Muesebeckidium clemensi Lucena & Zanella, 2022

Lucena, Daercio A. A., Santos-Neto, Pedro E., Zanella, Fernando C. V. & Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2022, Taxonomic review of the elampine cuckoo wasps from northeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 5213 (3), pp. 201-235 : 229-231

Muesebeckidium clemensi Lucena & Zanella sp. nov.

( Fig. 18 )

Diagnosis (female). Muesebeckidium clemensi sp. nov. resembles M. paraense ( Ducke, 1901) , but is readily distinguished based on the conspicuous punctation of vertex, pronotum and scutum (nearly impunctate in M. paraense ), denser and coarser punctation on metasomal terga (finely and sparsely punctate in M. paraense ), and scutellum with broad and dense polygonal-shaped foveae, with three to five rounded angles (scutellum with relatively larger and evenly rounded foveae in M. paraense ).

Description. Holotype, female. Body length: 5.7 mm.

Head. Height 0.65 × breadth; least distance between antennal rims 0.73× MOD; scape more or less cylindrical, slightly wider submedially, with a frontal longitudinal weak carina, 3.8× longer than its maximum width; F1 length 1.8× apical breadth, 1.5× longer than F2, F2 similarly longer than F3; F3–F10 subequal in size; F11 slightly longer than F10; lower medial margin of clypeus slightly concave, with conspicuous black apical band; subantennal distance about 0.6× MOD; malar space very short, 0.1× MOD; POL 2.3× OL, 0.7× OOL; inner ocular margin slightly convergent sub-basally, LID 1.3× scape length; eye height 1.9× breadth.

Mesosoma. Anterior and lateral margins of pronotum bordered with strong carina; notaulus and parapsidal signum faintly marked; scutellum with groove along the anterior edge, partially interrupted in the middle; R1 2 v very short, barely visible; metatarsal claw bifid, with single, large, subapical tooth; outer surface of profemur smooth; tarsomeres without spines.

Metasoma. Anterolateral corner of T1 with projected flange; T3 apical margin evenly round, slightly beveled medially.

Coloration. Predominantly metallic green, with blue highlights on metasoma (depending on the kind of light it presents purple highlights as depicted in Fig. 18 ); base of mandible, scape, and pedicel, green; apex of clypeus, half distal mandible, flagellomeres, and tegulae, brown; wing membrane light fuscous with brown veins; distal tarsomeres and inner surface of basitarsomeres light brown; distal rim of T1–T2 dark brown, without metallic green luster; sterna and laterotergites entirely brown.

Sculpture. Vertex and frons finely and sparsely punctate, becoming coarser and denser on lower frons; scapal basin densely cross-ridged, with some small marginal punctures; clypeus punctulate; scape densely punctulate; gena with sparse punctures, somewhat rugose-striate longitudinally; pronotum and most of scutum finely and sparsely punctate, with large foveae inserted only laterally; scutellum, metanotum and mesopleuron densely foveate, those of scutellum and metanotum broad, polygonal-shaped, with three to five rounded angles; metasomal terga finely and densely punctate, particularly on T2–T3; anterior declivity of T1 mostly impunctate, small punctures inserted posterolaterally.

Vestiture. Head with long, dense, yellowish pale setae, particularly on vertex and frons, becoming shorter and sparser on face, along inner ocular margin and gena; scapal basin glabrous; clypeus and outer surface of mandible with relatively long, yellowish pale setae; scape with short, dense, pale setae; flagellomeres with short, suberect, pale setae; eye with sparse microtrichia among ommatidia (magnification near 100×); dorsum of mesosoma with conspicuous, relatively long, yellowish pale setae, becoming longer and denser on pronotum and scutum; posterior propodeal projection with dense, decumbent, pale setae; lateral pronotum and metapleuron-propodeum nearly glabrous, except for some sparse marginal setae; wing membrane lacking setae on half proximal portion; coxae and femora with long, dense, pale setae; meso- and metatibiae with short, dense, even, pale setae; venter of tarsomeres with dense, even, spine-like setae; dorsum of metasoma with abundant, relatively short, suberect, pale setae; laterotergites and sterna with short piligerous pilosity.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ♀. BRAZIL, Paraíba: São José do Sabugi, Serra do Brejinho , 29.iv.2001, F. C. V. Zanella / CE-UNILA HYHY 00442 ( RPSP).

Distribution. BRAZIL (Paraíba) ( Fig. 19 ).

Host. Unknown.

Remarks. Previous to this study, the sole South American species of Muesebeckidium has been recorded only from localities with Amazon rainforest, in northern Brazil, Amapá and Pará states ( Ducke 1913, 1914). This is the first record of Muesebeckidium in a habitat characterized by a seasonally dry deciduous forest in South America. The depository of the type series of M. paraense (Ducke) was listed as unknown by Kimsey & Bohart (1991). Ducke (1901) described the species based on a series of three female specimens from Pará (8, 10, and 22 July 1901). Obrecht & Huber (1993) listed a syntype hosted at the Natural History Museum Bern (not examined). We have examined another syntype deposited at the MNHN (EY 25529) and an ordinary female specimen identified by A. Ducke from Oiapoque (Amapá) (MZSP 04580). Currently, the type depository of the third syntype is unknown. Since we could not examine all available primary types, we decided not to designate lectotype for Ducke’s species. We consider that this lectotype designation should be done in the context of a future taxonomic revision of the genus.

Etymology. The new species is named after Clemens Schlindwein (Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais). His research on insect-plant interactions, particularly in northeastern Brazil, has led to relevant improvement in the field. Additionally, he contributed significantly to the beginning of our study of the Chrysididae from northeastern Brazil by collecting and donating several singular specimens.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Muesebeckidium clemensi Lucena & Zanella sp. nov., holotype female [RPSP]. A. Habitus, lateral right view; B. Mesosoma, dorsal view; C. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. Head, frontal view; F. Metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (B, C, E), 1 mm (A, D, F).

FIGURE 19. Geographical records of the South American species of Muesebeckidium (left); individual records for each species shown on the maps on the right.