Cheiloneurus carita, Noyes, 2023

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 220-222

Cheiloneurus carita sp.nov.

( Figs 533-539; Hab. E 83)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (overall length about 0.9mm): body generally dark brown mostly matt but with weakly metallic areas; mesoscutum with uniform brown setae; fore wing ( Fig. 535) hyaline; fore coxa white; head ( Fig. 537) about 3.2X as wide as frontovertex; antenna ( Fig. 534) with pedicel nearly as long as F1-F3 combined; F1 and F6 very slightly longer than broad, F2-F5 quadrate or transverse; linear sensilla on F6; clava slightly longer than funicle, apex narrowly rounded; mandible with 3 teeth, upper tooth narrowly truncate; mesoscutum ( Fig. 539) with longitudinally elongate, lineolate sculpture, some imbricate to polygonally reticulate sculpture near posterior margin; scutellum with longitudinally elongate, lineolate sculpture, some enclosed cells near axillae and medially; scutellum without a tuft of setae medially; fore wing ( Fig. 535) about 2.5X as long as broad; parastigma hardly swollen, not downcurved; stigmal vein ( Fig. 533) with 3 apical campaniform sensilla; gaster with “glands” on Gt1 and Gt5, those on Gt1 separated by slightly more than 2X their own lengths, those on Gt5 separated by about 0.25X their own lengths; syntergum longer than broad. Male: unknown.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 0.94mm; excluding ovipositor, 0.90mm ( CPD) .

Head dark brown to black with a weak metallic lustre; frontovertex coppery purple behind posterior ocelli, occipital margin medially metallic very dark blue, area around anterior ocellus metallic dark blue, area above scrobes coppery and purple; temple and gena largely metallic dark blue, posteriorly broadly coppery, eye margin narrowly coppery; scrobal area coppery purple, area between eye and scrobe metallic dark blue, interantennal prominence metallic blue between lower parts of toruli, mouth margin coppery; a line of translucent, silvery setae along inner eye margin continuing below eye to gena and along position of malar sulcus; radicle pale orange; scape dark brown with apical one-quarter white; pedicel dark brown, apical one-third white; funicle with F1-F5 very slightly dusky, very pale orange, F6 very pale yellow; clava pale brown; thorax dark brown to black; pronotum with a slight coppery sheen; mesoscutum fairly matt, but slightly silky in appearance with a very weak coppery hue, posterior margin slightly more coppery; axilla with a slight coppery purple sheen; scutellum generally similar in appearance to mesoscutum but extreme apex and side with a fairly strong metallic dark green sheen; dorsum of thorax mostly with dark brown setae but posterior half of mesoscutum clothed in sparse, conspicuous, silvery setae; tegula dark brown with a slight coppery sheen; mesopleuron with a moderate coppery purple sheen; fore coxa white, mid and hind coxa dark brown; fore femur mostly dark brown, with apices white, tibia dark brown with apices white, tarsus pale testaceous; mid femur white with a broad, subapical brown band in distal half, tibia white with a broad, subbasal brown band in basal two-fifths, spur and tarsus very pale yellow; hind femur dark brown, extreme apex white, tibia mostly dark brown with extreme base and apical one-third white, tarsus white with apical tarsomere brown; wings hyaline, venation pale yellow, marginal vein dusky orange; propodeum dark brown with a weak brassy and purple sheen, side with a strong metallic blue-green sheen, outside spiracle with only 1 or 2 silvery setae; gaster dark purple-brown, dorsally with a coppery purple sheen mixed slightly brassy and green, Gt1 with a distinct dark metallic dark blue sheen, side and venter with coppery, blue, brassy and green reflections; gonostylus dark brown, extreme apex pale orange-brown.

Head ( Fig. 537) about 3.2X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 1.35X as high as deep, tangent to frontovertex above scrobes forming an angle of about 90° with face below top of scrobes; a small, broadly oval depression adjacent to eye near occipital margin; ocelli forming an angle of about 60°; frontovertex narrowest about level with posterior ocelli, relatively dull, with relatively deep, polygonally reticulate sculpture of mesh size mainly subequal eye facet, deepest and more polygonally reticulate in ocellar area; temple and gena with slightly shallower, longitudinally elongate imbricate-reticulate to polygonally reticulate sculpture; scrobes with relatively shallow, irregular, elongate sculpture; interantennal prominence and mouth margin with shallow, polygonally reticulate sculpture; scrobes shallow, indistinctly margined, narrowly ∩-shaped; interantennal prominence dorsally broadly rounded; antenna as in Fig. 534; scape hardly broadened and flattened, about 4X as long as broad; funicle with F1-F5 smaller, subequal, F1 very slightly longer than broad, F2-F5 slightly transverse, F6 clearly largest and broadest but slightly longer than broad; linear sensilla only on F6; clava slightly longer than pedicel and funicle combined, sutures parallel, sensory area small, at apex only giving it a pointed or slightly rounded appearance; eye not quite reaching occipital margin, separated by less than diameter of facet, more or less naked, clothed with extremely inconspicuous setae, each much less than 0.5X diameter of facet; malar sulcus absent; mandible tridentate, upper tooth narrowly truncate. Relative measurements: HW 61, HH 52, FV 19, POL 8, OOL 1, OCL 6, AOL 7.5, EL 34, EW 28, MS 25, SL 24, SW 6.

Thorax ( Fig. 539) with imbricate-reticulate to polygonally reticulate sculpture on pronotum that is about as deep as that in ocellar area, posterior margin quite smooth; mesoscutum throughout with fine, longitudinally elongate, striate-reticulate sculpture that is about as deep as sculpture on pronotum, anteriorly much finer and of narrower cells than posterior one-fifth; scutellum with similar, but much finer, slightly longitudinally elongate, polygonally reticulate sculpture, extreme side and apex completely smooth; setae on mesoscutum fairly sparse but quite evenly distributed; scutellum with a weak subapical tuft of only 4 or 5 setae; visible part of mesoscutum about 1.7X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.2X as broad as long; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 533, 535; costal cell with 5 or 6 dorsal setae at apex. Relative measurements: FWL 62, FWW 24.5; HWL 45, HWW 10.5.

Gaster with hypopygium reaching about 0.6X; syntergum about 1.4X as long as broad and 1.2X as long as mid tibia, with apex acute; “glands” ( Fig. 551) present on Gt1 and Gt5, those on Gt1 separated by slightly more than 2X their own lengths, those on Gt5 separated by about 0.25X their own lengths; hypopygium Fig. 549; ovipositor ( Fig. 538) slightly exserted, the exserted part about 0.5X length of mid tibial spur or about 0.18X mid tibia. Relative measurements: OL 80, GL 18.5 [MT 41].

Variation. Only holotype examined.

Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Guanacaste, 18km N Liberia, Buena Vista Lodge , 10°48’N 85°24’W, 770m, 15-17.ii.2016 (J.S. Noyes) . Holotype in NHMUK .