Hyptiogaster arafura Parslow & Jennings, 2018

Parslow, Ben A. & Jennings, John T., 2018, A new species of the endemic Australian genus Hyptiogaster Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae), Zootaxa 4379 (1), pp. 145-150 : 146-149

Hyptiogaster arafura Parslow & Jennings sp. nov. ( Figs 1–13 )

Type material. Holotype ♀, NT Arafura Swamp, 12.16S, 134.59E, 9 June 1996, G.R. Brown ( MAGNT; NTM I005020), Paratype ♂, NT Arafura Swamp, 12.16S, 134.59E, 9 June 1996, G.R. Brown ( MAGNT; NTM I005021)

Description. FEMALE. Length. 14.3 mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Head pale brown, clypeus and face yellowish except for dark brown patch around ocelli and medially anterior of occipital carina. Mouthparts yellowish, except apex of mandible and basal tooth dark brown. Antennal scape, pedicel and first flagellomere pale brown, remainder brown. Propleuron pale brown except darker dorsally and dark brown ventro-apically. Pronotum pale brown except anterior lobe yellowish and furrow pale brown. Mesepisternum yellowish except dark brown ventrally. Mesepimeron black. Metapleuron pale brown. Propodeum brown, lighter dorsally, dark brown at coxal insertion. Mesoscutal medial lobe brown, dark brown patch antero-medially; notaulus dark brown; lateral lobes brown with dark brown patch around admedial lines. Mesoscutellum pale brown, lighter posteriorly. Fore and mid legs pale brown, anterior face of tibiae and basitarsi lighter brown. Hind leg pale brown, ventral face of coxa and base of tibia lighter brown, distal apex of basitarsus and claw darker brown. Wings hyaline with veins and pterostigma pale brown. Metasoma pale brown except T1 and apical margin of tergites and sternites yellowish. Ovipositor sheath dark brown.

Head. Face with a few scattered punctures and short pubescence; antennal scrobes vertical, shallow. Frons largely smooth, with short pubescence, weak frontal carina and medial groove ( Fig. 5 ). Vertex smooth except with scattered punctures laterally and near ocelli, with pubescence denser and longer laterally. Occipital carina broad and smooth. Distance from lateral ocellus to eye about 0.4× distance from lateral ocellus to occipital carina ( Fig. 7 ). Gena with scattered punctures, and short, dense pubescence. Malar space 0.08× eye height, 0.26× as long as scape ( Fig. 6 ). Clypeus about 1.3× as wide as high, with scattered punctures and indistinct broad medial groove, and with short, dense pubescence; clypeal margin sinuate, with long setae on margin ( Fig. 5 ). Scape 2.4× as long as pedicel; first flagellomere 1.3× as long as scape, 1.8× as long as second flagellomere ( Fig. 5 ); flagellomeres 3–11 short, almost quadrate; apical flagellomere 1.6× as long as wide. Mandible long, narrow, with single broad medial tooth and acute basal tooth ( Fig. 5 ).

Mesosoma. Propleuron finely punctate, pubescent, without propleural ventro-lateral carina. Pronotum smooth with V-shaped carinate furrow, pronotal processes absent ( Fig. 8 ). Medial and lateral lobes of mesoscutum punctate, almost glabrous, with short setae associated with punctures ( Fig. 10 ). Admedial lines groove-like, slightly curved, wider anteriorly. Notaulus crenulate. Parapsidal line distinct. Scutellum and axilla punctate, almost glabrous, with short setae associated with punctures. Metanotum narrow, smooth. Mesepisternum with dorsal part smooth with a few scattered punctures, separated from ventral part by carinate groove, ventrally with scattered punctures, and with pubescence denser on ventral lobe. Mesepimeron broad, deep, carinate ( Fig. 8 ). Metapleuron obscured by wings. Propodeum rugose except carinate on posterior margin, and with short median longitudinal carina, and long, scattered setae. Propodeal spiracle elongate, not fringed with long setae. Hind coxa finely punctate, pubescent, smooth, glabrous in coxal depression. Hind trochanter finely punctate, trochanteral groove absent. Hind femur 3.3× as long as wide, 0.7× length of hind tibia, finely punctate, with short pubescence. Hind tibia punctate-imbricate, pubescence dense, ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines present. Hind tarsomere one 2.7× length of tarsomere two, tarsomere two 1.2× length of tarsomere three and 1.3× length of tarsomere four, tarsomere four 0.5× length of tarsomere five ( Fig. 9 ). Hind tarsal claw about 0.7× length of hind tarsomere five ( Fig. 9 ).

Wings. Hind wing with 4 equidistant hamuli. Fore wing vein 2-M tubular in basal third, pigmented in remaining twothirds, vein 2-Cub pigmented ( Fig. 12 ). Hind wing, M+Cu, r-m and M pigmented, 1-1A spectral.

Metasoma. Metasoma 2.0× length of mesosoma. First tergum smooth except for a few shallow punctures laterally, remaining tergites imbricate with a few scattered punctures, pubescent. Ovipositor 0.23× length of metasoma.

MALE. Length. 14.0 mm. Similar to female except more extensively dark brown from ocelli to occipital carina, and apically and dorso-medially on propleuron. Digitus 0.6× length of basiparamere; basiparameres imbricate, with a few long setae in inner margin ( Fig. 13 ).

Host/associations. Unknown.

Etymology. Hyptiogaster arafura is known only from the type locality Arafura Swamp in the Northern Territory, Australia. This area is of great cultural significance to the Yolngu people.

Comments. Hyptiogaster arafura is clearly placed in Hyptiogaster based on several characters, particularly the fore wing venation (two discal cells, first discal cell formed by vein 1-Rs+M intersecting basal cell) and exserted ovipositor (not present in Pseudofoenus— see Jennings & Austin 2002), although it lacks the groove on the hind trochanter that is present in all other described Hyptiogaster . The new species also differs from other Hyptiogaster in having an elongate propleuron ( Figs 8, 10 ) similar to that found in many Gasteruption species (see, for example, Crosskey 1951, fig. 10). This new species also differs from other Hyptiogaster in its distinct yellow-brown colouration. Hyptiogaster arafura keys out to H. weowaniensis Jennings & Austin in the key of Jennings and Austin (1997), but differs in body colouration (red-brown in H. weowaniensis ), dark brown ovipositor sheath (apical one-third cream coloured in H. weowaniensis ), a shorter metasoma (2.0× length mesosoma compared to 2.5× in H. weowaniensis ), and the face punctate (finely rugulose with a few scattered punctures in H. weowaniensis ).

Hyptiogaster arafura is known only from the type locality, Arafura Swamp , Northern Territory . Most Hyptiogaster species have been described from southern Australia , particularly south-west Western Australia, but this new species occurs much further north than the published distribution for other species (see Jennings & Austin 1997).

Figures

FIGURES1–4.Hyptiogaster arafura sp. nov. 1,lateral habitus,holotype ♀. 2, dorsal habitus, holotype ♀.3,lateral habitus,paratype ♂. 4, dorsalhabitus,paratype ♂. Scale bars = 1.0 mm

FIGURE 5–13. Hyptiogaster arafura sp. nov. 5, frontal head, holotype ♀. 6, lateral head, holotype ♀. 7, dorsal head, holotype ♀. 8, lateral mesosoma and propleuron, holotype ♀. 9, hind legs, holotype ♀. 10, dorsal mesosoma and propleuron, holotype ♀. 11, lateral metasoma apex and ovipositor, holotype ♀. 12, left wings, paratype♂.13, ventral viewgenitalia, paratype♂. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.