Netomocera formiciformis, 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 : 35-39

Netomocera formiciformis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1DE3095C-E08F-4D64-AB86-A527E8ECBB1B

Figs 65–75

Diagnosis

Both sexes

Head black, occasionally with very slight bluish metallic reflections ( Figs 66–67). Clypeal margin produced ( Fig. 68). Scrobes shallow and reticulate ( Fig. 66). Upper face and vertex with eight large setae ( Fig. 67). Occiput margin sharply defined ( Fig. 67). Pronotal collar not unusually long or wide ( Fig. 71). Mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous. Propodeum without a well-defined V-shaped area basally ( Fig. 72). Visible part of petiole very short, distinctly transverse, with more or less obliterate sculpture ( Fig. 72).

Female

Brachypterous, rarely submacropterous ( Figs 65, 73). Eye height 2.25–2.35 × malar space. POL about 3× OOL. Mesoscutum, scutellum and axillae with shallow punctulate reticulation ( Fig. 71); scutoscutellar sutures deep, distinct; frenal area distinct, i.e., sculpture at least slightly different than on rest of scutellum ( Fig. 71). Mesosoma with unusually dense and conspicuous whitish setation dorsally ( Fig. 71).

Male

Antenna with fu1 length 1.9–2.2× width; length of pedicel plus flagellum 2.8–3.0 × head width. MV about 4.5 × SV.

Etymology

The species name (adjective) refers to the female habitus, which is somewhat similar to that of an ant.

Material examined

Holotype

GUATEMALA • ♀; “ GUATEMALA, Fraijanes , Finca San Antonio, 1800 m, VII.87, J. Mauger ”; entire, on triangular card; CNC.

Allotype

GUATEMALA • ♂; “ GUATEMALA Sacatepequez, Volcan Agua 1700 m, above Antigua Guatemala, Nov 23 1986 sweep, Sharkey”; CNC.

Additional paratypes

GUATEMALA • 1 ♀; “ GUATEMALA, Fraijanes , Finca San Antonio, 1800 m, XII.1986, J. P. Mauger ”; CNC • 1 ♂; “ GUATEMALA: Sierra de Minas , 5 mi. N.E. San Lorenzo, 10.VI.1986, J. M. Campbell ”; CNC .

MEXICO • 3 ♀♀; “ MEXICO: Oaxaca; 6.1 Km S Suchixtepec 2150 m, 26.VII.1992, R. Anderson oakalder-pine forest”; CNC • 1 ♀; “ MEX. Dgo. 9000’, El Salto , 10 mi W., 10 June 1964, W. R. M. Mason ”; CNC .

Description

Female (habitus: Fig. 65)

COLOUR. Head ( Figs 66–67) black, with very slight bluish metallic reflections. Mandibles brown, teeth reddish-brown. Antenna ( Fig. 69) with scape pale yellowish-brown, pedicel light brown, flagellum brown basally but gradually becoming dark brown towards clava. Mesosoma ( Figs 70–72) black, pronotal collar occasionally dark brown. Legs with coxae whitish, hind coxae more or less brownish basally; trochanters whitish to light brown; femora, tibiae and tarsi yellowish-brown, pretarsi darker. Wings subhyaline, venation brown; setation brown. Metasoma ( Fig. 65) with petiole black; gaster mostly dark brown to black, apical tergites lighter. Body setation ( Fig. 71) whitish except for several large, symmetrically arranged dark brown setae.

BODY LENGTH. 1.5–1.9 mm.

HEAD. Clypeus finely coriaceous; apical margin produced ( Fig. 68). Lower face shallowly reticulate. Upper face reticulate and vertex shallowly reticulate to coriaceous ( Fig. 67); scrobes shallow, reticulate; parascrobal region mostly with isodiametric cells ( Fig. 66). Occiput finely reticulate; margin sharply defined ( Fig. 67). Toruli with lower margins below lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 66). Antenna with flagellum moderately widening towards clava; clava conspicuously asymmetric ( Fig. 69). Upper face and vertex with eight large setae ( Fig. 67). Head in dorsal view with width 2.1–2.3 × length (73:35) and in frontal view 1.1–1.2 × height (73:62). POL about 3 × OOL (21:7). Eye height about 1.3 × length (40:30), 2.25–2.35× malar space (40:17) and 1.1–1.2 × scape length (40:37). Head width 0.9–1.0 × length of pedicel plus flagellum (73:75). Fu1 length 1.0–1.2 × width (6:5); fu7 width 1.5–1.8 × length (10.0:6.5); clava length 2.1–2.2 × width (23.0:10.5).

MESOSOMA. Pronotal collar narrower than mesoscutum, with six large setae ( Fig. 71). Mesonotum moderately setose dorsally except for bare frenal area ( Figs 71–72). Mesoscutum and axillae densely but superficially punctulate-reticulate, but sculpture difficult to see because of dense setation ( Fig. 71). Scutellum, including frenal area, punctulate-reticulate, cells isodiametric ( Fig. 71). Mesepisternum mainly reticulate ( Fig. 70). Mesepimeron smooth; mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous. Propodeum with a pattern of several strong carinae, interspaces virtually smooth ( Fig. 72). Submacropterous or brachypterous. Submacropterous form with fore wing uniformly and densely setose except for small, elongate bare region. Brachypterous form ( Fig. 65) with fore and hind wings reduced and represented by stumps ( Fig. 73); fore wing longer than its maximum width, well surpassing posterior margin of propodeum, truncate apically, with setation visible beyond basal cell and with complete submarginal vein, incomplete marginal vein and virtually absent postmarginal and stigmal veins. Mesosoma length about 1.3× width (75:59) and 1.4–1.5 × height (75:55). Pronotal collar 0.4–0.5× as long as mesoscutum (9:22) and about 0.7 × as wide as mesoscutum (44:59). Mesoscutum width 2.7–3.4 × length (59:22). Scutellum length about 0.9× width (30:33). Propodeum length about 0.7× scutellum length (20:30). Fore wing length of submacropterous form about 2.8× width; MV about 4.3× SV; PV about 1.3 × SV. Fore wing length of brachypterous form 3.6–4.0 × width (50:14).

METASOMA. Petiole very short, transverse, with a few longitudinal costulae ( Fig. 72). Gaster ovate, length 1.6–1.7 × width (95:60) ( Fig. 65); gt1 long, width about 0.9× length (60:65), with posterior margin produced; gt2–6 very short, retracted; syntergum acutely pointed. Ovipositor sheaths protruding beyond apex of gaster. Cercal setae not surpassing apex of gaster.

Male (habitus: Fig. 74)

Differs from female mainly as follows. Body length: 1.2–1.6 mm. Scape yellowish-brown, pedicel brown, flagellum uniformly brown. Setation on mesosoma less dense. Petiole longer. Antenna ( Fig. 75) with fu1 length 1.9–2.2× width; length of pedicel plus flagellum 2.8–3.0× as long as head width. Fore wing length about 2.4 × width. MV about 4.5 × SV. Gaster length 1.4–1.6× width, gt1 occupying virtually all gaster length (gaster collapsed) or about half of gaster length (gaster inflated).

Distribution

Guatemala, Mexico.

Remarks

Females can easily be separated from those of all other species by the dense whitish setation dorsally on the mesonotum ( Fig. 71). Males seem similar to those of N. merida sp. nov. (see the key).