Plumaroides aquilus Diez & Fidalgo

Diez, Patricia A. & Fidalgo, Patricio, 2012, Two new species of the genus Plumaroides Brothers, 1974 (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea, Plumariidae) from Argentina, Zootaxa 3188, pp. 64-68 : 65-66

Plumaroides aquilus Diez & Fidalgo , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 )

Diagnosis. This species is easily distinguished from all other species of the genus by its characteristic black coloration.

Description. MALE. Holotype male. Total length 6.0 mm (paratypes 4.0 to 6.5 mm). Color: Black with dark brown areas as follows: radicle, central area of mandible, distal area of maxillary palpus, seventh tergum in dorsal view, pterostigma. Sculpture: Alutaceous, body with abundant, regular hairs. Head and mesosoma with conspicuous punctures separated by approximately 1 their diameter.

Head. 0.7 x as high as wide, in frontal view; equal to maximum width of the mesosoma between tegulae. Ocellocular distance 2.7 x the diameter of lateral ocellus, postocellar distance 1.4 x ocellocular distance. Antennocular distance 1 x diameter of antennal socket; interantennal distance 2.7 x antennocular distance. Distance between socket and clypeus 0.8 x diameter of socket. Malar space 0.2 x height of eye. Apex of clypeus in frontal view slightly emarginate medially, apical margin recessed, epistomal suture distinct and curved medially ( Fig. 1 ). Apical setae of clypeus variable in size being the longest as the height of clypeus, medially. Labrum small, distinct in frontal view, lightly emarginated apically. Mandible with three blunt teeth; with setae variable in size, the longest 0.4 x basal width of mandible. Labial palpus with two segments, basal 1.7 x as long as apical. Maxillary palpus with five segments; proportions of segments (length: width): 1.5: 0.5; 1.1: 0.5; 1.7: 0.3; 1.0: 0.4; 1.0: 0.4. Antenna with 13 segments tapering to apex; scape subrectangular, shorter than pedicel and first flagellomere together. Proportion of flagellomeres (lengths), from base to apex: 1.2; 1.2; 1.4; 1.5; 1.3; 1.4; 1.3; 1.3; 1.2; 1.2; 1.9. Flagellomeres with short, decumbent and abundant setae, longest setae nearly 0.2 x as long as width of flagellomere; ovoid sensory plates present on flagellomeres 1 to 10, being more abundant on the first four flagellomeres, in dorsal view.

Mesosoma. 1.6 x as long as wide. Proportions of lengths of mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, metanotum, metapostnotum and propodeum in dorsal view, along median axis: 39: 36: 22: 6: 21. Pronotum not distinct, except for small part of pronotal lobe in front of tegula; ventrolateral angle rounded. Mesoscutum with parapsidal line and notaulus distinct. Metanotum subrectangular, 0.5 x as long as mesoscutum. Propodeum convex, subrectangular in dorsal view, 2.5 x as wide as long; spiracle loop-shaped and separated from the basal margin of the propodeum by a distance less than the length of the spiracle. Wings: Fore wing approximately 2.1 x as long as wide; marginal cell with anterior margin 2.2 x as long as posterior margin, and basal margin slightly curved forward. Hind wing with vannal lobe 3.8 x the length of the submedial cell ( Fig. 2 ); seven hamuli. Legs: Slender; tibiae and tarsi with scattered weak setae; fore tibia with 15 strong spiniform setae apically and along outer margin; these setae approximately 18 on mid tibia and absent on hind tibia. Tibial spurs 1-2-2; anterior spur curved and weakly pectinate on inner margin; fore basitarsus with shallow strigilar concavity approximately one third as long as basitarsus, bearing strigilar comb of fine setae.

Metasoma. 1.6 x as long as its maximum width. Seventh tergum with subtriangular shape and polished distal zone; lateral carina well developed; longitudinal carina even height from base to apex ( Figs 3, 4 ).

FEMALE. Unknown.

Type mterial. Holotype 3: Argentina, Province Catamarca, 5 km North Palo Blanco, 23-II-07, Diez, Fidalgo ( MACN). Paratype: 32 3 same data as holotype ( MACN); 3 3, 5 km North Palo Blanco, 8-II-06, Diez, Fidalgo ( MLP); 6 3, 30 km N de Fiambala, 6-II-07, Diez, Fidalgo ( IFML). Province La Rioja, 1 3, RN 27 between San Ramon and Valle Fertil, 14-XII-06, Diez, Fidalgo ( MACN).

Variation. In the marginal cell the anterior margin varies from 2.0 to 2.6 x as long as posterior margin. The coloration varies, with the following parts sometimes lighter: distal region of scape, a thin apical band in tergum 1 to 5, distal regions of trochanter, femur, tibia, tarsus and pretarsus of all legs.

Discussion. Plumaroides aquilus sp. nov. can be distinguished from other species of Plumaroides by: ocellocular distance is 2.7 x diameter of lateral ocellus in P. aquilus sp. nov., while it is 1.6 x in P. andalgalensis and P. brothersi , and 2.0 x in P. tiphlus ; interantennal distance is 2.7 x antennocular distance in P. a q u i l u s sp. nov., while it is 6.7 x in P. andalgalensis , 4.9 x in P. brothersi , and 4.3 x in P. t i p h l u s; vannal lobe is 3.8 x the length of the submedial cell in P. aquilus sp. nov., while it is 2.2 x in P. andalgalensis , 3.5 x in P. brothersi , and 2.6 x in P. tiphlus .

Etymology. This species was named after its characteristic black coloration (Latin aquilus : dark coloration).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Plumaroides. 1 – 4. P. aquilus sp. nov. 1, Head; 2, Hind wing; 3, Seventh tergum, dorsal view; 4, Seventh tergum, apical area, lateral view. 5 – 8. P. tapilophus sp. nov. 5, Head; 6, Fore wing, marginal cell; 7, Seventh tergum, dorsal view; 8, Seventh tergum apical area, lateral view. 9. P. brothersi, seventh tergum apical area, lateral view. 10. P. tiphlus, seventh tergum, dorsal view. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.