Foenatopus prousti Aguiar et Turrisi

Aguiar, Alexandre P., Jennings, John T. & Turrisi, Giuseppe F., 2010, Three new Middle-Eastern species of Foenatopus Smith (Hymenoptera: Stephanidae) with a new host record and key to species with two spots on the metasoma, Zootaxa 2714, pp. 40-58 : 51-54

Foenatopus prousti Aguiar et Turrisi , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 [pr], 35–46)

Description. Holotype FEMALE. Length 6.84 mm. Biometric ratios as in Table 1 and Fig. 1 [pr].

Head ( Figs 35–38 ) conspicuously compressed antero-posteriorly. Antenna with 20 flagellomeres, 1st to 5th ventro-apically swollen, weakly on 4th and 5th; 6th–10th nearly parallel-sided, weakly distinct from one another, 11th– 20th centrally swollen, quite distinct from one another; flagellomeres 1–2 and 16–20 without tyloids, flagellomeres 3–5 with 1–3 tyloids respectively, flagellomeres 6–8 with 4 tyloids, flagellomeres 9–15 with 1–3 tyloids, with fine, transverse, parallel rugosities between tyloids, more evident on central flagellomeres. Frons weakly transversely and arcuately rugose; distinctly microreticulate between rugosities; frontal carina weak but distinct, complete, not stronger than neighbouring rugosity. Coronal area with a few weak carinae radiating from ocellus, texture between macrosculpture conspicuously microreticulate; posterior pair of tubercles stout, distinctly isolated from each other. Vertex anteriorly, behind posterior pair of tubercles, with large, high, transverse, arched carina, followed by a short transverse carina, the space between them polished, smooth; both carinae continued on vertex centrally into a partially concentric, coarse rugose pattern, reaching temples but ending distinctly ahead of occipital carina; area between rugose pattern and occipital carina, and gena, intensely alutaceous; dorso-longitudinal impression indistinct. Genal projection indistinct, because of head compression. Occipital carina a narrow rim, nearly linear, shaped as an inverted “U”, with diverging sides, apically fading and disappearing far from hypostomal carina. Postgenal bridge of normal shape, alutaceous, almost immediately concave behind hypostomal carina; occipital foramen very deeply placed.

Mesosoma . Conspicuously flattened, maximum width in dorsal view 1.48 maximum height in lateral view. Prosternum strongly micro-areolate, apex emarginated as a “V.” Pronotum ( Figs 39–40 ) entirely micro-areolate; anterior margin emarginated as a “U”, about as deep as wide; colo dorsally weakly but distinctly concave, laterally very weakly transversely strigate; preannular in dorsal view somewhat swollen, dorso-centrally, near semiannular, very weakly concave; in lateral view, quite flat, dorsal profile straight; pronotal fold absent; semiannular posteriorly with a few transverse strigations; femoral impression absent; pronotal lobe large but weakly differentiated. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 44 ) transverse, strongly rugose; notauli not visible, median sulcus visible with tangent illumination only. Axilla ( Fig. 44 ) strongly alutaceous. Scutellum ( Fig. 44 ) strongly alutaceous, lateral margin with strong foveolation, disappearing far from reaching apex. Mesepisternum ( Fig. 42 ) anterior half with horizontally decumbent short pilosity; posterior half glabrous or nearly so; densely rugulose and micro-areolate, except postero-ventrally not rugulose; dorsal margin anterior half rugulose and pilose, posterior half glabrous and polished. Mesopseudosternum flat, finely obliquely alutaceous on each half (almost V-pattern), on each side medio-laterally also punctuate; discrimen a straight sulcus, progressing from posteriorly deep and wide to anteriorly narrowing until disappearing at apex. Propodeum ( Fig. 44 ) medio-longitudinally with series of distinct, somewhat irregular foveolae; latero-medially strongly microreticulate; laterally areolate-rugose, the areolae larger towards posterior margin; metapleuron strongly areolate-rugose, including ventral area; spiracular groove and respective carina indistinct, parapetiolar depression, anterior and posterior spiracular plates, indistinct. Pleuropropodeal and postfoveolar foveae small but distinct, interfoveolar area polished; postfoveolar area rugose, contiguous with metapleural macrosculpture. Hind coxa medio-laterally micro-areolate, otherwise distinctly transversely strigate; hind femur ( Fig. 43 ) entirely and delicately micro-areolate (pentagonal and hexagonal units), apically slightly coarser; ventrally near basal 0.3 with short, low, triangular tooth; central tooth wide, triangular, apical tooth narrower; 2–3 small tubercles between largest teeth, a few more, some of which are paired, or triples, beyond apical tooth; all teeth and tubercle apices bearing single short hair; the hairs of apical tubercles different, straight, stiff, whitish. Hind tibia ( Figs 41, 43 ) longitudinally alutaceous; compressed part ventrally with two longitudinal, strictly parallel carinae or edges, reaching dilated part, where both give place to strong, oblique strigation; dilated part in posterior view with deep mesal compression, producing distinct, oblique border ( Fig. 41 ); mesal tibial spur slightly longer than lateral spur.

Wings. Fore wing. Venation beyond cells R and 1Cu chiefly spectral or absent; vein 1Cu tubular on its basal 0.4 approximately, crossvein 2r entirely tubular, followed by a short, almost straight section, then by vein 4Rs, which disappears slightly past half distance to wing margin; vein M+Cu apically with three widely spaced setae; vein 1M perfectly fused with 1Rs, straight; crossvein 1cu-a originating distinctly apicad of base of vein 1M; vein 1- 1A with three widely spaced, large, translucent, sub-basal setae, its apex straight, of regular shape, vein 2-1A fully spectral. Hind wing with vein Sc+R entirely tubular; other veins indistinct.

Metasoma. Petiole finely and densely transversely rugulose; small tubercles at about midlength, laterally, as vestiges of the petiolar spiracles; T3–8 very finely and densely transversely aciculate, T9 alutaceous. Pygidium wide, a convex plate, posterior margin straight; pygidial impression very deep, V-shaped.

Color. Brown to light brown, with dark brown mesothorax, metathorax, and propodeum; body with conspicuous whitish marks ( Figs 35, 39–44 ). Flagellomeres basally light brown to apically dark brown. Posterior margin of pronotum yellowish dorsally; mesothorax darkest section of body. Pale yellow to whitish: clypeus; spot on malar space, behind mandibles; fore and mid tibia basal 0.2 and apical 0.1; also a longitudinal stripe on anterior face of fore tibia; mid basitarsus basal 0.6–0.7; hind coxa at apex; hind femur apex and both ventral teeth; hind tibia, compressed part at apical 0.4; hind basitarsus entirely; propodeum dorso-apically with wide transverse stripe; large spot on petiole sub-basally and apically; T4 with two large pale yellow spots, separated from each other by about 0.3 their own width, of equivalent shape (mirror image). Ovipositor sheath from basally brown to apically dark brown, the apex dorsally pale yellow; [ovipositor within sheaths, not visible]. Wings hyaline, veins light brown, pterostigma basally whitish.

MALE ( Figs 45–46 ). Length 4.00– 6.17 mm (n = 5). Generally very similar to female, with a few notable differences, as follows. Morphometric ratios as in Table 1 and Fig. 1 . Flagellum with 18 flagellomeres; central ones each with several small tyloids, distinctly more than observed in the female. Depression on colo narrow and longitudinal, as a sulcus; propodeum apically with quite small and diffuse to wide and well defined whitish area; petiole anterior (first) whitish spot placed more centrally, or even past the center, from very small (specimen collected 15.IX.2007) to quite large, covering about 1/4 of dorsal side of petiole (specimen collected 2.V.2006); T4 spots from almost to entirely fused ( Figs 45–46 ), symmetrical (mirror image), but separated and of unequal shape on smallest specimen; on largest specimen T5 with two small, irregular spots ( Fig. 45 ). It is relevant to note that both the smallest and the largest specimen were captured in the same collecting event. Also with other minor differences on size or extension of yellowish/whitish marks.

Discussion. Readily separated from similar species by the following combination of features: strongly compressed head (as in Figs 35 , 46 ) and mesosoma (as in Figs 42, 44 ) (vs. weakly or not compressed), the typical color pattern of propodeum and petiole, dorsally ( Figs 45–46 ), and a quite small proportion Cxl/Fml (0.70 vs. over 0.80 for other females). The key to species gives several other relevant differences.

Material examined. Six specimens. HOLOTYPE Ψ ( UCTC). Label data: “S. Iran, Fārs, Dast-e Arzan, 29º38’N 51º54’E, 27.IV.2006, 2040 m, D. Gianasso leg.” Triangle mounted, complete, in good shape. PARATYPES: 5 ɗɗ ( GPPC, UFES). Label data: “W. Iran, Lorestān; 10 km SW di Dorud, 2.V.2006, 1400 m, D. Gianasso leg.”; 2 specimens “Sud Iran, 15.IX.2007, D. Gianasso leg.”; 2 specimens with same labels as holotype.

Distribution. Southwestern and western Iran.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the writer and philosopher Marcel Proust.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Values of all morphometric ratios for all examined specimens of all species. The slightly higher triangle in each species’ series indicates the female holotype specimen; all other triangles correspond to males. See Table 1 for ranges. Ratios as in Aguiar (2001).

FIGURES 35 – 44. Foenatopus prousti sp. nov., Ψ, holotype: 35. Head, left side; 36. Head, dorsal view; 37. Head dorsoanteriorly; 38. Head, ventral; 39. Pronotum, lateral view of left side; 40. Pronotum, dorsal view; 41. Left hind tibia, dorsal view; 42. Mesosoma (except pronotum) and propodeum, lateral view of left side; 43. Left hind femur and tibia, lateral; 44. Posterior margin of pronotum, mesosoma, propodeum, dorsal view. Not to scale. All images by Berthil B. Longo.

FIGURES 45, 46. Foenatopus prousti sp. nov. ♂, paratypes: 45. Metasoma, dorsal; 46. Largest specimen, dorsal. Not to scale. All images by Berthil B. Longo.