-a much closer to 1A than to M.

Legs: Robust, all femora thickened. Fore tibia without apical tooth. Hind and mid tibiae with two spurs; inner spur of hind tibia longer than outer spur (Fig. 12). Apical tarsomeres not swollen. Tarsal claws large, simple but with long hairs.

Metasoma: Tergites 1 and 2 of metasoma separated. First tergite 1.6 times as long as posteriorly broad (length measured from hind margin of propodeum), evenly tapered anteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 11), with spiracle near its anterior 0.35 (Fig. 9); dorsomedian carinae virtually absent, dorsolateral carinae distinct only at base of the tergite, completely absent behind spiracle; sternite 1 reaching about 0.33 of length of tergite. Tergites 2 and 3 with neither dorsal nor dorsolateral carinae. Laterotergites 2 and 3 narrow, separated by a sharp crease. Laterotergite 4 separated from tergite by weak crease only anteriorly. Subgenital plate of female roundly truncated and very weakly concave at apex (Fig. 13). Ovipositor thin and short, slightly upcurved, without dorsal subapical notch, slightly projecting beyond apex of subgenital plate (Fig. 12).

Etymology.

Named after the type locality, Ojuelos de Jalisco. Gender masculine.

Description.

Female.

Head: Mandibles mostly densely and coarsely punctate, very finely shagreened at apex. Labrum 6.3 times as long as basally broad (Fig. 6). Maxillary and labial palpi slender and moderately long. Clypeus with lower margin truncated (Fig. 6), smooth in lower 0.2. Face with weak median tubercle in its upper part. Inner eye orbits moderately concave at level of antennal insertions. Vertex and genae with dense and sharp punctures (distance between punctures mostly equal to or slightly longer than diameter of puncture), smooth between punctures; punctures in lower part of genae sparser. Gena, in dorsal view, rounded, about as long as eye width (Fig. 3). Lateral ocellus separated from eye margin by distance equal to maximum diameter of ocellus. Flagellum of antenna with 46 flagellomeres; the basal flagellomere about 2.5 times as long as broad; flagellomeres 4+ distinctly transverse, mid flagellomeres almost twice as broad as long (Fig. 2).

Mesosoma: Pronotum mediodorsally smooth, laterally deeply concave. Mesoscutum weakly convex, posterolaterally with a sharp flange, entirely densely and sharply punctate, smooth between punctures. Scutoscutellar groove deep and smooth. Scutellum moderately convex in lateral view, smooth, with sharp punctures and with lateral carinae only at its extreme base. Mesopleuron mostly densely and sharply punctate, smooth and impunctate only posteriorly. Propodeum dorsally polished, laterally and posteriorly finely punctate to coriaceous. Metapleuron smooth, in dorsoposterior 2/3 with sparp punctures, in ventroanterior 1/3 impunctate.

Metasoma: Tergite 2, in dorsal view, slightly transverse; laterotergite 2 parallel-sided, 3.8 times as long as broad. Tergite 3 with laterotergite rather narrow and parallel-sided. Tergite 1 dorsally predominantly finely and densely punctate, smooth and shining between punctures. Tergites 2–6 dorsally mostly finely and very densely punctate, weakly polished between punctures. Subgenital plate finely punctate.

Coloration: Body and legs almost entirely black (Fig. 1). Flagellum yellowish brown with the basal and the apical flagellomeres fuscous (Fig. 2). Mouth parts blackish. Wings yellow with distal margin broadly infuscate, pterostigma and most of veins pale brown (Fig. 8). Legs predominantly black; fore leg with femur yellowish brown apically, tarsus yellowish brown, partly infuscate; mid leg with femur apically, tibia basally and basitarsus basally yellowish brown; hind leg with tibia with broad subbasal yellowish brown band and basitarsus basally yellowish brown. Tergite 1 with broad posterior brownish yellow band; tergite 2 laterally yellowish brown (Fig. 11).

Male unknown.

Material examined. Holotype female, México, Zacatecas Prov., 20 km S Ojuelos de Jalisco, Juachí, La Papa de Arriba, 21°42.104'N, 101°36.791'W, 2275 m, sweeping, 21.IX.2011, coll. A.I. Khalaim (UAT).

Distribution. Central Mexico (Jalisco).

Etymology. Named after the type locality, Juachí.