Stenetra californica Tselikh & Burks, 2020

Tselikh, Ekaterina & Burks, Roger, 2020, Revision of Stenetra Masi, 1931 (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 4759 (2), pp. 191-208 : 193

Stenetra californica Tselikh & Burks sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FFEBF115-F485-41B4-BBE6-0CEDF2E0A1AD

Description. Female. Body length 3.4–4.05 mm; fore wing length 2.0– 2.25 mm. Head and mesosoma dark metallic green-blue with diffuse coppery lustre; metasoma metallic green with diffuse coppery lustre; antenna with scape yellow, pedicel yellowish-brown; flagellum brown; all coxae dark metallic blue-green; femora apically dark brown, basally yellowish-brown; all tibiae apically yellowish-brown; all tarsi yellow except last segment brown; fore wing with brownish tint, venation yellowish-brown; ovipositor sheath black. Head in dorsal view 2.3–2.5× as broad as long and 1.26–1.3× as broad as mesoscutum; in frontal view 1.2–1.3× broader than high. POL 1.85–2.05× OOL. Eye height 1.4–1.5× eye length and 1.9–2.1× as long as malar space. Distance between antennal toruli and lower margin of clypeus 0.8× distance between antennal toruli and median ocellus. Clypeus radially striate, its lower margin emarginate. Antenna with scape 0.8–1.2× as long as eye height and 1.15–1.3× as long as eye length, not reaching to anterior edge of median ocellus; pedicel 1.95–2.3× as long as broad and 0.95–1.0× as long as F1; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.0–1.05× breadth of head; flagellum almost filiform; anelli equal in length; F1 1.6–1.7× as long as broad and 0.9–1.0× as long as F2, with 2–3 rows of dense sensilla; F2–F6 longer than broad; clava 1.95–2.3× as long as broad. Mesosoma 1.4–1.5× as long as broad. Scutellum finely reticulate, 0.75–0.85× as long as broad. Propodeum medially 0.4–0.45× as long as scutellum; median carina present only anteriorly, plicae weak; nucha short and reticulate, 0.3× length of propodeum. Fore wing 2.4–2.5× as long as maximum width; basal cell partly pilose; speculum open; M 0.9–1.0× as long as P and 1.3–1.5× as long as S; stigma with short uncus. Metasoma lanceolate, 1.6–1.7× as long as mesosoma and head; Mt8 5.3–6.8× as long as broad and 1.3–1.6× as long as Mt7. Ovipositor sheath projecting slightly beyond apex of metasoma.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀, USA, “ Ca : Tulare Co. Ash. Mtn. Pwr. Sta. #3 1-X -1982 J.A. Halstead ”, “ ♀ Stenetra det Z. Bouček 1993 ”, “ NHMUK 013455876 ” “ HOLOTYPE Stenetra californica ♀ Tselikh, Burks ” ( BMNH).

Paratypes: 1 ♀, USA, “ S. Bernadino Mts. 6000 ft., Sep. 2, 1951, Eriogonum subscaposum, Timberlake Coll. ”, “Timberlake Coll.”, “Univ. Calif. Riverside Ent. Res. Museum UCRC ENT 508677 ”, “ PARATYPE Stenetra californica ♀ Tselikh, Burks ” ( UCR) ; 1 ♀, USA, “Riverside, Cal., Oct.25.1932, on Eriogonum gracile, Timberlake Coll. ”, “Univ. Calif. Riverside Ent. Res. Museum UCRC ENT 508667 ”, “ PARATYPE Stenetra californica ♀ Tse- likh, Burks” ( ZISP) .

Distribution. USA (California).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, California.

Comments. Stenetra californica belongs to a group of four species that have thick, conspicuous white pilosity on the head and mesosoma, and the stigma of the stigmal vein wide; differences between these species are shown in the key in couplets 2–4. Females of S. californica are also similar to those of S. hungarica because the POL is 1.8–2.0× the OOL and they have a long Mt8. However, S. californica females have the pedicel as long as F1, F1 with 2–3 rows of dense sensilla, the speculum open, and Mt8 apically with dark metallic green or blue coloration, whereas S. hungarica females have the pedicel shorter than F1, F1 with 4 rows of dense sensilla, the speculum partly closed, and Mt8 apically with yellowish-brown coloration.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Stenetra californica Tselikh & Burks sp. nov. (1, 2, 7 ♀ paratype, 3–6, 8 ♀ holotype). 1, antenna; 2, fore wing; 3, head frontal view; 4, head dorsal view; 5, scutellum and propodeum, dorsal view; 6, habitus, lateral view; 7, habitus, dorsal view; 8, metasoma dorsal view.