Palmiriella Pujade-Villar & Paretas-Martinez, 2011

Paretas-Martinez, J., Restrepo-Ortiz, C., Buffington, M. & Pujade-Villar, J., 2011, Systematics of Australian Thrasorinae (Hymenoptera, Cynipoidea, Figitidae) with descriptions of Mikeiinae, new subfamily, two new genera, and three new species, ZooKeys 108, pp. 21-48 : 31

Palmiriella Pujade-Villar & Paretas-Martinez gen. n. Fig. 3

Type species:

Palmiriella neumanni (Buffington), comb. n., by present designation and monotypy.

Diagnosis.

( Table 2 ) Palmiriella , gen. n., can be distinguished from other thrasorines by having the face smooth, without any sculpturing ( Fig. 3A ); in Scutimica and Myrtopsen , the face is irregularly sculptured ( Fig. 9A, B ); in Cicatrix and Thrasorus , strong transverse carinae are present crossing the entire face or on lateral areas ( Fig. 3A, D , 4A ). Palmiriella is further differentiated from other thrasorines by having metasomal T3 and T4 fused into a syntergum, but not covering the entire metasomal surface ( Fig. 3F ); in Scutimica and Myrtopsen , a syntergum covering the entire metasomal surface is present ( Fig. 9C ); in Cicatrix and Thrasorus , T3 and T4 are separate sclerites (syntergum absent) ( Fig. 2C , 4F ). Additionally, Palmiriella is distinguished from Scutimica and Myrtopsen by having the scutellum posteriorly rounded ( Scutimica and Myrtopsen have an emarginate/truncate scutellum, Fig. 9D, E ), and pronotum not sculptured nor projected (strongly carinate and projected in Scutimica ( Fig. 9F ), with microsculpture or carinate in Myrtopsen ( Fig. 9G )); from Thrasorus by having horizontally striate microsculpture on the mesoscutum ( Fig. 3B ) (mesoscutum smooth in Thrasorus , Fig. 4B ).

Description.

See description, biology and distribution of type species below.

Etymology.

The new genus is dedicated to our colleague and good friend Palmira Ros-Farré, who has helped us for many years with our little wasps. Gender is feminine.

Taxonomic comments.

The holotype of Mikeius neumanni Buffington, unlike the other species included in Mikeius , does have the circumtorular impression diagnostic for Thrasorinae . For this reason, this species is transferred from Mikeius to the new thrasorine genus Palmiriella . Characters summarized in the diagnosis below and phylogeny in Fig. 5 justify the erection of the new genus.

Figures

Figure 2. Diagnostic characters of Cicatrix sp. (Thrasorinae): A Cicatrix pilosiscutum; B-D and F Cicatrix schauffi; E, Cicatrix neumannoides A head, anterior view B mesosoma, dorsal view C metasoma, lateral view D head, anterior view E mesosoma, dorsal view F female antenna, dorsal view. CI, circumtorular impression.

Figure 3. Diagnostic characters of Palmiriella neumanni (Thrasorinae), female A head, anterior view B mesosoma, dorsal view C mesosoma, lateral view D antenna, dorsal view E head and mesosoma, antero-dorsal view F metasoma, lateral view. CI, circumtorular impression.

Figure 4. Characters of Thrasorus (A-G) and Scutimica (H) A head, anterior view B mesosoma, dorsal view, Thrasorus rieki C antenna, male, medial view D mesosoma, dorsal view, Thrasorus schmidtae E head and mesosoma, lateral view F metasoma, lateral view G antenna, female, medial view H mesosoma, dorsal view, Scutimica transcarinata.

Figure 5. Cladogram of Euceroptrinae, Mikeiinae, Plectocynipinae, and Thrasorinae. Numbers above branches indicate bootstap support. CI = 0.58; RI = 0.73; RC = 0.43. Strict consensus of 2 trees, L = 190.

Figure 9. Characters of Scutimica and Myrtopsen A head, Scutimica transcarinata B head, Myrtopsen luedervaldti C metasoma, Myrtopsen sp. D mesosoma in dorsal view, Scutimica flava E mesosoma in dorsal view, Mikeius mimosae F mesosoma in lateral view, Scutimica transcarinata G mesosoma in lateral view, Mikeius punctuatus.