Gasteruption coriacoxale 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 : 58-62

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Gasteruptiidae

Gasteruption coriacoxale van Achterberg sp. n. Figs 80-100

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Tehran, Shahriar, M[alaise]T[rap] 25, 11-18.v.2010, M. Khayrandish, RMNH’12”. Paratypes (24 ♀ + 27 ♂): 1 ♂ (RMNH), same label data as holotype; 2 ♀ (RMNH), id., but 7-14.ix.2010; 1 ♀ + 3 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 22-29.vi.2010; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id., but 18-25.v.2010; 2 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 5-13.x.2010; 2 ♀ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 8-15.vi.2010, G 5 or G14; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id., 1-7.ix.2010, G11; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id, but MT 24, 14-20.vii.2010; 1 ♀ (TMUT), id, but 11-18.v.2010; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id, but 1-7.ix.2010; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 22-28.ix.2010; 1 ♀ (TMUT), id, but 7-14.ix.2010; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 8-15.vi.2010; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id, but 9-16.viii.2010; 1 ♀ + 3 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 15-22.vi.2010; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id, but 1-8.vi.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 4-11.v.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 29.vi.-6.vii.2010; 2 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 28.ix.-5.x.2010; 1 ♀ + 2 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 5-13.x.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 29.vi.-6.vii.2010; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 15-22.vi.2010; 2 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), id., but 15-22.vi.2010; 1 ♀ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Alborz, Karaj, MT 27, 22-28.ix.2010, M. Khayrandish, RMNH’12”; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id, but 15-22.vi.2010, G4; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id, but 5-13.x.2010; 1 ♂ (RMNH), "N. Iran: Qazvin, Zereshk Road, MT5, 7-22.vi.2011, A. Nadimi, RMNH’12”; 3 ♂ (RMNH, TMUT), "N. Iran: Qazvin, Zereshk Road, MT 3 or 5, 26.v.-9.vi.2011, A. Nadimi, RMNH’12”; 1 ♂ (RMNH), id, but 28.vii.-18.viii.2011; 1 ♀ (BZL), "Iran cent., Pasargad env., 8.v.1999, K. Deneš sen."; 1 ♀ (BZL), "Turkey, 15 km E Malatya, 27.vi.2000, M. Halada"; 1 ♀ (BZL), "Turkey, 80 km SW Malatya, Erkenek, 9.vii.[19]97, Ma. Halada"; 1 ♀ (BZL), "Turkey, 20 km W Van, 5.vii.1997, Ma. Halada".

Diagnosis.

Head evenly convex dorsally, in front of occipital carina without medio-posterior depression; face rather narrow (Fig. 84); frons and vertex superficially coriaceous and with satin sheen (Fig. 85), frons with medium-sized punctures; occipital carina non-lamelliform medio-dorsally and dark brown; mandible dark brown basally; propleuron 0.8 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae; antesternal carina narrow and non-lamelliform; middle lobe of mesoscutum with satin sheen, protuberant and coriaceous, medially finely transversely rugulose and with more or less isolated and hardly visible punctures, medio-posteriorly with some rugae and lateral lobe mainly finely coriaceous (Fig. 82); scutellum finely coriaceous; mesosoma laterally largely silvery pilose (Fig. 81); hind basitarsus entirely dark brown; hind tibia rather swollen and subbasally pale brown (Fig. 83), ivory in male (Figs 91, 98); ovipositor sheath 0.9-1.2 times as long as body, 1.4-1.7 times as long as metasoma and 4.8-6.5 times hind tibia; white or ivory apical part of ovipositor sheath 0.2-0.7 (rarely 1.0) times as long as hind basitarsus (Fig. 88); length of body 7-13 mm; paramere dark brown apically (Fig. 94).

Close to Gasteruption schlettereri Magretti, but the new species has the antesternal carina non-lamelliform (rather narrow lamelliform in Gasteruption schlettereri ), the frons with medium-sized punctures (absent), the hypopygium pale brown apically (dark brown) and the hind basitarsus tricoloured (uni- and bicoloured of males and females, respectively).

Similar to the East Palaearctic Gasteruption gracilis Alekseev, 1995, and Gasteruption dimidiatum Semenov, 1892. The new species has the mesoscutum with small punctures anteriorly and with transverse rugae medio-posteriorly (entirely very finely coriaceous in Gasteruption gracilis and with large isolated punctures in Gasteruption dimidiatum ), the hypopygium of female is black (orange-brown in Gasteruption dimidiatum ), the pronotal side is at least partly conspicuously setose (inconspicuously shortly setose in Gasteruption gracilis ) and the apex of the ovipositor sheath ivory (dark brown or yellowish-brown in Gasteruption dimidiatum ). Resembles the Central Asian Gasteruption praestans Semenov & Kostylev, 1928, but the new species has the occipital carina non-lamelliform (narrow lamelliform in Gasteruption praestans ), the apex of the ovipositor sheath ivory (dark brown) and the head rather slender (rather wide). Specimens with rather long parallel-sided head may be easily confused with the European Gasteruption phragmiticola Saure, 2006. The new species has the hind coxa coriaceous or finely rugulose dorsally (distinctly rugose (male) or rugulose (female) in Gasteruption phragmiticola ), the face narrower (rather wide), the propleuron in ventral view slightly slenderer (less slender), and part of the punctures of the middle lobe of mesoscutum separated from rugulae or punctures obsolescent (punctures as far as differentiated connected to rugae). The head in dorsal view is subparallel-sided in Gasteruption phragmiticola and usually more narrowed in the new species, but sometimes also subparallel-sided in the new species.

Description.

Female, length of body 7.5 mm (of fore wing 3.7 mm).

Head. Head evenly convex dorsally, without medio-posterior depression; face, frons anteriorly and temples inconspicuously pilose; occipital carina non-lamelliform, dark brown (Fig. 80); third and fourth antennal segments 1.3 and 1.8 times as long as second segment, apical segment 1.7 times as long as penultimate segment; face rather narrow (Fig. 84); frons and vertex superficially coriaceous and with satin sheen (Fig. 85), frons with separate punctures; ventrally head not enlarged in anterior view (Fig. 84), malar space short, 0.3 times as long as second antennal segment.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.8 times its height; propleuron 0.8 times as long as mesoscutum in front of tegulae, stout posteriorly; laterally pronotum entirely coriaceous except for crenulate grooves and partly pilose, with a small acute tooth antero-ventrally; antesternal carina non-lamelliform and narrow; middle lobe of mesoscutum with satin sheen, protuberant and coriaceous, medially finely transversely rugulose and with more or less isolated and hardly visible punctures, medio-posteriorly with some rugae and lateral lobe mainly finely coriaceous (Fig. 82); scutellum finely coriaceous; laterally most of mesosoma silvery pilose (Fig. 81).

Legs. Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.7, 4.3 and 5.0 times their width, respectively; hind tibia rather swollen and ventrally curved (Fig. 83); fore coxa close to mesopleuron; hind coxa finely coriaceous dorsally; hind basitarsus moderately widened dorso-basally.

Metasoma. Ovipositor sheath 0.9 times as long as body, 1.4 times as long as metasoma, 2.8 times as long as hind tibia and tarsus combined and 4.8 times hind tibia; ivory apical part of ovipositor sheath 0.2 times as long as hind basitarsus; apical half of hypopygium incised.

Colour. Dark brown or blackish brown; mandible dark brown basally; trochantelli, palpi, tegulae, hind tibia basally and hind tarsus, brown; fore and middle tarsi pale brown; bases of fore and middle tibiae and apex of ovipositor sheath ivory; apex of second tergite of metasoma yellowish brown, apex of hypopygium dark brown; wing membrane subhyaline.

Male. Very similar to female, but middle lobe of mesoscutum rugulose with some punctures to mainly rugose (Figs 90, 96), pronotal side with some rugulae ventrally, hind coxa usually rugulose dorsally and malar space nearly absent (Fig. 89). Third antennal segment 1.5-1.6 times as long as second segment, fourth segment 1.6-1.8 times third segment and 0.9-1.0 times as long as second and third segments combined, fifth segment about as long as fourth segment (Figs 92, 97); hind tibia dark brown and with wide subbasal white or ivory band, only ventrally white and dorsally ivory or pale brown (Figs 91, 98), rarely (as in holotype) brown subbasally; hind tibia usually dark brown ventrally (except subbasally), but more or less yellowish brown in pale specimens (Fig. 98); mandible usually dark brown basally, but sometimes yellowish basally; hind tarsus brown or dark brown; apex of paramere dark brown (Fig. 94).

Variation. Length of body of ♀ 7.5-13.4 mm (of ♂ 7.6-9.8 mm); variable in colour: dark forms (as holotype) have metasoma and mandible dark brown and hind tibia subbasally brown or rarely dark brown; pale forms have second-fourth tergites largely and fifth tergite partly orange brown and hind tibia ivory subbasally; most of specimens are intermediate, either mainly dark brown or black, some pale specimens have also the mandible yellowish brown basally and males have the hind tibia more or less yellowish-brown ventrally (Fig. 98). Vertex matt or with satin sheen; mesoscutum often with some large but shallow punctures medially; ovipositor sheath 0.9-1.2 times as long as body, 1.4-1.7 times as long as metasoma and 4.8-6.5 times hind tibia; white or ivory apical part of ovipositor sheath 0.2-0.7 (rarely 1.0) times as long as hind basitarsus; palpi brown or dark brown.

Distribution.

Iran, Turkey.

Biology.

Unknown. Collected in May-October.

Etymology.

Name derived from “coriaceus”, (Latin for “leathery”) and “coxis”, (Latin for “hip”) because of the leathery sculptured hind coxae.

Notes.

Especially small specimens are darker than large specimens and have usually a shorter ovipositor sheath.