Lomachaeta chionothrix Pitts & Manley

Pitts, James P. & Manley, Donald G., 2004, A Revision of Lomachaeta Mickel, with a new species of Smicromutilla Mickel (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 474, pp. 1-27 : 6-7

2. Lomachaeta chionothrix Pitts & Manley , New Species

( Figs. 3 , 6 , 14 )

Diagnosis. Presence of large punctures on the medial portion of the pronotum, the totally black brown body with white setae, and black brown trochanters separate this species from all other Lomachaeta . This is the only species that has an aedeagus that is bidentate ventrally ( Fig. 14 ). The punctures of the pronotum ( Fig. 6 ) are similar to some forms of L. hicksi ( Fig. 11 ), but the punctures of the mesonotum are much denser and deeper and the setae of the dorsum are much denser for L. chionothrix .

Holotype Male. Head. Width 0.95 mm, black, clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. Clypeus with several black setae along apical margin. Compound eye maximum diameter 0.21 mm. Median ocellus 0.069 mm, lateral ocellus 0.054 mm, ocellocular distance 0.26 mm, and interocellular distance 0.077 mm. Malar space 0.092 mm. Mandible black, orange apically, distinctly emarginate beneath, with distinct tooth beneath. Antennal tubercle and scape black. Pedicel and flagellomeres brown. Antenna clothed with pale white setae throughout. Length of scape, pedicel and first three flagellomeres: 0.26, 0.077, 0.050, 0.093 and 0.11 mm, respectively. Width of first flagellomeres 0.088 mm. Front reticulate, punctures crowded. Vertex with small, distinct, separated punctures.

Mesosoma. Black; clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. Pronotum with moderately large, irregularly spaced punctures, some well separated, some confluent. Mesonotum with moderately large, close punctures throughout. Scutellum almost flat, with punctures similar to those on mesonotum. Dorsum and posterior face of propodeum broadly reticulate throughout. Tegula dark brown, glabrous, except punctate along margin, with long, pale, erect setae. Legs dark brown, clothed with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. Tibia with pale white bristles. Tibial spurs pale. Wings with pterostigma 0.14 mm in length along costa. Marginal cell 0.31 mm in length. Second submarginal cell pentagonal, 0.23 mm in length.

Metasoma. Black, except metasomal segments 6–7 brown; clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. T5–T7 with additional dark setae. Bristles at posterior margins of T2–T4, brown. T1 mostly impunctate, posterior margin with row of small, contiguous punctures. T2 with moderately small, distinct, widely separated punctures. T3–T7 with progressively small to fine, separated punctures. S2 with moderately small, distinct, widely separated punctures. Genitalia Figs. 3 , 14 ; aedeagus bidentate.

Length. Approximately 4.5 mm.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ɗ, GUATEMALA, Zacapa, Rio Hondo, 7.VI.1987, unknown ( CNCI). Paratypes, 5 ɗ, same data as holotype ( JPPC, DGMC and UGAC).

Other material examined. MEXICO, Nayarit, Mecatan, 800’, 1ɗ, 23.V.1949, G.M. Bradt ( AMNH).

Variation. The six male specimens vary from 3.6 mm to 4.7 mm and lack any noticeable difference in coloration or sculpture.

Hosts. Unknown.

Etymology. From the Greek chion “snow” and thrix “hair”, in reference to the white setae of the metasoma.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. 1 – 2, Lomachaeta hicksi ♂, 1. first and second metasomal segment, dorsal view; 2. wing; 3. L. chionothrix, male genitalia, dorsal and lateral view, scale = 0.25 mm; 4. L. cirrhomeris, male genitalia, dorsal and lateral view, scale = 0.25 mm; 5. L. hicksi, dorsal view.

FIGURES 6 – 13. 6 – 12, Pronotum and mesonotum of males, dorsal view of left half, not to same scale, 6. Lomachaeta chionothrix; 7. L. cirrhomeris; 8. L. hicksi; 9. L. hicksi; 10. L. hicksi; 11. L. hicksi; 12. L. ptilohyalus. 13. Mesonotum of L. hyphantria, dorsal view.

FIGURES 14 – 23. Internal view of male genitalia, 14. Lomachaeta chionothrix; 15. L. cirrhomeris; 16. L. hicksi; 17. L. hicksi; 18. L. hicksi; 19. L. ptilohyalus; 20. L. crocopinna; 21. L. hyphantria; 22. L. hicksi; 23. Smicromutilla beadugrimi; scale = 0.20 mm.