Chrysis rasmonti Rosa, 2022

Boustani, Mira & Rosa, Paolo, 2022, Survey of cuckoo wasps of Lebanon (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) with description of four new species, Zootaxa 5104 (1), pp. 1-39 : 22-25

Chrysis rasmonti Rosa , sp. nov.

( Figs 7A–7F , 8A–8F , 14 B )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:82AF745B-54D7-4C52-94B9-280464C7DABE

Chrysis (Chrysis) handlirschi: Linsenmaier, 1959: 148 , nec Mocsáry, 1889: 477; Linsenmaier, 1968: 95, nec Mocsáry, 1889: 477.

Diagnosis. Posterior margin of pronotum red to golden, contrasting with green mesosoma ( Figs 7A , 8A ); anterior declivity of tergum I green, contrasting with the red colour of the remaining part of metasoma ( Figs 7A , 8A ); malar spaces elongate (2.0 × MOD) ( Fig. 8B ); apical margin of tergum III with four undulations in the male ( Fig. 7D ), and the two lateral teeth pointed in the female ( Fig. 8F ); distance between median teeth as long as distance between median and lateral teeth; TFC obsolete, vaguely M-shaped ( Figs 7B , 8B ); metasomal sterna I–III golden-red in female and flame red in male ( Figs 7F , 8E ); black spots on sternum II large and subrectangular ( Figs 7F , 8E ). Male genital capsule with elongate gonostyle ( Figs 7C , 14B ).

Material examined. TURKEY: holotype, Urfa, 2.vi.1968, ♂, leg. J. Gusenleitner ( NMLU) . Paratypes. Urfa, 14.–17.vi.1977, 1♀, leg. Jos. Schmidt ( NMLU) ; Urfa 500m, 20 km SE of Harran , 19.vi.1981, 1♂ and 1♀, leg. M. Kraus and K. Warnke ( NMLU) ; SYRIA: “Syrien 1945”, 1♂, coll. Linsenmaier (without further data) ( NMLU) ; PALESTINE: Jerusalem , Palestine, 11.v.1944, 1♂, leg. Houska ( NMLU) ; JORDAN: env. of Amman, 25.vii.1963, 1♀, leg. J. Klapperich ( NMLU) .

Description. Male holotype ( Figs 7A–7F ). Body length 9.3 mm.

Head. OOL 1.4 × MOD; POL 2.3 × MOD; MS 2.0 × MOD; relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.8:1.0:1.0. Frons between TFC and ocellar triangle with dense, small (PD about 0.2 × MOD) and contiguous punctures, without polished interspaces; punctures smaller in front of anterior ocellus; punctures larger (0.5 × MOD) on ocellar triangle and temples, with polished areas postero-lateral to posterior ocelli; face largely micropunctate, medially polished; transverse frontal carina obsolete, vaguely as M-shaped ( Fig. 7B ), with lateral ending close to eye margin; malar space elongate (2.0 × MOD); subantennal space 1.2 × MOD; apical margin of clypeus almost straight, bordered by dark brown rim; genal carina fully developed to mandibular insertion; mandible bidentate.

Mesosoma. Medial pronotal line shallow, as long as 3/4ths length of pronotum; pronotum double punctate, largest punctures 0.6 × MOD, scattered tiny dots on interspaces; punctures on mesoscutum distinctly deep and larger, increasing mesad, with sharp margins; notauli basally wide and deep, medially and apically as thin line; parapsidal signum well visible among punctures; punctures on mesoscutellum large and contiguous; slightly polished anteromedially, close to the mesoscutal-mesoscutellar suture; punctures on metanotum large, deep, foveate with sharp margins; posterior propodeal projections divergent; episternal sulcus, formed by aligned, medium-sized punctures; punctures on mesopleuron small polished interspaces, and tiny punctures. Tarsomere I of mesoleg as long as II–IV together.

Metasoma. Punctures on terga I–III large and deep, almost contiguous on tergum II; interspaces narrow and polished; median longitudinal carina barely visible; tergum III without pre pit swelling ( Fig. 7D ); pits of pit row small ( Fig. 7D ), deep, occasionally transversally confluent; apical margin of tergum III with four undulations equally interspaced ( Fig. 7D ). Black spots on sternum II large, subrectangular, medially separated by thin line ( Fig. 7F ). Genital capsule with elongate gonostyle ( Figs 7C , 14C ).

Colouration. Head and mesosoma metallic green, with reflections red to golden-red on face and clypeus, posterior margin of pronotum, femora and tibia ( Figs 7A, 7B, 7E ); metasoma flame red, darkened to violet medially and laterally ( Fig. 7A ). Metasomal sterna flame red ( Fig. 7F ). Scape and pedicel green with golden-red reflections, flagellomeres brownish ( Figs 7A, 7B, 7E ). Golden red reflections may be sporadically not fully visible in toned coloured specimens. Wings slightly infuscate.

Vestiture. Scapal basin and malar spaces covered by silvery short setae ( Fig. 7B ); rest of head with short (1.0 × MOD) whitish setae. Body with short, scattered and whitish setae (1.0 × MOD).

Female ( Figs 8A–8F ). Body length 7.0–10.0 mm. Similar to male; lateral teeth of the apical margin of tergum III more elongate, pointed and median teeth as undulations ( Fig. 8F ).

Distribution. Middle East, from Turkey to Palestine, Jordan and “ Syria ” (Levant, as Syria was potentially used to indicate the whole area).

Etymology. The specific epithet rasmonti (masculine noun in genitive) is dedicated to Pierre Rasmont (Mons, Belgium), for his contributions to the study of the Hymenoptera and pollinators of Lebanon and of the Middle East in general.

Remarks. Linsenmaier (1959) identified two similar species of the C. comparata group from East Mediterranean countries as Chrysis verna Dahlbom, 1854 ( Figs 9A–9D ) and C. handlirschi Mocsáry, 1889 . He observed that these two species had previously been confused by Invrea (1943) and Balthasar (1953). Chrysis verna , described from Greece, was considered relatively rare (“ Ziemlich selten ”) ( Linsenmaier 1959), but following research proved that it is a common and widespread species in Greece (“ In Griechenland eine der häufigsten Chrysis ”) ( Linsenmaier 1968) and in Turkey (based on material deposited in NMLU and BZL). Chrysis handlirschi , described from Turkey, was instead considered a rare species (“ selten ”) ( Linsenmaier 1959), actually known only from a few specimens deposited in his collection, BZL and NMPC.

None of the authors cited above has examined the type series of these two species. The type of Chrysis verna is currently considered lost like other Dahlbom’s types described from the Loew collection ( Rosa & Vårdal 2015; Rosa et al. 2017b, 2020a), whereas the type of Chrysis handlirschi has turned out to be a female of C. verna sensu auctorum ( Rosa et al. 2020a). Consequently, Rosa et al. (2020a) proposed to synonymise Chrysis handlirschi with C. verna and suggested that C. handlirschi sensu Linsenmaier (1959) ( Figs 7 , 8 ) could represent an undescribed species. Two taxa were synonymised by Kimsey & Bohart (1991) with Chrysis handlirschi Mocsáry, 1889 and could have priority: Chrysis samia Bischoff, 1910 ( Figs 9E–9G ) and Chrysis handlirschi ab. astarte Balthasar, 1953. We (P.R.) checked the holotypes of both species. Chrysis samia is another synonym of Chrysis verna ( Figs 9E–9G ). On the other side, the name Chrysis handlirschi ab. astarte Balthasar, 1953 is unavailable, being described as an aberration (ICZN 1999, Art. 45.6.2). Therefore, we propose the new synonymy Chrysis verna Balthasar, 1953 = Chrysis samia Bischoff, 1910 syn. nov. and describe the taxon misidentified by Linsenmaier (1959) as Chrysis handlirschi as a new species, with the name Chrysis rasmonti Rosa , sp. nov. ( Figs 7 , 8 ).

In recent years, a process of revision and stabilization of the nomenclature of members of this large species group has started with the neotype designation of Chrysis comparata Lepeletier, 1806 ( Rosa & Xu 2015), followed by lectotype designations, synonymisations and revalidations (e.g. Chrysis analis Spinola, 1806 , C. apiata du Buysson, 1900 , C. caucasicola Balthasar, 1953 , C. caucasicola Semenov-Tian-Shanskij, 1967, C. chrysostigma Mocsáry, 1889 , C. distinguenda Dahlbom, 1854 , C. excisa Mocsáry, 1889 , C. lateralis Dahlbom, 1845 , C. miegii Guérin-Méneville, 1842 ) ( Rosa 2009; Rosa et al. 2013, 2015, 2017b; Rosa & Vårdal 2015; Rosa & Xu 2015).

Chrysis rasmonti sp. nov. ( Figs 7 , 8 ) is similar to C. verna ( Figs 9A–9D ), yet males and females can be easily separated by elongate malar spaces (2.0 × MOD vs. 1.0 × MOD); metasomal sterna red (vs. green to blue); black spots on sternum II subrectangular (vs. subtrapezoidal). Moreover, females of C. rasmonti sp. nov. can be easily separated by body colour (compare Fig. 8A and 9A ) with mesosoma green with a golden red stripe on posterior margin of pronotum ( Fig. 8A ) (vs. pronotum and lateral areas of mesoscutum shining green, contrasting with blue median area of mesoscutum, scutellum and metanotum ( Fig. 9A )). Males can be easily recognised by body colour, elongate malar spaces, subrectangular black spots on sternum II, and finally by the different shape of the genital capsule ( Figs 14A, 14B ).

Figures

FIGURE 7. Chrysis rasmonti Rosa, sp. nov., ♂, holotype. A) Habitus, dorsal view. B) Head, frontal view. C) Genital capsule. D) Metasoma, postero-lateral view. E) Habitus, lateral view. F) Metasoma, ventral view. Scale bars 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 8. Chrysis rasmonti Rosa, sp. nov., ♀, paratype.A) Habitus, dorsal view. B) Head, frontal view. C) Mesosoma, dorsal view. D) Head, dorsal view. E) Habitus, ventral view. F) Metasoma, postero-lateral view. Scale bars 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 9. Chrysis verna Dahlbom, 1854. A–D, ♀, from Greece: Pyrgos (Linsenmaier collection). A) Habitus, dorsal view. B) Mesosoma, lateral view. C) Metasoma, postero-lateral view. D) Metasoma, ventral view. Chrysis samia Bischoff, 1910. E–G, ♀, holotype. E) Mesosoma, dorsal view. F) Metasoma, lateral view. G) Head, frontal view. Scale bars 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 14. Genital capsules A) Chrysis verna Dahlbom, 1854. B) C. rasmonti sp. nov. C) C. mirae sp. nov. D) C. villosa sp. nov.