Parastephanellus sarramea Jennings, 2005

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Jennings, John T., 2005, First record of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera) from New Caledonia, with descriptions of four new species of Parastephanellus Enderlein, Zootaxa 1001 (1), pp. 1-16 : 12-13

Parastephanellus sarramea Jennings , NEW SPECIES ( Figs 1 , 23–28)

Holotype male ( ANIC), verbatim label data: “ New Caledonia. Sarraméa. Sweeping vegetation. 22.xi.2004. J. T. Jennings”. Left mid leg glued to card; otherwise complete and well preserved.

DESCRIPTION. Length 16.8 mm; morphometric ratios in Table 1. Head. Frons (Fig. 23) transversely strigate, with dense paraocular strigation, frontal carina absent. Antenna with 29 flagellomeres, ventrally with large oval tyloids restricted to flagellomeres 1–3, absent from 4 th –29 th. Coronal area between central tubercles and anterior tubercle finely longitudinally rugulose. Vertex (Fig. 24) with 20 fine transverse strigae counted centrolongitudinally, sculpturing from anteriorly transversely strigate­rugose to posteriorly transversely finely strigate, reaching occipital carina and extending to temple, including dorsally on genal stripe; dorso­longitudinal impression present. Gena smooth and polished, genal angle in dorsal view distinctly prominent.

Mesosoma. Prosternum apically, including pre­apical depression, with weak transverse strigations, centrally polished with sparse shallow punctures, apico­medially briefly rugulose. Pronotum (Fig. 26): neck arcuately strigate, basally somewhat concave and polished; pronotal fold stout, centrally moderately collapsed and emarginate; preannular and semiannular dorsally transversely strigate, with subfoveolae in between coarse transverse striations; pronotal lobe strongly rugose. Mesoscutum strongly foveolate­rugose; median sulcus and notauli distinct, formed by closely aligned foveolae. Axilla (Fig. 25) strongly arcuately rugose­foveate, with several tiny foveolae in between. Scutellum (Fig. 25) areolate­rugose, except posteriorly strigulate with several large punctures. Mesepisternum covered with white short pilosity, except centrally sparse and with long hairs; mix of rugose, rugulose and many tiny foveolae. Mesopseudosternum smooth and polished, discrimen crenulate. Propodeum densely foveolate­areolate­rugose, also densely and finely alutaceous (dull) in between, except antero­lateral corners foveolate­punctate, area around petiolar foramen rugose, smooth and polished in between. Spiracular groove conspicuous; spiracular carina distinct, reaching antero­lateral carina; spiracular plates smooth. Metapleuron dorsally crenulate along line of contact with propodeum; anteriorly and dorso­laterally areolate­rugose and pilose, with long decumbent hairs; ventrally, areolate­rugose. Hind coxa strongly transversely strigate; femur strongly oblique­alutaceous; ventrally with 6 small tubercles between base and median tooth; also with small tubercles in between femoral teeth and apically to apical tooth. Hind tibia alutaceous, posteriorly with very strong and sharply carinate compression (as in Fig. 13).

Wings. Front wing vein M+Cu with several setae along its entire length, from widely spaced basally to apical 8 setae distant from each other by about 1.5 times their own length; last seta ending on point of connection with vein 1M; veins 2r and 2+3R approximately on basal third somewhat nodous and slightly bent towards each other; vein 1Rs slightly curved towards wing base; vein 2Cua tubular on basal 0.2, remainder nebulous, apical 0.4 bent towards wing apex; vein 2+3M basal 0.7 distinctly tubular, apical 0.3 weakly nebulous, this portion also marked by aligned microtrichia, vein disappearing entirely a little before reaching wing margin; pterostigma very long, about 8.8 times as long as greatest width, apex as the ventral half of a lanceolate shape, abruptly narrowed at origin of vein R1 (Fig. 28).

Metasoma. Petiole densely transversely strigate, from coarse basally to fine apically, apical 0.1 smooth, ventrally more weakly sculptured than dorsally; T3 basal end strigate, remainder of T3 and T4–8 very finely alutaceous. Male genitalia (Fig. 27): paramere short, deeply concave, apex somewhat acuminate; aedeagus short.

Color. Mostly dark brown, except as follows. Gena reddish brown; genal stripe cream, frons largely cream, almost reaching median ocellus, reddish­brown below median ocellus and near eyes (Fig. 23). Wings uniformly light amber, veins brown; fore and mid legs reddish­brown, darkest dorso­mesally on femur, lightest on tarsi; hind tarsus cream. T3–7 reddish­brown, genitalia pale brown.

Female. Unknown.

Comments. This species has a similar structure of fore wing veins 2Cua and 2+3M to P. delicatus and P. mouensis . It is also similar to the latter species having a similar pronotal structure, particularly the centrally depressed pronotal fold, mid tibia basally not yellow, and a fine, intricate propodeal sculpturing. Parastephanellus sarramea can be easily separated from the other New Caledonian stephanids by its large, central yellow pattern on the frons, which does not reach the eyes (Fig. 23). This is entirely absent in P. mouensis , and present only along the eye margins on P. khogis and P. delicatus .

This species name derives from its type locality, and is known from a single specimen from Sarraméa , New Caledonia ( Fig. 1 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution records for Stephanidae in New Caledonia.