Pulchrisolia valerieae Polaszek & Lahey, 2019

Lahey, Zachary, van Noort, Simon, Polaszek, Andrew, Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical genus Pulchrisolia Szabo (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae, Sceliotrachelinae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 73, pp. 39-71 : 39

Pulchrisolia valerieae Polaszek & Lahey sp. nov.

Figures 64 , 65-70

Description.

Male body length: 1.18 mm (n = 1). Shape of dorsal interantennal process: apically bilobed. Length of interantennal process: longer than radicle. Hyperoccipital carina: raised between lateral ocelli. Frontal ledge: present. Preocellar depressions: present. Setation of pronotal cervical sulcus: absent. Setation of cervical pronotal area: absent. Sculpture of pronotal shoulders: reticulate. Sculpture of anterior margin of pronotal shoulders: carinate. Posterolateral margin of pronotal shoulders: sharply angled. Posterior margin of pronotal shoulders: rounded. Antero-admedian line: present. Anterior admedian depression or pit: present. Parapsidial line: absent. Median mesoscutal line: absent. Notaulus: absent. Coloration of mesoscutum: darker than pronotum. Shape of mesoscutum in lateral view: flat to slightly convex. Scupture of mesoscutum: reticulate. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: absent. Setation of anterodorsal metapleuron: present. Length of setation of anterodorsal metapleuron: long. Setation of anteroventral metapleuron: absent. Foamy structures on anterior metapleuron: absent. Shape of fore wing: elliptical. Infuscate banding of fore wing: present. Costal margin of hind wing: darkly sclerotized posterior to hamuli. Marginal cilia of male fore wing: present.

Diagnosis.

P. valerieae is unique among the species described due to the presence of antero-admedian lines and for its dark mesoscutum, mesoscutellum, legs, and metasoma.

Etymology.

Named in honor of the late Valerie Coughlin, a friend of Andrew Polaszek. The epithet is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Link to distribution map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=457948]

Material examined.

Holotype, male: ZAMBIA: Lukwakwa, open Dambo, 12°39"40"S; 24°26'13"E, 1147m, 4-8.ix.13, Yellow Pan, leg. Smith, Takano and Oram, NHMUK010823075, type number 9.1020 (deposited in NHMUK).

Comments.

We describe P. valerieae from a single male based on our observations of interspecific, intraspecific, and intersexual variation within the genus. The coloration of all Pulchrisolia species known from males and females is virtually identical, with slight differences having been observed on the head ( Figures 19 , 21 ) and mesoscutum ( Figures 5 , 50 ) of certain species. Most species in the genus are light yellow, orange, or dark red in color; however, the male of P. valerieae has most of its mesosoma, and portions of its metasoma and legs, brownish-black ( Figures 65-68 , 70 ). The only other species that approximates the coloration of P. valerieae is P. teras , but this species has notauli and the antero-admedian depression is prominent and hemispherical in shape, even in smaller specimens. Based on what we have observed in other species of the genus, we expect both male and female P. valerieae to share similar coloration patterns and possess antero-admedian lines that flank a shallow antero-admedian depression of similar size, making it unlikely that the holotype male is conspecific with P. maculata or any of the newly described species of Pulchrisolia known only from females.

Figures

Figure 5. Pulchrisolia teras, male (CASENT 2043867), head, mesosoma, T 1, dorsal view. Scale bar in millimeters.

Figure 50. Pulchrisolia teras, female holotype (CASENT 2043862) 50 head, mesosoma, T 1, T 2, dorsal view. Scale bar in millimeters.

Figures 64. Pulchrisolia valerieae, male holotype (BMNH 010823075) 64 head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view (top), dorsal view (bottom).

Figures 65 - 70. Pulchrisolia valerieae, male holotype (BMNH 010823075) 65 head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 66 mesosoma, dorsal view 67 head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 68 mesosoma, lateral view 69 head, anterior view 70 metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

Figures 17 - 21. Pulchrisolia diehoekensis, female holotype (SAM-HYM-P 038987) 17 head, mesosoma, T 1, T 2, dorsal view 18 head, mesosoma, S 1, lateral view 19 head, anterior view 20 male paratype (SAM-HYM-P 038989), head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 21 head, anterior view. Scale bars in millimeters.