Aphytis bambusaspis Wangı Huang & Polaszekı, 2019

Zhu Hong Wang, Jun Qing Ge, Hui Zhang, Zhengli Zhang, Yu Si, Jian Huang & Andrew Polaszek, 2019, A new scale insect host family (Hemiptera: Asterolecaniidae) for Aphytis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) in China, Journal of Natural History 53 (15), pp. 923-937 : 926-933

Aphytis bambusaspis Wangı Huang & Polaszekı sp. nov. ( Figures 1–6 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CE94E2FE-6E3A-4904-ACDB-DD2CDA3EC48F

Female

Length 0.85 – 1.00 mm.

Colour

General colour yellow. Mandibles black-brown, eyes pale green, ocelli rufous ( Figure 1 (a,b)). Head

Eyes finely setose. Mandibles well-developed, with one large sharply pointed tooth and a denticle merging into a dorsal truncation; maxillary palpi 2-segmented, labial palpi 1-segmented. Setae on head pale, frontovertex reticulate. Antenna slender, 6-segmented, antennal formula 1,1,3,1; scape 6.04 – 6.07 times as long as wide, 1.11 – 1.16 times longer than club; pedicel 1.75 – 1.91 times as long as wide, considerably (1.31 – 1.58 times) longer than F3; F1 somewhat trapezoidal, 1.80 – 1.94 times as wide as long; F2 nearly symmetrical, nearly equal to F1, 1.41 – 1.47 times as wide as long; F3 1.11 – 1.40 times as long as wide, with one longitudinal sensillum; club 3.23 – 3.28 times as long as wide and considerably wider than the preceding segment, bearing 5 – 6 longitudinal sensilla ( Figures 2 (a), 3(b,c)).

Mesosoma

Setae on mesosoma slender and pale, pronotum and mesonotal sclerites reticulate. Mid-lobe of mesoscutum with 11 setae, the posterior pair distinctly longer than the others; each sidelobe with 2 setae, each axilla with 1 seta; scutellum with 4 setae, placoid sensilla closer to the anterior pair. Metanotum short, with reticulate sculpture except at sides, slightly arcuate. Propodeum with posterior margin nearly straight, 2.62 – 2.71 times as long as metanotum, 0.58 – 0.71 times as long as scutellum, reticulate broadly in wide central area and weakly at sides; crenulae large, distinctly elongate, sharply tooth-shaped, non-overlapping, 4 + 5 to 6 + 6 forming 2 submedian lobes somewhat separated ( Figures 2 (e), 3(d)).

Fore wing

Fore wing hyaline, 2.93 – 3.06 times as long as wide, marginal fringe 0.23 – 0.27 times as long as width of wing disk; delta area below marginal vein with 41 – 54 setae in 6 – 7 rows, these considerably longer and sparser than the setae distad of speculum; 5 – 8 setae below distal portion of submarginal vein; costal cell with 2 – 4 fine setae near base and 1 coarse seta at apex. Submarginal vein usually bearing 3 coarse setae. Marginal vein bearing 11 – 13 prominent, subequal setae along anterior margin ( Figures 2 (c,d), 3(a)).

Metasoma

Petiole reticulate centrally. T1-T4 reticulate laterally, bearing 2 – 3 setae in each reticulate area; T5 reticulate laterally and sparsely reticulate centrally, with a row of 8 setae; T6 mostly reticulate, bearing a row of 6 setae between spiracles; T7 triangular and reticulate, bearing 12 – 14 setae. Cerci close to posterior spiracles, with 2 long setae and 1 short seta. Ovipositor long, basally located at T2, slightly projecting beyond apex of metasoma, 2.24 – 2.39 times as long as mid tibia; third valvular 0.61 – 0.72 times as long as mid-tibia. Mid-tibial spur 1.00 – 1.10 times as long as length of corresponding basitarsus ( Figure 2 (b)).

Male

Length 0.53 – 0.78 mm. Essentially similar to the female in structure, chaetotaxy, sculpture and coloration, differing mainly in antenna 5-segmented, antennal formula 1,1,2,1, and mid basitarsus dark brown and the corresponding second tarsus paler brown ( Figures 4 (a,b), 5(a), 6(b)).

Antennal scape 4.79 – 6.28 times as long as wide, 1.01 – 1.15 times as long as club, without any specialised sensory area on the ventral surface; pedicel 1.69 – 1.77 times as long as wide; F1 1.04 – 1.20 times as wide as long, F2 1.22 – 1.48 times as long as wide, bearing one longitudinal sensillum; club 3.38 – 3.92 times as long as wide, 2.04 – 2.38 times longer than the preceding segment, bearing 2 – 4 longitudinal sensilla. Mid-lobe of mesoscutum with 12 setae, each side-lobe with 2 setae, each axilla with 1 seta, scutellum with 4 setae. Fore wing 2.87 – 2.96 times as long as wide; delta area below marginal vein with 20 – 37 setae in 3 – 5 rows. Submarginal vein with 3 coarse setae. Marginal vein with 7 – 12 prominent setae along anterior margin. Genitalia 0.64 – 0.72 times as long as mid tibia ( Figures 5 , 6 (a)).

Pupa

The pupa of A.bambusaspis sp.nov. is predominantly black ( Figures 1 (c), 4(c)).

Species-group placement

Unassigned.

Host

Asterolecaniidae : Bambusaspis notabilis (Russell), a new scale host family for Aphytis .

Distribution

China (Fujian).

Etymology

The species epithet is derived from its host genus name ‘Bambusaspis’, referring to the new scale host for the genus Aphytis .

Diagnosis

Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov., associated exclusively with an Asterolecaniidae scale host, differs from all other species of Aphytis in the following characters: propodeal crenulae large, distinctly elongate, sharply tooth-shaped, nonoverlapping. Submarginal vein bearing 3 setae. Antenna with sexual dimorphism, female 6-segmented and male 5-segmented, compared with that in the chilensis group which the male antenna appears to be 4-segmented (the first 2 funicular segments greatly reduced or absent), and the club is very strongly developed and elongate. Mid basitarsus of male evidently dark brown and the corresponding second tarsus paler brown, while in all the described species of Aphytis , only the male of A. mazalae DeBach & Rosen is characterised by black on the basal half of the mid basitarsus. The morphological identification indicated that the new species does not belong to any known species groups of Aphytis ( Table 2 ).

Type material

Holotype ♀, Z179, ex. Bambusaspis notabilis (Russell) on bamboo. China: Fujian, Fuzhou, Jinshan , Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University ( FAFU), Zhonghua botanical garden, 13.xii.2015, coll. Zheng-Li Zhang ( FAFU) . Paratypes: 2♀, Z177, Z178, same data as holotype; 2♀, Z186, Z188, 23, Z185, Z187, same data as holotype except for 19 . xii .2015, ( FAFU); 1♀, Z176, 13, Z184, same data as holotype ( Natural History Museum , London, UK) .

Figures

Figure 1. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. female. (a) body in dorsal view; (b) body in ventral view; (c) pupa in ventral view.

Figure 2. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. female. (a) antenna; (b) ovipositor; (c) fore wing; (d) stigmal vein of fore wing; (e) metanotum, propodeum and petiole.

Figure 3. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. female. (a) submarginal vein of fore wing, showing 3 coarse setae on submarginal vein; (b) mouthparts, showing mandibles and maxillary palpi; (c) labial palpi; (d) mesosoma.

Figure 4. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. male. (a) body in dorsal view; (b) body in ventral view; (c) pupa in ventral view.

Figure 5. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. male. (a) antenna; (b) genitalia; (c) mesosoma; (d) fore wing.

Figure 6. Aphytis bambusaspis sp.nov. male. (a) metanotum, propodeum and petiole; (b) mid leg, showing the basitarsus dark brown and the corresponding second tarsal segment paler brown.