Chalcis periotoi Saguiah & Tavares, 2020

Saguiah, Pâmella Machado, Molin, Ana Dal & Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira, 2020, The South American species of Chalcis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), Zootaxa 4885 (3), pp. 353-383 : 369-372

Chalcis periotoi Saguiah & Tavares , sp. nov.

Figs 11 a–f, 12a–c, 13a, b

Diagnosis. Both sexes. Mesepisternum mostly smooth and shiny at upper quarter ( Fig. 11e ); scape with inner face slightly sinuous ( Figs 11c, d ); Fu1 1.6× as long as Fu2 length ( Fig. 11d ); protarsal claws falcate ( Fig. 11f ); metafemur with outer face puncticulate, interstices very wide, smooth and shiny, ventrally with outer basal tooth at most as large as and close to second tooth, the following teeth increasing in size up to the seventh tooth ( Fig. 12a ); gaster dark amber ( Fig. 12c ). Female. Hypopygium at apex weakly sclerotized, translucent ( Fig. 12c ). Male. Antennal scape with ventral plaque on distal one-sixth; sensillum indistinct; tarsal claws not bifid; hypopygium with distal margin shallowly concave ( Fig. 13b ).

Description. FEMALE. Length 6.5–6.7 mm. Color: Black, with yellow and dark amber areas as follows ( Figs 11 a–c, 12a). The following parts yellow: spot on parascrobal area ( Fig. 11c ), labrum (sometimes lower face and gena), base of scape anteriorly ( Fig. 11c ), fore and middle legs (except coxa and trochanter), tarsi, metacoxa dorsally and ventrally (sometimes), metatibia subbasally, pronotal collar laterally (occasionally completely), tegula, median lobe of mesoscutum posteriorly (varying from entire black to entire yellow on posterior third), mesoscutellum (sometimes black medially), propodeal callus (sometimes), irregular spot on posterior margin of upper mesepisternum (occasionally absent), and Gt3 to Gt7+8 (usually dark). The following parts dark amber: hind leg ( Fig. 11a ) (except metatibia black distally and sometimes the metafemur yellow along its margins), petiole and gaster. Wings infuscate ( Figs 11a, b ).

Head. Lower face not bulging above clypeus, with shallow umbilicate fovea, interstices moderately broad and finely coriaceous, somewhat shiny ( Fig. 11c ); parascrobal area foveolate, interstices broad and coriaceous, median intumescence present; malar space 0.5× eye height; malar sulcus conspicuous, sinuous; internal and external carina fine and inconspicuous, complete; gena smooth to alutaceous, genal carina absent; mandibular formula 2:3 or 3:3, if 3:3 median teeth inconspicuous; antennal scrobe from smooth and shiny ventrally to confused rugulose dorsally and without transverse carina below median ocellus ( Fig. 11c ); interantennal projection with median carina dorsally, carina extending slightly beyond interantennal projection. MOD:POL:APL:OOL = 0.17:0.26:0.08:0.26. Scape 4.1 4,4 × as long as wide, inner face slightly sinuous ( Figs 11c, d ); anellus about 0.5× as long as wide; Fu1 longer than all other funicular segments, about 2× as long as wide and 1.6× as long as Fu2 length ( Fig. 11d ).

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum sparsely pilose, with interstices mostly smooth and shiny; in some areas broader than 2× diameter of umbilicate foveae; mesoscutellum convex, frenal carina emarginate, blade-like; mesopleuron with mesepisternum smooth and shiny dorsally, and reticulate-foveate ventrally ( Fig. 11e ); propodeum with irregular median and submedian carinae, anterior and posterior costulae irregular, adpetiolar area with irregular rugae medially, anterosubmedial area irregularly areolate-rugose ( Fig. 12b ); tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs with pubescence similar to basal tarsomeres; protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally without pairs of distinct peg-like spines; protarsal claws falcate, ventrally with 5 basal spines followed by 1 wide and blunt tooth ( Fig. 11f ); mesocoxa slightly pubescent posteriorly; mesotibial spur 0.7× as long as the width of the mesotibial apex; metacoxa smooth and shiny dorsally, inner face glabrous; metafemur with outer face puncticulate and interstices smooth and shiny, ventrally without inner basal tooth but with 9–13 teeth along outer margin, outer basal tooth at most as large as and close to second tooth, the following teeth increasing in size up to the seventh tooth ( Fig. 12a ); metatibia with apical spine triangular and as long as the apical width of metatibia; metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than any of tarsomeres 2–5. Fore wing SMV:MV:PMV = 2.33:1.02:1.09.

Metasoma. Petiole about 2.5–2.9× as long as wide, cylindrical, with dorsolateral carina at most along basal half, ventrally with weak median carina at most along distal half (sometimes bifurcate distally); hypopygial median projection apically weakly sclerotized and translucent, without set of appressed bristles, ventrally with bristles at most as long as the width of hypopygial projection in lateral view ( Fig. 12c ); apex ovipositor sheath rounded apically, without some long setae ( Fig. 12c ).

MALE. Length: 5.1–6.1 mm. Similar to females ( Fig. 13a ), except: antennal scape with ventral plaque on distal one-sixth, sensillum indistinct; tarsal claws sharply recurved, neither bifid or pectinate; hypopygium with slightly concave surface, distal margin shallowly concave ( Fig. 13b ).

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ ( UFES), ‘Uruguay, Rocha, Don Bosco, 34°05’1.07’’S 53°45’43.08’’W, bosque-campo, 15.XII.2015, Malaise 2, E. Castiglione e eq. col.’ ( UFES, nº 163888) . Paratypes (14♀, 3♂). Argentina . Córdoba. Sierra Córdoba, 12.II.1929, S.J. Williner col. (1♀, MACN) . Corrientes. Ituzaingo , X.1978, Fritz col. (1♀, AMNH). Misiones. San Pedro, 2007, Lucia col. (1♀, UFES) . Santa Fé. Rosario , 7.II.1921, J. Hubrich col. (1♀, ZSM) . Brazil: Paraná. Foz do Iguaçu 5.XII.1966 (2♀, DZUP); Ponta Grossa, Vila Velha , Reserva IAPAR , BR 376, Malaise, PROFAUPAR, on dates 7.XII.1987, 23.XII.1987, 30.XII.1987 (3♀, DZUP); Ponta Grossa, Vila VelhaIAPAR , Malaise, Ganho & Marinoni, on dates 06.IX.1999, 20.XII.1999, 26.XI.2001 (3♀, DZUP). Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas, 18.I.1952, C.M. Biezanko col. (1♀, NHMUK). Santa Catarina. Nova Teutônia 52°23’L 27°11’B, XI.1935, F. Plaumann col. (1♀, 2♂, NHMUK). São Paulo. São Paulo, E. Gounelle (1♂, MNHN) .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Argentina (Córdoba, Corrientes, Misiones, Santa Fé), Brazil (Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, S„o Paulo) and Uruguay (Rocha).

Remarks. Chalcis periotoi is easily distinguished from the other South American species by the amber-colored hind leg, petiole and gaster ( Figs 11a, b , 13a ); pronotum, mesoscutellum, fore and middle legs with large yellow areas; metafemur with outer face puncticulate, interstices very wide, smooth and shiny ( Fig. 12a ); tarsal claws falcate; female hypopygium weakly sclerotized apically, translucent ( Fig. 12c ); male tarsal claws not bifid.

Etymology. This species is named after Dr. Nelson W. Perioto, a colleague that has dedicated his career to the study of Neotropical Chalcidoidea.

Figures

FIGURE 11a–f. Chalcis periotoi sp. nov., paratype female: a, habitus, lateral; b, habitus, dorsal; c, head, frontal; d, antenna, inner face; e, pro- and mesopleura; f, protarsal claw.

FIGURE 12a–c. Chalcis periotoi sp. nov., paratype female: a, metafemur, outer face; b, propodeum; c, gaster, lateral.

FIGURE 13a–f. Chalcis periotoi sp. nov., paratype male: a, habitus, lateral; b, hypopygium, ventral.