Netomocera merida, 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 : 50-53

Netomocera merida sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:99558136-D5EB-4847-963B-3BE6E1ED90AE

Figs 107–117

Diagnosis

Both sexes

Macropterous ( Figs 107, 116). Head and mesosoma black ( Figs 108–109, 116). Fore wing subhyaline ( Figs 115–116). Clypeal margin produced ( Fig. 110). Scrobes shallow and reticulate ( Fig. 108). Upper face and vertex with eight large setae. Occiput margin sharply defined ( Fig. 109). Pronotal collar not unusually long or wide ( Fig. 113). Mesoscutum, scutellum and axillae with shallow reticulation; scutoscutellar sutures deep, distinct; frenal area distinct, i.e., sculpture at least slightly different than on rest of scutellum ( Fig. 113). Mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous ( Fig. 112). Propodeum without a welldefined V-shaped area basally ( Fig. 114). Visible part of petiole very short, distinctly transverse, with more or less obliterate sculpture ( Fig. 114).

Female

Antenna with both fu7 and clava dark, contrasting with other funicular segments ( Fig. 111). Eye height about 2.8 × malar space. Antenna moderately clavate ( Fig. 111), fu7 width about 1.3× length. Setation of mesonotum not unusually dense or conspicuous ( Fig. 113). Fore wing with basal third extensively setose except for narrow bare region ( Fig. 115). MV about 4.3 × SV.

Male

Head without any violet reflections on vertex. Mesosoma uniformly dark brown to black ( Fig. 116). Fu1 length 2.4–2.6 × width; length of pedicel plus flagellum 2.40–2.75 × head width. MV 3.2–4.1 × SV.

Etymology

The name of the species (noun in apposition) indicates the name of the Venezuelan state where the holotype was collected.

Material examined

Holotype

VENEZUELA • ♀; “ Venezuela : Merida – Sta. Rosa. 2000m.”; “ 15.v-15.vi.1981, Briceno & Suarez”; “Brit. Mus. 1982-347”; left fore wing glued near specimen, on rectangular card; BMNH.

Allotype

VENEZUELA • ♂; “ Venezuela: Merida, Tabay La Mucuy , 1900m, 18.VI-2.VIII.1989, S. & J. Peck, FIT, streamside meadow”; CNC.

Additional paratypes

VENEZUELA • 2 ♂♂; “ Venezuela : Miranda, Guatopo NP Aqua Blanca, 35 km N Altagracia 400m, 3-10.VI.1987, S. & J. Peck ”; CNC .

Description

Female (habitus: Fig. 107)

COLOUR. Head ( Figs 108–109) black. Mandibles yellowish-brown, teeth darker. Antenna ( Fig. 111) with scape, pedicel, anellus and fu1–5 yellowish-brown; fu6 slightly darker; fu7 and clava dark brown. Mesosoma ( Figs 112–113) dorsally black, laterally dark brown. All legs yellowish-brown, except darker basal half of coxae and tarsal pretarsi. Fore wing ( Fig. 115) subhyaline; venation light brown; setation brown. Hind wing hyaline. Metasoma with petiole black ( Fig. 114). Gaster ( Fig. 107) brown, ventrally paler. Body setation including large, symmetrically arranged setae dark brown.

BODY LENGTH. 2.25 mm.

HEAD. Clypeus coriaceous; apical margin produced ( Fig. 110). Lower face, gena and vertex mostly coriaceous ( Fig. 109). Scrobal depression and areas between scrobes and eyes reticulate, cells elongate ( Fig. 108). Occiput reticulate-striate; margin sharply defined ( Fig. 109). Toruli with lower margins about level with lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 108). Antenna moderately clavate, with clava conspicuously asymmetric ( Fig. 111). Upper face and vertex with eight large setae. Head in dorsal view with width 2.2× length (83:37) and in frontal view 1.15 × height (83:72). POL about 3.4 × OOL (24:7). Eye height about 1.4× length (48:35), about 2.8 × malar space (48:17) and 1.2× scape length (48:40). Head width subequal to length of pedicel plus flagellum (83:85). Fu1 length 1.4× width (7:5); fu7 width about 1.3× length (10.5:8.0); clava length 2.45 × width (27:11).

MESOSOMA. Pronotal collar narrower than mesoscutum, with six large setae ( Fig. 113). Mesonotum moderately setose dorsally ( Fig. 113). Mesoscutum and axillae coriaceous to very shallowly reticulate ( Fig. 113). Scutellum shallowly reticulate except frenal area coriaceous ( Figs 113–114). Upper mesepisternum alutaceous to coriaceous; lower mesepisternum reticulate ( Fig. 112). Mesepimeron virtually smooth, with only short costulae and impressions near posterior margin; mesepimeral sulcus conspicuous ( Fig. 112). Propodeum with intricate pattern of carinae, interspaces shiny but slightly wrinkled ( Fig. 114). Macropterous; fore wing uniformly and densely setose except for small, elongate bare region ( Fig. 115). Mesosoma length about 1.4× width (94:66) and about 1.4× height (94:65). Pronotal collar about 0.3 × as long as mesoscutum (8:23) and about 0.8× as wide as mesoscutum (51:66). Mesoscutum width about 2.9× length (66:23). Scutellum length 0.95 × width (38:40). Propodeum length about 0.5× scutellum length (20:38). Fore wing length about 2.6× width (160:62); MV about 4.3× SV (52:12) and about 2.7× PV (52:19).

METASOMA. Petiole transverse, mainly smooth, except for some irregular costulae ( Fig. 114). Gaster ovate, length 1.65 × width (132:80) ( Fig. 107); gt1 longest, width about 1.6× length (80:50), with hind margin very slightly produced; gt2–6 progressively shorter, transverse; syntergum acutely pointed. Ovipositor sheaths very slightly protruding beyond apex of gaster. Cercal setae not surpassing apex of gaster.

Male (habitus: Fig. 116)

Differs from female mainly as follows. Body length: 1.2–1.3 mm. Flagellum brown except basal segments slightly lighter ( Fig. 117). Mesosoma and metasoma brown to dark brown ( Fig. 116). Coxae lighter basally. Fu1 length 2.4–2.6 × width; length of pedicel plus flagellum 2.40–2.75 × as long as head width. Fore wing length 2.5 × width. MV 3.2–4.1 × as long as SV and 2.1–2.5 × PV. Gaster (inflated) length about 1.3× width, gt1 occupying about half of gaster length.

Distribution

Venezuela.

Remarks

See N. masneri sp. nov. Also similar to N. celebensis sp. nov. and N. ramakrishanai ; from both these species the females of N. merida sp. nov. differ mainly in having a less strongly clavate antenna with both fu7 and the clava dark, contrasting with the other funicular segments ( Fig. 111), and a darker mesosoma ( Figs 112–114). The males seem most similar to those of N. formiciformis sp. nov. (see the key).