Prosaspicera pugionifera Kieffer, 1907

Ros-Farré, P. & Pujade-Villar, J., 2006, Revision of the genus Prosaspicera Kieffer, 1907 (Hym.: Figitidae: Aspicerinae), Zootaxa 1379 (1379), pp. 1-102 : 46-47

Prosaspicera pugionifera Kieffer, 1907

( Figs 13b & 14b)

Prosaspicera pugionifera Kieffer, 1907: 157 .

Type material: ( 1 ♀). HOLOTYPE female ( CAS nº 10590) from BELIZE.

Additional material (1 ♂ & 2 ♀). TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: 1 ♂ ( NHM), Trinidad, Curepe, Santa Margarita , Malaise trap, 8/ 14-VI-1972, B. R. Pitkin, B. M. 1975-162 ; NICARAGUA: 1 ♀ ( MEL), 21-XII-1988, Leon, La Paz Centro, s/sandia, J. M. Maes col. ; MEXICO: 1 ♀ ( UB), 15-VIII-1983, Quin Rose, Kohuulich Ruins, 30m E. Chetumal, Mix Cohuma Palm Forest , T. Anderson col.

Diagnosis. Prosaspicera pugionifera is similar to P. albihirta though the notauli in P. albihirta ( Fig. 13a) have more transverse carinae than in P. pugionifera ( Fig. 13b). Moreover, P. pugionifera has a thin scutellar spine, the lateral surface of pronotum coriaceous, scutellar foveae smooth weakly coriaceous in anterior part, parascutal sulcus very wide and continuing to anterior end of notauli, marginal pubescence sparse and very much short and Rs vein strongly curved.

Redescription. Length. Females 2.9–3.3 mm.; male 2.8 mm.

Coloration. Head and mesosoma black. Scape pedicellum and F1 dark brown. Legs light brown. Metanotum reddish black.

Head. Frons coriaceous with some discontinuous and oblique carinae; frontal carinae present with a longitudinal furrow between them. Lateral frontal carinae conspicuous and prominent, area between them and eye coriaceous. Occipital carina rounded behind eye. Gena sparsely pubescent narrow, shining, with coarse transverse carinae and weakly coriaceous. Vertex deeply incised weakly rugose and coriaceous, in posterior part coriaceous with some smooth areas and with two longitudinal carinae on each side of median vertical groove, which is smooth. Ocelli prominent. Occiput coriaceous with 2 or 3 transverse carinae, which are discontinuous at central area.

Antenna. In type specimen lost. FEMALE. Weakly subclavated. Antennal formula: 3.5(3): 1.5(2.1): 5(2): 5.5(2): 5.5(2): 5.5(2): 5(2): 4.9(2): 4.5(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4(2): 8(2). MALE. Filiform. Antennal formula: 3.5(3): 1.6(2): 5(2.2): 6(2.2): 6(2.2): 6(2.2): 5(2.2): 5(2.2): 5(2.2): 5(2.2): 4.9(2.2): 4.7(2.1): 4.5(2.1): 7(2).

Mesosoma. Lateral surface of pronotum weakly coriaceous, densely pubescent. Subpronotal plate granulate and pubescent laterally, weakly coriaceous and glabrous centrally. Mesoscutum sparsely pubescent, coriaceous, with coarse transverse carinae. Antero-admedian lines conspicuously prominent, reaching between 1/3 and 1/2 the length of mesoscutum, parallel; median ridge prominent and strongly divided before median mesoscutal furrow. Notauli wide, weakly transversely carinated in posterior part, narrow and coriaceous in anterior part. Median mesoscutal furrow smooth, anterior margin prominent. Area between notauli and end of median mesoscutal furrow strongly prominent. Parascutal sulcus wide, smooth, nearly glabrous, continuing to anterior end of notauli. Mesopleura slightly coriaceous in anterior part. Scutellum 1.20 times length of scutum. Scutellar foveae heart-shaped, deep, coriaceous in posterior part, with posterior limit. Interfoveal line and lateral carinae prominent and going on until basis of spine. Scutellar disc coriaceous and with large areolate sculpture; in lateral view, sloping from posterior end of scutellar foveae to basis of spine, which is coriaceous and longitudinally striated, almost straight and surpassing the basal vein of wing.

Wings. Forewing membrane hyaline. Radial cell 2.00 times longer than wide. Marginal pubescence sparse and very much short beginning after Rs. R1 very short. Rs strongly curved.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Northern Neotropical. Originaly described from Belize; also from Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua and Mexico in this study.