Ablerus byroni Kresslein, Avendaño & Herrera sp. n., 2024

Avendaño, José M., Picón-Rentería, Patricio, Kresslein, Robert L. & Herrera, Henri W., 2024, First record of the family Azotidae from Ecuador, with a description of a new species of Ablerus Howard (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Azotidae) from the Galapagos Islands, Zootaxa 5471 (4), pp. 473-481 : 475-478

1. Ablerus byroni Kresslein, Avendaño & Herrera sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7E8539B0-43E5-4634-B20D-BD236A7BF9E3

( Figs 1–2 )

Diagnosis. Mesosoma heavily sclerotized with strong reticulate sculpture; mesoscutum strongly convex. Fore wing with alternating regions of light and dark setae, line of dark setae connecting apical and basal regions of dark setae. Gaster with strong lateral reticulate sculpture. Ovipositor short and not extruded beyond gastral apex; outer plates not fused to syntergum.

Description.

Holotype female. Body length: 0.6 mm (excluding head).

Color. Head with frontovertex pale yellow; eyes bright red; ocelli bright red with a transverse dark brown streak adjacent to each ocellus; gena and clypeus dark brown; occiput brown centrally dark brown, silver adjacent to eyes; mandibles light brown, apically dark brown ( Fig. 1C ). Antenna with scape marbled with silver and light brown; pedicel silver, light brown basally; funiculars F1 and F3 light brown, F2 and F4 silver; clava dark brown, lighter apically ( Fig. 2B ) Mesosoma and metasoma dark brown ( Fig. 2E ). Fore wing infuscate except for a hyaline strip apical to the stigmal vein; dark setae in basal cell and posterior to marginal vein with a line of dark setae connecting the two, cluster of elongate setae posterior to the junction of stigmal and marginal veins, and longitudinal streak through wing disc ( Fig. 2C ). Legs dark brown; tarsi yellow with apical segment light brown. Ovipositor dark brown ( Fig. 2E ).

Head. Eyes sparsely setose, setae short. Face and vertex with imbricate sculpture. Mandible with two teeth and a truncation ( Fig. 2A ). Antenna with scape 3.8–4x [4x] as long as wide; pedicel 1.6–1.8x [1.8] as long as wide, shorter than F1; F2 1.1–1.4x [1.4x] longer than F4, F2 1.9–2x [2x] as long as wide, F4 1.0–1.2x [1.2x] as long as wide; F3 0.6x–0.7x [0.6x] as long as wide, 0.34–0.42x [0.34x] as long as F2, 0.4x [0.4x] as long as F4; clava (clv) with all segments fused, 2.9–3.3x [2.9x] as long as wide; flagellum with the following number of multiporous plate sensilla: F1: 1, F2: 3, F3: 0, F4: 5, F5: 16 ( Fig. 2B ).

Mesosoma . Mesonotum strongly convex with strong dense reticulate sculpture, each cell containing irregular sculpture; mid lobe of mesoscutum (mlm) with four setae; side lobes (llm) each with two setae; axillae (ax) separated by 2.1x–2.6x [2.6x] their length, each with 1 apical seta; mesoscutellum (mss) subequal in length to midlobe of mesoscutum, with 2 pairs of setae, anterior setae separated by less than posterior setae, placoid sensilla (ps) widely separated, placed adjacent to posterior setae. Metanotum (no 3) with weak sculpture centrally. Propodeum (ppd) with less dense sculpture laterally, 0.5–0.6x [0.6x] as long as mesoscutellum, 2.4x–2.6x [2.6x] as long as metanotum ( Fig. 2E ). Forewing narrow, 3.1x–3.3x [3.3x] as long as maximum width of wing disc; marginal fringe 0.27–0.34x [0.34x] as long as maximum width of wing disc; wing disc densely setose, with longitudinal streak of dark robust setae apical to stigmal vein (stv); junction of stigmal and marginal vein (mv) with cluster of dark elongate setae posterior; base of fore wing with numerous robust dark setae except for patch of fine pale setae posterior to marginal vein; basal cell with elliptical asetose region (asr), and line of setae connecting it with apical dark setae; one seta on submarginal vein (sbv); two elongate setae on parastigma (pst); four elongate setae on apex of marginal vein; stigmal vein quadrate and strongly reduced; post marginal vein absent ( Fig. 2C ). Fore leg with tibia (tb 1) strongly ovoid and strongly enlarged, 3.1–3.2x [3.1x] as long as wide.

Metasoma. Gaster compact, terga with reticulate sculpture, Gt 1 –Gt 5 lacking sculpture centrally. Syntergum (syn) small and circular with no setae ( Fig. 2E ). Ovipositor originating towards base of the gaster, shorter than mid tibia, not extending beyond the apex of the gaster ( Fig. 2E ).; outer plates not fused to syntergym; second valvulae only 4.2x as long as greatest width, nearly as wide as greatest width of outer plate; third valvulae poorly defined.

Male. Unknown.

Material. Holotype: ECUADOR: Galapagos: Santa Cruz, Garrapatero , dry zone, -0.69035 -90.22155, 20 m, 25.ix–2.x.2018, Avendaño, Campaña & Picón, Malaise 07, MT, G0007 [1f#, slide mounted, ICNC: UCRCENT00560687]; deposited in ECESPOCH under registration number ECE-TI-001. Paratypes: ECUADOR: Galapagos: Isla Isabela, Alcedo volcano, littoral zone, -0.41966 -91.07949, 877 m, 20–26.xi.2018, H. Herrera, J. Avendaño, P. Picón, MT, G0069 [1f#] deposited in ICCDRS. ECUADOR: Galapagos: Isla Santiago, humid zone, -0.22129 -90.72970, 415 m, 23–26.vi.2021, H. Herrera, J. Avendaño, P. Picón, MT, G0380 [1f#] deposited in ICNC .

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Ecuador (Galapagos) ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology. This species is named after Byron Vaca Barahaona, principal of the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Chimborazo.

Comments: This species represents a very unusual derivation from what is considered a typical Ablerus . In addition to the characters presented in the diagnosis, the distinct coloration of the face and occiput ( Fig. 1 ) sets this species apart from any currently described species of Ablerus . Particularly unusual is the conformation of the ovipositor complex ( Fig 2E ). The third valvulae appear reduced or missing, though this may be an artifact from the dehydration process. The second valvulae are remarkably wide compared to typical Ablerus . The syntergum is strongly reduced to a small circular sclerite, and it appears not to be fused to the outer plates of the ovipositor as in other species of Ablerus .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ablerus byroni holotype (♀): A. Lateral habitus, B. Dorsal habitus, C. Anterior habitus. Ethanol.

FIGURE 2. Ablerus byroni holotype (♀): A. Head, B. Antenna. F3—third flagellar segment, clv—clava, C. Fore wing. asr—asetose region, mv—marginal vein, pst—parastigma, smv—submarginal vein, stv—stigmal vein, D. Fore leg. tb1—fore tibia, E. Dorsal habitus, inset–ovipositor. ax—axilla, llm—lateral lobe of mesoscutum, mlm—mid lobe of mesoscutum, mss— mesoscutellum, no3—metanotum, ppd—propodeum, ps—placoid sensillum, syn—syntergum. Slide mounted.

FIGURE 3. Map of the Galapagos Islands depicting collection localities of Ablerus byroni and Ablerus sp.