Gasteruption heminitidum van Achterberg

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Talebi, Ali Asghar, 2014, Review of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera, Gasteruptiidae) from Iran and Turkey, with the description of 15 new species, ZooKeys 458, pp. 1-187 : 73-76

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Gasteruptiidae

Gasteruption heminitidum van Achterberg sp. n. Figs 205-219

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Tehran, Shahriar, MT [= Malaise trap] 25, 8-15.vi.2010, A. Nadimi, RMNH’12”. Paratypes (9 ♀ + 14 ♂): 1 ♂ (RMNH), with same label data as holotype; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH), id., but MT 24; 1 ♀ + 4 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 1-8.vi.2010, G19 or G20; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 15-22.vi.2010, M. Khayrandish; 2 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but Karaj, 15-22.vi.2010, MT 27; 1 ♀ + 2 ♂ (RMNH), id., but 1-8.vi.2010, G9; 2 ♀ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 22-28.vi.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), 8-15.vi.2010, MT 26; 1 ♂ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Alborz, Shahrestanak. Chalous Road, MT 29, 15-22.vi.2010, S. Farahani, RMNH’12”; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id., but 6-14.vii.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Qazvin, Zereshk Road, MT 5, 7-22.vi.2011, A. Nadimi, RMNH’12”; 1 ♂ (RMNH), id., but 22.vi.-6.vii.2011, MT 3, A. Mohammadi.

Diagnosis.

Head weakly convex dorsally, in front of occipital carina without medio-posterior depression; face moderately wide (Fig. 209); frons with satin sheen and densely finely punctulate; occipital carina narrowly lamelliform and dark brown; vertex rather shiny and moderately spaced finely punctulate; mandible yellowish brown basally, but partly darkened dorso-basally; propleuron 0.9 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae; antesternal carina medium-sized lamelliform, directed posteriorly; mesoscutum shiny, coarsely punctate, and with smooth interspaces, medio-posteriorly reticulate-punctate (Fig. 207); scutellum shiny, partly smooth and with transverse rugae; mesosoma laterally (except pronotal side medially and ventrally) silvery pilose (Fig. 206); middle lobe protuberant (Fig. 207); hind basitarsus entirely dark brown, darker than yellowish brown hind tibial spurs (Fig. 208); hind tibia slender, outer side with punctures and short pale bristles and with large subbasal ivory patch (Fig. 208); ovipositor sheath 0.9-1.0 times as long as body, 1.4-1.6 times as long as metasoma, 2.8-3.1 times as long as hind tibia and tarsus combined and 4.0-5.1 times hind tibia; apex of ovipositor sheath dark brown or brown; length of body 8-11 mm; paramere dark brown or black apically (Fig. 216). Similar to Gasteruption saharense Benoit considering its sculpture, but the new species has the ovipositor sheath 1.4-1.6 times as long as metasoma (ovipositor sheath about as long as metasoma in Gasteruption saharense ), pronotal side medially and dorsally sculptured (largely smooth), the occipital and antesternal carinae moderately lamelliform (non-lamelliform or nearly so), the scapus and mesosoma black (largely yellowish brown) and pterostigma dark brown (brown). Close to Central Asian Gasteruption dimidiatum Semenov, but the new species has the head trapezoid in dorsal view (subglobular in Gasteruption dimidiatum ), the occipital carina wider (narrow), the head slightly emarginate medio-posteriorly (distinctly emarginate), the metasoma black (largely orange or yellowish brown), the hind tibia of male yellowish brown or brown ventrally (black) and third antennal segment of male dissimilar to second segment and 1.2-1.5 times as long as second segment (similar and 1.1-1.2 times longer).

Description.

Female, length of body 9.4 mm (of fore wing 4.4 mm).

Head. Head weakly convex dorsally, posteriorly gradually narrowed, without medio-posterior depression; face and frons conspicuously silvery pilose; occipital carina narrowly lamelliform, dark brown (Fig. 205); third and fourth antennal segments 1.7 and 2.6 times as long as second segment, apical segment 1.7 times as long as penultimate segment; face moderately wide (Fig. 209); frons with satin sheen and densely finely punctulate; vertex rather shiny and moderately spaced finely punctulate; ventrally head not enlarged in anterior view, malar space 0.3 times length of pedicellus.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.9 times its height; propleuron 0.9 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae, silvery pilose and moderately stout posteriorly; laterally pronotum largely smooth and shiny ventrally, medially and ventrally without pilosity; side of pronotum with obsolescent tooth antero-ventrally; antesternal carina medium-sized lamelliform, directed posteriorly (Fig. 206); mesoscutum shiny, coarsely punctate, and with smooth interspaces, medio-posteriorly reticulate-punctate (Fig. 207), its middle lobe moderately protuberant and glabrous (Fig. 207); notauli rather shallow; scutellum shiny, partly smooth and with transverse rugae; mesopleuron and metapleuron silvery pilose (Fig. 206); eyes distinctly setose.

Legs. Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.6, 4.5 and 5.6 times their width, respectively; hind tibia slender (Fig. 208); fore coxa close to mesopleuron; hind coxa shiny and rugulose dorsally; hind basitarsus moderately slender, as long as remainder of tarsus, distinctly widened in dorsal view.

Metasoma. Ovipositor sheath as long as body, 1.5 times as long as metasoma, 2.9 times as long as hind tibia and tarsus combined and 4.5 times hind tibia.

Colour. Black; metasoma dark brown, but basally and apically darker than medially; mandible (but dorsally basally darkened) and tegulae yellowish brown; fore and middle tibiae basally and basitarsi and hind tibia subbasally ivory; remainder of legs (except coxae) largely dark brown; palpi, pterostigma and hind basitarsus entirely dark brown; hind tibial spurs yellowish brown, paler than base of hind basitarsus; apex of ovipositor sheath dark brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Male. Very similar to female. Third antennal segment 1.2-1.5 times as long as second segment, fourth segment 1.7-1.8 times third segment and as long as second and third segments combined, fifth segment 0.8-0.9 times as long as fourth segment (Fig. 218); mandible yellowish brown; scutellum often largely smooth and mesoscutum densely punctate; antesternal carina medium-sized; hind tibia dark brown and with subbasal ivory band; hind tibial spurs similarly coloured as outer side of basitarsus; hind tarsus dark brown; hind tibia yellowish brown or brown ventrally, dorsally mainly dark brown and its base entirely ivory or basally narrowly brown as in female; hind coxa transversely rugose dorsally; apex of paramere black or dark brown (Fig. 216).

Variation. Length of body of ♀ 8.3-11.3 mm (of ♂ 7.7-10.4 mm); mesoscutum often more densely punctate than in holotype; hind basitarsus entirely dark brown or apically ivory as two following segments; apical half of hypopygium dark brown or largely yellowish brown; ovipositor sheath 0.9-1.0 times as long as body, 1.4-1.6 times as long as metasoma, 2.8-3.1 times as long as hind tibia and tarsus combined and 4.0-5.1 times hind tibia.

Distribution.

Iran.

Biology.

Unknown. Collected in June-July.

Etymology.

Name derived from “hemi”, (Greek for “half”) and “nitidus”, (Latin for “shining”) because of the partly smooth and shiny mesoscutum.