Epitranus similis Gadallah & Soliman, 2020

Gadallah, Neveen S., Soliman, Ahmed M. & Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2020, First record of the subfamily Epitraninae from Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Chalcididae), with the description of three new species, ZooKeys 979, pp. 35-86 : 35

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.979.52059
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2B5B9363-B75C-4392-A23A-78186989B7F3
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A190D08C-92B7-4662-9660-B1C642740266
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:A190D08C-92B7-4662-9660-B1C642740266
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Epitranus similis Gadallah & Soliman
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Epitranus similis Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov. Figures 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9

Type material.

Holotype ♂. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah Natural Reserve [18°11'35.74"N, 42°23'30.24"E, Alt. 1805 m], sweeping net, 5.IX.2015, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; Paratypes: 2♂, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, same data as for holotype [KSMA].

Diagnosis.

Frontal lobe distinctly long, sub-trapezoidal in shape as its sides are straight and regularly converging ventrally, with a longitudinal median carina extending on its whole length, and free margin with three lobes (outer lobes notched subapically) (Fig. 7B View Figure 7 ); OOL 0.80-0.85 × as long as OD, and ca. 0.5 × as long as AOL (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ); POL ca. 4.3 × as long as OOL (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ); F1 moderately long, ca. 1.7 × as long as wide (Fig. 7D View Figure 7 ); pronotal collar laterally, scapula anterolaterally, propodeum on prestigmatic areola, mesepisternum, metepimeron dorsally and basoventral surface of metacoxa densely clothed with whitish setae masking integument beneath (Figs 6A, C View Figure 6 , 8B View Figure 8 ); pronotal collum with dense, long golden setae on two submedian patches (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ); propodeal median areola deep, with lateral ridges converging posteriorly to meet before the adpetiolar areola (Y-like raised carina) (Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ); metafemur toothed ventrally, with nine or ten spaced teeth following the stout sub-basal tooth (Fig. 8D, E View Figure 8 ); tarsal groove of metatibia fully occupying the completely delimited smooth and deep metatibial process, reaching the sub-basal prominence anteriorly (Fig. 8E View Figure 8 ); petiole very long, 7.12-7.65 × as long as wide (Fig. 9A View Figure 9 ); gaster relatively short (1.25-1.40 × as long as height in profile) (Fig. 6A View Figure 6 ).

Description.

Male (holotype). Body length 5.5 mm. fore wing length 3.3 mm.

Head (Figs 7A-D View Figure 7 , 8B View Figure 8 ). Triangular in frontal view, 1.25 × as wide as high, wider than mesoscutum in dorsal view (1.2 ×), 2.6 × as wide as its length in profile. Frontovertex 1.5 × as wide as eye height; AOL 2.0 × OOL; OOL 0.85 × OD; POL 4.3 × OOL; supra antennal surface absent; frons transversely finely strigulate medially beneath antennal scape (at scrobe), laterally with sparse setiferous punctures, the setae lanceolate and long; preorbital carina absent; malar area mostly polished, with scattered superficial setiferous punctures; malar space ca. 0.6 × as long eye height in profile; malar carina absent; gena broad, nearly smooth, with a row of setae directed inwards along post-orbital carina that is well-developed, lamellate and joining genal carina at a level of ventral edge of eye; post-orbital carina hardly converging to the higher edge of the eye (nearly parallel); suborbital carina weak. Occiput alutaceous, with sparse setiferous punctures (setae long and dispersed, pale yellow). Interantennal projection absent; interantennal distance ca. 0.5 × as long as torulus diameter; frontal lobe quite long, with subantennal distance 4.0 × as long as interantennal distance, ventral margin with two pairs of indentations delimiting three lobes, the outer ones are narrowly rounded; projection with a sharp longitudinal median carina extended throughout its length; surface of projection with long, lanceolate and whitish setae.

Antenna (Fig. 7D View Figure 7 ). Scape 1.35 × as long as eye height, ending very closely to median ocellus, its ventral face strongly excavated, the excavation densely and finely pubescent; pedicel hardly longer than wide (1.15 ×); anellus transverse (0.4 × as long as wide); F1 moderate, 1.7 × as long as wide, 1.3 × as long as F2 and F7 as well; clava 2.35 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma (Figs 7C, E View Figure 7 , 8A, B View Figure 8 ). 1.65 × as long as mesoscutum width. Pronotal collar 2.45 × as wide as long, mostly smooth on disc, with scattered punctures bearing fine setae; collar laterally and collum densely setiferous punctulate, the setae forming tufts that are inwardly oriented, white on the former and golden yellow on the latter; pronotal sides slightly convex; lateral carinae sharp and extending dorsally, not meeting medially; humeral angle rounded; pronotal lateral panel finely alutaceous, shiny. Mesoscutum 2.25 × as long as median length of pronotum, middle lobe finely alutaceous anteriorly, followed by deep and sparse setiferous punctures bearing fine setae; scapula nearly smooth, with few scattered punctures, antero-laterally clothed with dense lanceolate whitish setae; notauli deep, foveolate; axilla with dense, upwardly directed whitish setae, integument smooth beneath; tegula large, depressed near posterior margin, smooth anteriorly, finely alutaceous posteriorly and laterally, with broad angulate posterior margin that distinctly overlap base of hind wing. Mesoscutellum convex, hardly longer than wide (1.1 ×), irregularly deeply foveate, the foveae large, widely separated medially and closer laterally, posterior margin broadly rounded, strigose. Propodeum deeply areolate; median areola 1.37 × as long as wide, with lateral ridges converging posteriorly and meeting slightly before adpetiolar areola; lateral areola transversely carinate; prestigmatic areola densely setose, setae oriented inwards. Adscrobal area of mesopleuron densely clothed with long, suberect and whitish setae, femoral scrobe finely transversely strigose, ventral shelf of mesepisternum sparsely punctate, with adpressed long setae, interspaces between punctures smooth; epicnemial carina lamellate. Metepimeron closely foveolate throughout (bottom of foveae smooth), with dense, long adpressed and whitish setae; metepisternum densely reticulate, with two median carinae diverging posteriorly followed by two large and sharp submedian teeth; subcoxal teeth small; adpetiolar area concave, longitudinally striated, with a median longitudinal carina ends posteriorly with a strong subpentagonal subpetiolar areola.

Wings (Fig. 8C View Figure 8 ). Fore wing 3.2 × as long as wide, bare on upper side, sparsely setose subapically on underside; MV ca. 0.72 × as long as costal cell; STV rudimentary (1.25 × as long as wide), strongly diverging from anterior margin of wing at an angle of ca. 80°. Hind wing hyaline and asetose, with three hamuli.

Hind leg (Figs 6C View Figure 6 , 8D, E View Figure 8 ). Metacoxa widened basally, 2.45 × as long as wide, 0.9 × as long as metafemur, densely setose on ventral side, punctured but with transverse ridges near apex on outer dorsal side. Metafemur 1.9 × as long as wide, with dense setiferous punctures on outer face, its ventral margin with a triangular sub-basal tooth followed by nine teeth that are equally separated, progressively smaller towards apex. Tarsal scrobe of metatibia fully occupying the completely delimited, smooth and deep metatibial process, reaching sub-basal prominence anteriorly (Fig. 12E View Figure 12 ), the edge of the later with four denticles concealed by pubescence (could be seen when examined from dorsal view).

Metasoma (Figs 6A View Figure 6 , 9A, B View Figure 9 ). Petiole quite long, 7.12 × as long as broad, 1.58 × as long as length of Gt1 in dorsal view, and 1.2 × as long as length of gaster in dorsal view, dorsally with two, lateral and sublateral, longitudinal ridges that is vague along the apical two-thirds, the area between sublateral ridges transversely wrinkled. Gaster ovoid in dorsal view, 1.25 × as long as its height in lateral view. Gt1 long (0.75 × as long as gaster in dorsal view), deeply concave posteriorly, sparsely finely setiferous punctate (setae fine and short, punctures dense postero-laterally); remaining tergites short, sparsely finely punctate and finely setose.

Color (Figs 6A-C View Figure 6 , 8C View Figure 8 ). Body black, except the following parts, bright reddish brown: frontal lobe, malar area, a relatively broad strip around eye, gena, pronotum, a lateral longitudinal strip on middle lobe of mesoscutum, lateral and posterior borders and postero-inner corner of scapula, inner part of axilla, area around epicnemial carina on mesopleuron, upper part of metepimeron, and posterior part of adpetiolar area on metepisternum. Gaster reddish brown with black tint dorsally. Antennal scape and pedicel reddish brown, flagellum brown. Legs reddish brown, with black tint on mesofemur, ventral face of metacoxa and outer face of metafemur. Tegula glassy golden yellow. Wings hyaline with brown veins that are paler on hind wing. Genitalia pale yellow.

Female. Unknown.

Variation.

The paratype specimens differ from the holotype specimen in the predominance of red brown color on: head (except post-orbital and occipital carinae in one of the paratype specimens or a band along occipital carina, post-orbital carina and a narrow longitudinal median strip on the frons in the other paratype specimen); middle lobe of mesoscutum (except a triangular area on disc); lateral lobe of mesoscutum (except an oval area on disc); the whole axilla, mesoscutellum (except longitudinal median strip); the whole metapleuron; metacoxa and metafemur (except black tint on the former).

Remarks.

The new species is morphologically similar to E. nitidus (Schmitz) (Democratic Republic of Congo) especially the identical frontal projection; the absence of interantennal projection; similar flagellum; the presence of outstanding setae on mesosoma; similar STV, and similar petiole. But differs from it by the partly reddish head and mesosoma (entirely black in E. nitidus ); the presence of distinctive setation on different parts of mesosoma as reported above (mesosoma with regular setation in E. nitidus ); propodeum with petiolate median areola (complete in E. nitidus ); shorter and relatively stouter metacoxa (quite slender in E. nitidus ).

Etymology.

The word similis is an adjective in Latin and means similar or resembling, referring to the similarity of this species to E. nitidus .

Hosts.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Saudi Arabia (Asir region).