Netomocera cyanocephala, Mitroiu, 2019

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, 2019, Revision of Netomocera Bouček (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), excluding the Oriental species, European Journal of Taxonomy 568, pp. 1-87 : 26-30

Netomocera cyanocephala sp. nov.

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Figs 41–53

Diagnosis

Both sexes

Head with strong blue-violet reflections ( Figs 42–43). Macropterous ( Figs 41, 52). Clypeal margin very shallowly emarginate, almost straight ( Fig. 44). Scrobes shallow and finely reticulate. Upper face and vertex with eight large setae. Pronotal collar not unusually long or wide ( Fig. 47). Mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous ( Fig. 46). Propodeum without well-defined V-shaped area basally ( Fig. 48). Fore wing with basal third extensively setose except for narrow bare region ( Figs 49–51). Visible part of petiole very short, distinctly transverse, with more or less obliterate sculpture ( Fig. 48).

Female

Fore wing usually with two brownish regions ( Figs 49–50), sometimes hyaline ( Fig. 51). Occiput margin sharply defined ( Fig. 43). Eye height 2.6–2.7× malar space. POL 2.90–3.75 × OOL. Mesoscutum, scutellum and axillae with shallow reticulation ( Fig. 47); scutoscutellar sutures deep, distinct; frenal area distinct, i.e., sculpture at least slightly different than on rest of scutellum ( Fig. 47). Setation of mesonotum not unusually dense and conspicuous ( Fig. 47). MV 4–5 × SV.

Male

Mesosoma uniformly dark brown to black ( Fig. 52).

Etymology

The name of the species (adjective) refers to the distinct bluish colouration of the head.

Material examined

Holotype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA • ♀; “ PAPUA N. GUINEA, Mt. Hagen 1600 m, 17.XII.82. Bouček”; entire, on rectangular card; BMNH.

Allotype

PAPUA NEW GUINEA • ♂; same data as for holotype; BMNH.

Additional paratypes

PAPUA NEW GUINEA • 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; “ Netomocera ”; BMNH • 4 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; BMNH • 2 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; “ 15.XII.82 ”; BMNH • 1 ♀; “ PAPUA N. GUINEA, Lae , 16.xii.82. Bouček ”; BMNH .

Description

Female (habitus: Fig. 41)

COLOUR. Head ( Figs 42–43) black, with conspicuous blue-violet reflections on upper face and vertex. Mandibles brown. Antenna ( Fig. 45) with scape whitish except brownish apically; pedicel and flagellum brown. Mesosoma ( Figs 46–48) blackish except for dark reddish-brown pronotal panels and neck. Legs with fore coxa usually reddish-brown, mid and hind coxae darker, occasionally all coxae dark brown; femora and tibiae yellowish to brown, occasionally hind femur lighter that fore or mid femora; tarsi pale yellow to dark yellow, pretarsi brown. Fore wing ( Figs 49–51) hyaline or with two large brownish regions, one behind marginal vein, the other behind stigma, of variable intensity; venation brown; setation brown. Hind wing hyaline. Metasoma ( Fig. 41) with petiole black; gaster mainly dark brown. Body setation light brown except for several large, symmetrically arranged dark brown setae.

BODY LENGTH. 1.80–2.25 mm.

HEAD. Clypeus virtually smooth; apical margin very slightly emarginate, almost straight ( Fig. 44). Lower face coriaceous to shallowly reticulate, with piliferous punctures more or less distinct. Upper face reticulate and vertex shallowly reticulate to coriaceous ( Fig. 43); scrobes shallow, reticulate; parascrobal region with elongate cells ( Fig. 42). Occiput alutaceous; margin sharply defined ( Fig. 43). Toruli with lower margins from about level with to slightly above lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 42). Antenna ( Fig. 45) with funicle strongly widening towards clava, with clava conspicuously asymmetric. Upper face and vertex with eight large setae. Head in dorsal view with width about 2.3 × length (47.5:20.5) and in frontal view 1.20–1.25 × height (47.5:40.0). POL 2.90–3.75 × OOL (15:4). Eye height about 1.4× length (26:18), 2.6–2.7× malar space (26:10) and about 1.1× scape length (26:23). Head width 0.9–1.0 × length of pedicel plus flagellum (47.5:47.0). Fu1 length about 1.4–2.0 × width (5.0:3.5); fu7 width 1.2–1.4 × length (6:5); clava length about 2.3–2.7 × width (19:8).

MESOSOMA. Pronotal collar narrower than mesoscutum, with six large setae ( Fig. 47). Mesonotum moderately setose dorsally ( Fig. 47). Pronotal collar dorsally, mesoscutum and axillae shiny, shallowly reticulate, with origins of setae sometimes visible as small punctures ( Fig. 47). Scutellum reticulate, except for coriaceous and more or less longitudinally striate frenal area ( Fig. 47). Upper mesepisternum mainly smooth; lower mesepisternum mainly punctulate-reticulate, occasionally transversally striate ( Fig. 46). Mesepimeron mainly smooth; mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous ( Fig. 46). Propodeum with intricate pattern of carinae, interspaces mainly smooth ( Fig. 48). Macropterous; fore wing uniformly and densely setose except for small, elongate bare region ( Figs 49–51). Mesosoma length 1.25–1.30 × width (50:40) and 1.35–1.50 × height (50:37). Pronotal collar 0.3–0.4× as long as mesoscutum (5:13) and about 0.8× as wide as mesoscutum (31:40). Mesoscutum width 2.95–3.10 × length (40:13). Scutellum length about 0.9–1.0 × width (22:24). Propodeum length about 0.6× scutellum length (13:22). Fore wing length about 2.4× width (112:47); MV about 4–5 × SV (33:7) and about 2.0–2.6 × PV (33:15).

METASOMA. Petiole barely visible, transverse, smooth except for a few superficial longitudinal striae ( Fig. 48). Gaster ovate, length about 1.8–2.0 × width (55:30); gt1 longest, width 0.85–0.90× length (30:35), with hind margin produced; gt2–5 almost not visible, retracted; gt6 broadly triangular; syntergum acutely pointed. Ovipositor sheaths slightly protruding beyond apex of gaster ( Fig. 41). Cercal setae surpassing apex of gaster.

Male (habitus: Fig. 52)

Differs from female mainly as follows. Body length: 1.0– 1.8 mm. Head sometimes with weak to indistinct bluish reflections. Mesosoma and part of gaster in very small specimens orange-brown. Scape reddish-brown to brown. Fore wing always without brown spots ( Fig. 52). Toruli with lower margins above lower margins of eyes. Antenna ( Fig. 53) with fu1 length about 2.0–3.1× width; combined length of pedicel plus flagellum about 2.3–2.6× head width. Gaster, when not inflated, much shorter than mesosoma, with only gt1 visible ( Fig. 52).

Distribution

Papua New Guinea.

Remarks

The variability of the fore wing colouration of females is remarkable ( Figs 49–51) and seems to be correlated with leg pigmentation because females with brownish spots on the wings also have darker legs, whereas females with hyaline wings have lighter legs. Due to the following reasons I decided to treat the two different forms of females as a single species, although future molecular studies may prove differently: (1) no additional characters were found to separate them; (2) there is a variation in the colour intensity of the brownish spots; (3) they seem to be sympatric; (4) their respective males are indistinguishable. Netomocera cyanocephala sp. nov. seems closest to N. ramakrishnai , at least the females being separated mainly by body colour and antennal structure.