Lomachaeta calamondin Williams, 2019

Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A., Bartholomay, Pedro R., Luz, David R., Quintero, Diomedes & Pitts, James P., 2019, Review of the genus Lomachaeta Mickel, 1936 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with new species and sex associations, Zootaxa 4564 (1), pp. 101-136 : 107-109

Lomachaeta calamondin Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 49, 50 , 67, 68 )

Diagnosis. MALE. This species can be immediately recognized by the unique coloration, wherein the entire body is orange, except the darkened apical tergites. The following characters are also useful for diagnosis: the head and mesosoma have coarse separated punctures; the mandible is unarmed ventrally; the forewing has its veins restricted to the basal half of wing; the T1 shape is sub-disciform; the T2 disc is has separated punctures; the T2 fringe is composed of simple setae; and the paramere is laterally compressed and moderately setose.

Description. MALE. Body length 4 mm. Coloration ( Figs 36 , 49 ). Entire body pale orange-brown, except frons, scape, tibiae, and T3 largely brown; flagellum, tarsi, and T4–7 dark brown. Tibial spurs white. Wings hyaline, veins brown. Body setae whitish, except frons, vertex, mesoscutum, and T3–7 with interspersed erect silvery and brownish brachyplumose setae. Head. Rounded posteriorly, with coarse punctures, sparser around ocelli. Mandible tridentate apically, unarmed ventrally. Clypeus punctate, anterior margin smoothly rounded. Genal carina weak. Ocelli small; ocellocular distance 3 × length of lateral ocellus, interocellar distance subequal to lateral ocellar diameter. F1 1.0 × pedicel length; F2 1.2 × pedicel length. Mesosoma. Pronotum and mesoscutum with coarse separated punctures. Tegula smooth, margins sparsely setigerously punctate. Mesopleuron with coarse contiguous punctures. Metapleuron smooth. Scutellum slightly convex, with coarse confluent punctures. Axilla sessile with mesoscutum, with smooth curved posterior tooth. Propodeum areolate dorsally, lateral face mostly smooth with faint areolations posteriorly. Forewing with veins encompassing basal 0.5 × wing. Metasoma. T1 shape sub-disciform, without carina separating anterior and dorsal faces. T2 with separated punctures, intervals smooth; T2 fringe setae simple. S2 with coarse oblique punctures. T3–6 punctures sparse. T7 smooth. Hypopygium punctate, sharp bidentate posteriorly. Genitalia ( Fig. 67, 68 ). Paramere laterally compressed, straight, subacuminate apically, with short setae along inner and outer surfaces, setae longer and denser apicolaterally, few long setae ventrally in basal half. Cuspis with posteroventral setae subequal to cuspis length. Penis valve unidentate apically.

FEMALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, USA, California, Riverside County, Riverside , 14.VIII.1969, J.C. Hall, malaise trap (EMUS, Figs 49, 50 , 67, 68 ).

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in southern California.

Etymology. Named after the calamondin, a small orange-like fruit frequently grown in southern California, in reference to the small orange-ish color of this southern Californian species. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. Based on the reduced wing venation, simple parameres, and distribution in California, this is likely the sister species to L. powelli . In the western USA, this is apparently the only diurnal male mutillid with the head and mesosoma pale orange-brown ( Fig. 49 ), although many nocturnal species can be superficially similar.

Figures

FIGURES 47–52. Lomachaeta males; lateral habitus (47–49, 51, 52) and face view (50). 47) L. beadugrimi; 48) L. powelli; 49–50) L. calamondin, sp. nov.; 51) L. ptilohyalus; 52) L. crocopinna. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 65–72. Lomachaeta line drawings: female mandible (65, 66), male genitalia, lateral view (67, 69, 71), penis valve, lateral view (68, 70, 72). 65) L. hicksi; 66) L. beadugrimi; 67–68) L. calamondin, sp. nov.; 69–70) L. eironeia, sp. nov.; 71–72) L. juanita, sp. nov.

FIGURES 33–36. Lomachaeta females; dorsal habitus. 33) L. hedera; 34) L. beadugrimi; 35) L. powelli; 36) L. warneri, sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.