Holopyga lunae Lucena, 2022

Lucena, Daercio A. A., Santos-Neto, Pedro E., Zanella, Fernando C. V. & Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2022, Taxonomic review of the elampine cuckoo wasps from northeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 5213 (3), pp. 201-235 : 222-225

Holopyga lunae Lucena sp. nov.

( Figs 13 , 14 )

Diagnosis. Holopyga lunae sp. nov. resembles H. luzulina Dahlbom. These species are distinguished from other Brazilian Holopyga based on the combination of the following features: moderate-sized body (about 7 mm), tarsal claw with two subsidiary teeth, and shape of the head (higher than broad). The new species is distinguished from H. luzulina based on the following combination of characters: vertex densely punctate (vertex with transverse band of sparse tiny punctures in H. luzulina ); lateral margin of pronotum bordered with discrete carina (lateral margin of pronotum lacking carina in H. luzulina ); male S3 dark brown (male S3 metallic green in H. luzulina ).

Description. Holotype, male ( Fig. 13 ). Body length: 6.9 mm.

Head. High 1.2× breadth; least distance between antennal rims 0.6× MOD; scape more or less cylindrical, gently curved medially, slightly wider submedially, 2.9× longer than its maximum width; F1 length 2.1× breadth, 1.4× longer than F2, F2 slightly longer than F3; F3–F10 subequal in size; F11 somewhat truncate apically; lower medial margin of clypeus straight; subantennal distance about 0.6× MOD; malar space shorter than 0.5× MOD; POL 2.1× OL; 0.8× OOL; lateral ocelli linked with transverse shallow sulcus; inner ocular margin slightly convergent submedially, LID 1.3× scape length; eye height 1.7× breadth.

Mesosoma. Anterior declivity of pronotum with shallow medial pit, lateral margin bordered with discrete carina; notaulus and parapsidal signum faintly marked; R1 2 v very short, barely visible; inner margin of tarsal claw with two subsidiary teeth.

Metasoma. T3 slightly depressed postero-medially, apical margin slightly truncate, with faintly marked medial notch, lateral margin slightly angulate.

Coloration. Head mostly metallic green, with purplish blue tints around ocelli; base of mandible green with faint purplish blue reflection; golden highlights basally on inner margin of compound eye and on upper gena; scape, pedicel and base of stipe metallic green; apex of clypeus, half mandible and flagellomeres brown; mesosoma mainly metallic green, with purple tints anteriorly on pronotum, scutum, and posteriorly on metapectal-propodeal complex; bluish highlights on lateral pronotum, and metapleuron-propodeum; golden highlights on pronotal lobe, mesopleuron, and legs; tegula brown; wing membrane light fuscous with brown veins; coxa, femur, tibia and outer surface of basitarsomere green; distal tarsomeres and inner surface of basitarsomeres light brown; dorsum of metasoma mainly metallic green with light bluish highlights on terga; disc of anterior declivity of T1 purplish brown; T2 with anterior transverse purplish blue band; golden highlights laterally on terga, brighter on T3; T3 distal edge hyaline; laterotergites mostly metallic green, with dark margins; S1–S2 metallic green, S3 dark brown.

Sculpture. Vertex and frons densely sculptured, becoming sparser on gena and lower on face; scapal basin densely cross-ridged, with small punctures marginally; clypeus punctulate, sparser on disc; scape densely punctulate; gena rugose-striate, with distinct longitudinal ridge; dorsum of mesosoma and mesopleuron densely foveate, larger and deeper on metanotum; lateral pronotal depression and metapleuron-propodeum with transverse striae; posterior mesopleuron slightly striate; outer surface of legs punctulate, except tarsomeres; dorsum of metasoma heavily sculptured, with double, dense, punctation pattern, with small punctures among larger foveae, becoming transversely ridged lateroposteriorly on T1–T2, and anterolaterally on T3; anterior declivity of T1 mostly impunctate, with only marginal punctures; laterotergites of T1–T2 sparsely punctulate, becoming denser on laterotergite of T3; S1–S2 sparsely punctulate, becoming much denser on S3.

Vestiture. Head with short, sparse, pale setae on vertex, becoming longer and denser on frons, along inner ocular margin, gena, and occiput; scapal basin glabrous; clypeus with long, sparse, pale setae, becoming denser marginally; distal margin of galea and mandible with long, sparse, gold setae; scape with short, gold setae; flagellomeres with short, suberect, pale setae; eye glabrous (magnification above 100×); dorsum of mesosoma with short, erect, sparse, yellowish pale setae, becoming longer and denser on scutum and scutellum; propleuron with long, dense, pale setae; lateral pronotum and metapleuron-propodeum almost glabrous, except for some sparse marginal setae; wing membrane entirely setose; coxae and femora with long, dense, pale setae; protibia with some outstanding, long, pale setae; meso- and metatibiae with short, dense, even, pale setae; venter of tarsomeres with dense, even, spine-like setae; dorsum of metasoma with short, suberect, pale setae; S1 and S2 with long, sparse, pale setae; S3 with long, dense, pale setae.

Female ( Fig. 14 ). Same as male, except: F1 length 2.4× breadth; F11 not truncate; LID 1.4× scape; eye with microtrichia; flagellomeres with short, decumbent, pale setae; lacking golden highlights on head, pronotum and metasoma; S3 metallic green; T3 not depressed postero-medially; T3 apical margin not truncate, lacking medial notch, and lateral margin not angulate.

Material examined. Holotype ♂. BRAZIL, Sergipe: Canindé de São Francisco, Sta. Maria , 20.vi.2005, Debora Moura leg. / 23885 UFPE / L172 P874, Waltheria indica (RPSP) . Allotype ♀: Canindé de São Francisco, Cana Brava, 30.viii.2002 / 10391 UFPE / L140 P755, Melochia tomentosa ( RPSP: 1♀); other paratypes: Canindé de São Francisco , Poço Verde , 24.v.2005 / 22577 UFPE / L132 P994, Cissus erosa ( RPSP: 1♂); Canindé de São Francisco , Cana Brava , 30.viii.2002 / 10292 UFPE / L139 P874, Waltheria indica ( RPSP: 1♀) . Alagoas: Piranhas, Poço da Ingazeira, Mata Ciliar , 29.vi.2005, Debora Moura leg. / 23914 UFPE / L180 P1191, Hydrolea spinosa / 23998 UFPE / L180 P1063, Tephrosia purpurea ( CEDU-UNILA: 2♂ 1♀) .

Distribution. BRAZIL (Alagoas, Sergipe) ( Fig. 17 ).

Host. Unknown.

Floral records. Waltheria indica (Malvaceae) , Cissus erosa (Vitaceae) , Melochia tomentosa (Malvaceae) , Hydrolea spinosa (Hydroleaceae) , and Tephrosia purpurea (Fabaceae) .

Remarks. The holotype is missing part of the right antenna, and right pro- and mesolegs. Male paratypes are lacking parts of their legs and flagellomeres. The allotype and the female paratype are lacking parts of their legs.

Rosa & Xu (2015) designated the lectotype for H. luzulina Dahlbom and provided photographs of the male typespecimen hosted in the MRSN. Type locality of this species is an unknown locality in Brazil. We have examined one couple from Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil —RPSP), and the male precisely matches the original description and diagnostic features observed in the images of the male lectotype of this species. According to Kimsey & Bohart (1991), H. luzulina is widespread in the Neotropical region, reaching the south of the Nearctic region through Mexico and southwest USA, though, we did not find this species sympatric with H. lunae sp. nov.

Etymology. The new species is named after Danielle Luna, first author´s wife.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Holopyga lunae Lucena sp. nov., holotype male [RPSP]. A. Habitus, lateral left view; B. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; C. Head, frontal view; D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. Head and mesosoma, lateral left view; F. Metasoma, dorsal view; G. Metasoma, lateral left view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (B, C, G), 1 mm (A, D, E, F).

FIGURE 14. Holopyga lunae Lucena sp. nov., allotype female [RPSP]. A. Habitus, lateral left view; B. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; C. Head, frontal view; D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. Head and mesosoma, lateral left view; F. Metasoma, dorsal view; G. Metasoma, lateral left view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (B, C, E, G), 1 mm (A, D, F).

FIGURE 17. Geographical distribution of three South American species of Holopyga (left); individual records for each species shown on the maps on the right. Type locality of Holopyga iheringi du Buysson is signed with a question mark–see Comments under the species section.