Lithonecrus papuanus Nieves-Aldrey & Butterill

Nieves-Aldrey, J. L. & Butterill, P. T., 2014, First evidence of cynipids from the Oceanian Region: the description of Lithonecrus papuanus a new genus and species of cynipid inquiline from Papua New Guinea (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae, Synergini), Zootaxa 3846 (2), pp. 221-234 : 225-229

Lithonecrus papuanus Nieves-Aldrey & Butterill sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6)

Type material. HOLOTYPE. 1 ♀ (in National Agricultural Research Institute ( NARI), Papua New Guinea, card mounted. PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Yawan (Morobe Province), 06º 10 ' S 146 º 5 ' E, 1700 m, ex gall on petiole leaf of Lithocarpus celebicus ( Fagaceae ) (gall 349) ( Fig. 6 C), gall collected and insect emerged VIII. 2010, P. Butterill leg. PARATYPES. 6 ♂, 9 ♀ same data as holotype excepting 4 ♂, 1 ♀ and emerged from galls on the leaf ( Figs. 6 D, 6 E). Five paratypes in NARI, three paratypes in NHM London, two paratypes in USNM Washington, and five paratypes in MNCN Madrid. Additionally, 1 ♂, 1 ♀ of the type series were dissected for SEM observation (in MNCN).

Etymology. The new species is named after the country where it was collected.

Description. Body length (measured from the anterior margin of the head to the posterior margin of the metasoma) 1.6 mm (range 1.8 – 1.4; N = 9) for females; 1.3 mm (range 1.5 – 1.2); N = 4) for males ( Figs 5 A, 5 B). Head, mesosoma and metasoma of female black, except for a reddish coloration on the lateral and basal areas of the metasoma. Mandibles chestnut, teeth distally black. Antenna dark yellow, scape black. Forewing hyaline, with brown veins. Legs dark brown except tibiae and tarsi yellowish. The males have a similar coloration, but the color of antennae and legs is clearer, and the reddish coloration on the metasoma is more extensive.

Female. Head in dorsal view 2 times wider than long, broader than mesosoma in dorsal view. Temples very short, virtually invisible and not expanded behind compound eye ( Fig. 3 A). Vertex limited abruptly at the occiput by a sharp carina behind the lateral ocelli ( Fig. 3 A). POL about three times as long as OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by 1.3 times its longest diameter. Head in anterior view ( Fig. 1 A) rounded, 1.2 times wider than high; genae slightly expanded. Face with sparse long setae, more dense medially. Face with strong and blunt irradiating carinae from clypeus, laterally stopping close to ventral margin of eye and frontally reaching ventral margin of toruli; the carinae are less marked medially on the face, above the clypeus; laterally at the toruli the carinae extend branched on the frons to the lateral ocelli, but are absent medially ( Fig. 1 A). Clypeus indistinct, ventral margin sinuate not projecting over mandibles ( Fig. 1 A). Anterior tentorial pits visible; epistomal and clypeo-pleurostomal lines invisible. Malar space 0.5 times height of compound eye. Toruli situated at mid-height of compound eye; distance between antennal rim and compound eye 0.7 times width of antennal socket including rim. Frons and vertex medially coriaceous, almost bare, laterally with branched frontal carinae and some sparse setae. Occiput coriaceus dorsally. A complete occipital carinae present, extending laterally to ventral margin of head ( Fig. 1 F). Gula long; distance between occipital foramen and oral foramen as long as the height of the occipital foramen. Hypostomal sulci well visible ( Fig. 1 F).

Mouthparts ( Figs 1 A, 1 F). Mandibles exposed; right mandible with three teeth; left with two teeth. Cardo of maxilla visible, maxillary stipes about 2 times longer than wide. Maxillary palp five-segmented. Labial palp threesegmented.

Antenna 0.6 times as long as body; with 13 segments ( Fig. 2 A); flagellum slight but clearly broadening towards apex; with long erect setae and placodeal sensilla visible on flagellar segments F 7 –F 11, disposed in one row of 2–4 sensillae in each flagellomere. ( Fig. 2 B); in F 9 –F 11 the broad interspaces among placodeal sensillae are covered with basiconic sensillae ( Fig. 2 B). Relative length/width of antennal segments: 21: 15 / 8: 20 / 7: 12: 12: 14 / 7: 16: 18: 19: 20: 19: 19: 32 / 12. Pedicel 0.7 as long as F 1; F 1 1.6 times as long as F 2. Ultimate flagellomere 2.6 times longer than wide, 1.7 times as long as F 10. Four types of sensillae visible: placodeal, coeloconic, campaniform and basiconic ( Fig. 2 D).

Mesosoma short, dorsally only slightly longer than wide and in lateral view about as high as long. Pronotum medially coriaceous and with a row of long setae basally; laterally to the pronotal plate more densely pubescent. Ratio of length of pronotum medially/laterally = 0.25. Pronotal plate ( Fig. 3 E) incomplete but visible, about 4 times as wide as high; lateral margins distinct, slightly divergent, but not reaching dorsal margin of pronotum; ventral part of pronotal plate extended laterally on the sides of pronotum. Lateral margins of pronotum rounded, without lateral pronotal carina. Lateral surface of pronotum with strong punctate rugose sculpture ( Fig. 3 C); the punctures with long erect setae. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 3 B) with interrupted, sharp and widely spaced transverse rugae; the interspaces with coriaceous sculpture; the posterior one third of mesoscutum almost lacking transverse rugae. Notauli percurrent, narrow, not strongly converging posteriorly. Median mesoscutal impression almost invisible. Anteroadmedian signa scarcely visible; parascutal impressions marked, deep. Transscutal fissure narrow. Scutellar foveae widely separated, large and divergent but with indistinct margins, crossed by transversal carinae, the intervals smooth ( Fig. 3 B). Scutellum strongly reticulate rugose. Mesopleuron ( Figs 3 C, 3 D) with some widely spaced longitudinal striae and coriaceous sculpture in the interspaces. Mesopleural triangle subrectangular. Ventral margin of mesopleural triangle angulated posteriorly.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapleural sulcus meeting posterior margin of mesopectus at an high point, close to the posterior subalar pit. Lateral propodeal carinae distinct, broad, slightly converging posteriorly ( Fig. 3 F). Median propodeal area smooth and pubescent. A deep groove present dorsally on the lateral propodeal areas, extending from propodeal spiracles to the dorsal part of lateral propodeal carinae, the groove being limited posteriorly by a crest ( Fig. 3 F). Nucha dorsally with longitudinal ridges.

Legs. Metatarsal claw ( Fig. 4 A) simple, without secondary basal lobe or tooth.

Forewing ( Fig. 5 C). About as long as body. Radial cell 2.8 times longer than wide, open along anterior margin; R 1 and Rs not reaching anterior margin of wing; R 1 addressed perpendicularly to anterior margin of wing and forming with subcostal and 2 r veins at an angle> 90 º ( Fig. 5 C). Medial and cubital veins virtually invisible; areolet not present. When cubital veins visible, the M+Cu 1 vein is situated rather higher than apical part of cubital vein (Cu 1 a). Basal area of forewing without visible setae. Apical margin of wing with a fringe of long setae.

Metasoma ( Fig. 4 B). Slightly shorter than head plus mesosoma. First metasomal tergum ring-shaped, longitudinally sulcate dorsally and laterally. Metasomal tergum T 2 + 3 fused, smooth and shining, posteriorly with a narrow band of micropunctures; anteromedian area only with a row of 5–7 setae. Projecting part of hypopygial spine short ( Figs. 4 C, 4 D); about 1.5 as long as high; hypopygial spine ventrally with two rows of spaced and relatively long setae.

Male. Differ from female as follows: Head in anterior view with dense and strong white pubescence; the setae being different to the female setae, longer and wider basally ( Figs 1 A–D). Antenna 15 -segmented ( Figs. 2 E–G); F 1 dorsally curved and excavated in the middle, slightly expanded at apex, with visible micropores ( Figs 2 F, 2 G). Placodeal sensillae present on flagellomeres 5–11, arranged in one row of 3–5 sensillae, basiconic sensilla absent. Relative length of antennomeres: 22: 15: 23: 10: 12: 13: 15: 16: 17: 16: 16: 16: 17: 15: 20. F 1 2.3 times as long as F 2.