Masona popeye Quicke, 2019

Quicke, Donald L. J., Chaul, Júlio Cezar Mário & Butcher, Buntika A., 2019, First South American record of the rare ichneumonoid subfamily Masoninae van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea: Ichneumonidae) with description of a new species from Brazil, Zootaxa 4664 (4), pp. 587-593 : 588-592

Masona popeye Quicke & Chaul sp. n.

Figs 1 , 2

Diagnosis. Differs from the other extant species of Masona in having a distinct scutellum/metanotal structure ( Fig. 1 ), strong anterior flange of pronotum, having 14 flagellomeres, strongly bulbous propodeum with carinate apophyses, and in having the 1 st metasomal tergite deep at midlength with well-marked dorsolateral carina.

Etymology. Name refers to the fictional cartoon character ‘Popeye the sailorman’, created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who had extremely swollen, muscular, fore arms.

Description. Female. Body length 2.0 mm, antenna 1.25 mm. Antenna with 14 flagellomeres. Median flagellomeres 1.25 longer than wide. Flagellomeres towards base of antenna tapering towards base. First flagellomere, 2.3 longer than maximally wide, 1.4 longer than 2 nd and 3 rd separately. Head prognathous, 1.2 longer than wide (across the eyes). Mandible strongly twisted and blade-like, anterior (upper) tooth much longer than posterior (lower). Maxillary palp 5-segmented, labial palp with 1 segment. Frons weakly convex. Torulus as wide as half the maximum length of the compound eye, delimited by a raised carina. Occipital carina strong dorsally. Pronotum medially slightly shorter than mesoscutum, with a well-developed, lamelliform carina anteriorly and laterally; thin, antescutal depression present, narrow, straight in dorsal view. Propleuron strongly bulbous ventrally. Mesosoma 2.4 longer than maximally deep. Mesoscutum almost circular, slightly protruding dorsally in profile, occupying approximately a third of the overall length of mesosoma, notauli absent, with several short weak crenulae posteriorly (possibly indicating remnants of scutellar sulcus). Scutellum distinct, approximately 3.0 wider than medially long. Mesopleuron smooth. Sternaulus, complete, narrow, dorsally curved. Metanotum indicated by a groove bordered laterally by pair of anteriorly diverging, weak carinae. Propodeum smooth, widest behind midlength, wider than mesoscutum, strongly convex in profile, posterior part subvertical, with well developed, sub-angulate, longitudinally carinate apophyses with carinae anteriorly fading at about level of spiracle; spiracle round, situated slightly behind midlength. Wings absent. Legs: Trochantelli very short, ring-like. Fore femur, tibia and tarsus approximately equally long; fore femur 2.0 longer than maximally deep. Lengths of hind femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.1: 1.3: 1.0. Hind femur 2.2 longer than maximally deep. Metasomal tergites smooth and shiny. Tergite 1 with strongly developed dorso-lateral carinae, without laterope, deepest submedially, strongly narrowed basally, 1.1 x as long as posteriorly wide; spiracles situated 0.33 distance between base and apex, tergum narrowing behind spiracles; dorsal carinae developed at base; upper surface depressed next to dorsolateral carinae, anteriorly concave. Medial tergum of tergites 2 and 3 forming a nearly continuous surface dorsally, nearly evenly curved in profile though with weak angulation; tergum 2 more heavily sclerotized laterally, postero-laterally curving inwards indicating articulation with tergum 3. Tergites 1–3 occupying most of length of metasoma but tergites 4–6 partially exposed. Ovipositor hardly protruding beyond apex of metasoma, strongly upcurved, without obvious dorsal nodus or apicoventral serrations.

Colour. Body, antenna, legs (largely) and ovipositor sheaths honey yellow; apex of antenna, maxillary and la- bial palpi and tarsomeres 2–5 of all legs whitish.

Male. Not known. Biology. Not known. Type material. Holotype ♀, Brazil, MG, Viçosa , Mata do Paraíso, Trilha dos Pesquisadores, mixed Winkler samples ( JCMC00154-00184 ), -20.805965, -42.853166, 9.xi.2016, Leg. Chaul, J. Voucher code UFV-LABECOL- 009239. ( CELC).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Masona popeye sp. n., holotype female. (A) Habitus, dorsal view. (B) Head, near frontal view. (C) Head and pronotum, lateral view. (D) Head near ventral view. (E) Face and palps, oblique view.

FIGURE 2. Masona popeye sp. n., holotype female. (A) Fore leg. (B) Propodeum and metasoma, oblique postero-dorsal view, arrow indicating apophysis. (C) Mesosoma, lateral view. (D) Fore leg, anterior view. (E) Mesosoma and 1st metasomal tergite, dorsal view, ‘p’ indicating propleuron, ‘s’ indicating scutellum. (F) Metasoma, lateral view. (G) Metasoma, dorsal view, arrow indicating T2/T3 lateral articulation.