Anicetus lysithea, Noyes, 2023

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 511-515

Anicetus lysithea sp.nov.

(Figs 1274-1293; Hab. E187, 188)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 0.9-1.9mm): exceptionally variable species; hind tibia completely pale orange to pale orange with a pair of pale brown dark bands or even completely dark brown; hind tarsus mostly with base and apex dark brown, contrasting with pale orange remainder; frontovertex, excluding ocellar area, completely smooth and shiny, ocellar area with shallow, polygonally reticulate sculpture; scape (Figs 1274-1279) 1.3-1.8X as long as broad with apex of dorsal margin almost always weakly convex and not shiny, very rarely slightly shiny; pedicel dorsally flat or hardly convex and hardly shiny, asymmetrical, with an elongate ventral process; funicle clearly longer than first segment of clava (measured dorsally); clava, in profile, about 1.5-2.3X as long as broad and at least nearly as long as pedicel and funicle combined; ovipositor hidden to slightly exserted, the exserted part at most 0.7X as long as mid tibial spur; hypopygium (Figs 1286, 1287) with anterolateral projections about one-third to half its overall length. Male: Unknown.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 1.29mm; excluding ovipositor, 1.20mm ( CPD) .

Head generally orange; vertex between occipital margin and anterior ocellus quite dull with a very weak brassy and purple sheen, between anterior ocellus and top of scrobes with a slightly stronger purple sheen, between eye and scrobe with coppery purple and blue sheen; temple gena and scrobal area mainly with weak brassy sheen; a transverse brown band across top of scrobes below transfacial carina and a further complete, transverse brown band across face level with toruli; setae on frontovertex, temple and upper gena dark brown, those immediately above transfacial carina, on interantennal prominence and on lower gena translucent, pale brown; antenna (Fig. 1274) with radicle orange, apex and side dark brown; scape orange, ventrally and apically margined dark brown; pedicel orange with apical part of ventral process brown and dorsal margin externally brown; funicle mainly similarly coloured to pedicel; clava dark brown, orange-brown proximally; thorax generally orange with prosternum and mesosternum dark brown; mesoscutum with a weak dark blue and purple sheen; tegula orange-brown with a weak brassy and purple sheen; axilla with a weak brassy and purple sheen; scutellum virtually matt but with some weak coppery and brassy reflections; mesopleuron with a weak brassy, purple and blue sheen; legs mainly pale orange to orange, but apical tarsomere on fore and hind leg dark brown, basitarsus on hind leg dark brown in distal half; fore wing (Fig. 1280) mostly infuscate but hyaline towards base and at apex, venation orange-brown; hind wing (Fig. 1281) hyaline; propodeum orange with a weak brassy lustre; gaster dorsally pale orange with Gt1 dark brown with a mixed purple, coppery and brassy sheen, Gt2-Gt4 slightly dusky, side and venter orange, sides of Gt1-Gt5 with a metallic green, blue-green and brassy sheen; gonostylus orange.

Head about 5.1X as wide as frontovertex, about 1.5X as long as deep, with very shallow, fine, reticulate sculpture on vertex between occipital margin and anterior ocellus, frontovertex otherwise completely smooth and shiny and about 2.9X as long as broad; an oval, shiny bottomed depression adjacent to eye margin very slightly behind posterior ocellus; ocelli forming an angle of about 50°; eye hardly overreaching occipital margin and clothed with fairly conspicuous translucent setae that are each about as long as diameter of facet; face below transverse brown band clothed with fairly conspicuous, moderately dense setae; clypeal margin medially more or less straight; occipital margin carinate; narrowest point between eye and transfacial carina about equal to diameter of facet; interantennal prominence dorsally slightly acute with very weak median ridge; antenna as in Fig. 1274; scape about 1.5X as long as broad, subtrapezoidal with proximal part of dorsal margin about 1.4X as long as distal part and with proximal part of ventral margin about 1.7X as long as distal part, distal part of dorsal margin weakly convex, with very shallow sculpture and slightly shiny; dorsal part of pedicel flat and very slightly shiny; pedicel and all funicle segments subequal in width, dorsal and ventral margins subparallel; clava about as long as pedicel and funicle combined, sutures strongly oblique, sensory area about 3.6X as long as ventral margin, apex strongly obliquely truncate; narrowest point of frontovertex slightly in front of anterior ocellus; malar sulcus absent; mandible with two acute teeth and an upper truncate tooth. Relative measurements: HW 72, HH 54, FVL 41, FV 14, POL 6, OOL 2, OCL 4, AOL 8.5, EL 42, EW 35, MS 30, SL 36.5, SW 24.

Thorax (Fig. 1291) with polygonally reticulate to imbricate-reticulate sculpture on pronotum and mesoscutum that is of similar depth to that between posterior ocelli; mesoscutum with scattered pores along midline (as in Figs 1291, 1292); axilla with similar sculpture to that on vertex between occipital margin and posterior ocelli; scutellum with longitudinally elongate, polygonally reticulate sculpture that is slightly coarser and deeper than on axilla; visible part of mesoscutum about 2.2X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.1X as broad as long; mid tibia with a weak external carina for much of its length; hind femur about 3.7X as long as broad; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 1280, 1288; costal cell with 1 seta dorsally at apex; apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins connected by a naked, hyaline streak; propodeum medially about 0.22X as long as scutellum, with some extremely shallow, reticulate sculpture medially and several weak carinae, no distinct carina running from anterior margin submedially towards spiracle. Relative measurements: FWL 65.5, FWW 27; HWL 48, HWW 13.0

Gaster with hypopygium reaching about 0.6X to apex; last tergite about 0.8X as long as mid tibia, with apex broadly rounded; ovipositor slightly exserted, the exserted part about 0.7X as long as mid tibial spur or about 0.2X length mid tibia.

Paratype. Funicle with linear sensilla present only on F5-F6; mesoscutum with scattered pores along midline and one near posterolateral margin; anterolateral projections of hypopygium (Fig. 1286) not more than about one-third its length; ovipositor Fig. 1293. Relative measurements: OL 39.5, GL 10.5 [MT 34].

Variation. Females vary in overall length 0.90-1.87mm, an unusually variable species, especially in colouration, the dark brown band between the toruli and on the gena may be absent, the body varies from almost completely orange with hardly a metallic sheen to virtually completely dark brown, including the gaster, the frontovertex and mesoscutum may have a relatively strong metallic blue or purple lustre, the antenna may be largely orange with the scape margined dark brown and flagellum with dorsal and ventral margins broadly brown (Figs 1274-1278) or it may be completely dark brown (Fig. 1279), the coxae and legs vary from almost completely pale orange to almost completely dark brown with the brown bands on the hind tibia or the hind tibia almost completely dark brown, the fore wing may be completely infuscate except for the apical hyaline band, the hind wing may be weakly infuscate anteriorly; the head varies from about as long as deep to about 1.5X as long as deep and from 3.6-6.1X as wide as the frontovertex, the frontovertex may be 2.1-4.2X as long as broad, the ocelli may form an angle of about 50-80°, the narrowest point between the eye and transfacial carina varies from about as wide as the diameter of an eye facet to about 1.5X as wide, the scape may be about 1.3-1.8X as long as broad, the funicle may have linear sensilla absent from F5, the clava varies from nearly as long as the pedicel and funicle combined to about 1.3X as long, it may be broadly heart-shaped and about 1.5X as long as broad to distinctly elongate, nearly 2.3X as long as broad and subrhomboidal, the sensory area of the clava may be 2.0-4.4X as long as the ventral margin, the mesoscutum rarely lacks pores along the midline and may have one or two near the posterolateral margin; the mid tibia may lack an external carina or may have a distinct carina for most of its length, the fore wing is about 2.2-2.5X as long as broad, the hind wing varies from 3.1-4.2X as long as broad, there may be up to 4 setae dorsally at apex of costal cell, the ovipositor varies from slightly shorter than mid tibia to slightly longer and about 3.3-3.8X as long as the gonostylus and may be hidden or slightly exserted with the exserted part about 0.7X as long as the mid tibial spur, the anterolateral projections on the hypopygium may be about one-third to half its length.

Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Unknown, but one specimen below was reared from galls which may have been coccid ( Hemiptera : Coccidae ) galls.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Heredia, Santo Domingo, INBio Parque, LN 526250 217400, 1100m, iii.2002 (J.A. Azofeifa, J.S. Noyes). Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Rosa NP, Hacienda 3-0, 18.x-8.xi.1986 (Janzen, Gauld); 1E, Guanacaste, Guanacaste NP, 1300m, Derumbé Vn Cacao , iv-v.1988 (Gauld, Janzen); 2E, Guanacaste NP, below Pitilla, 500m, 7-8.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Guanacaste, PN Palo Verde, Camino de Alto Viejo, LN 386300 260770, 40m, #61363, 11.i-10.ii.2001 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, ZP Nosara, Fila Maravilla, LN 221350 381700, 800m, #66663, xi-xii.2001 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, ZP Nosara, RF Monte Alto, Send. La Ceiba, LN 221100 382950, 600m, #66655, 19.xii.2001 (I. Jiménez); 1E, Guanacaste, Santa Cruz, BN Diría, Finca Navarrete, LN 238220 361060, 160m, #66652, 17-22. i.2002 (Y. Cardeñas); 1E, Alajuela, Reserva Rincón Forestal, Est. Caribe, 10°53’N 85°18’W, 400m, 19-20.ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Alajuela, Est. Cabro Muco, 10°43’N 85°09’W, 1100m, 13.ii.2004 (C. Hansson, J. Azofeifa); 1E, Alajuela, PN Arenal, Sect. La Peninsula, LN 453800 271500, 600m, T. Amarilla, #56556, 17.vi.2000 (G. Carballo); 2E, Alajuela, PN Arenal, La Peninsula , 10°27’N 84°40’W, 600m, 25.ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Alajuela, RF Arenal, PN Volcan Arenal, Sector Colada, LN 269900 456750, 600m, #54371, 1-26.x.1999 (G. Carballo); 1E, Alajuela, Peñas Blancas, 9.v.1987 (E.C. Cruz); 1E, Alajuela, RB San Ramon, 900m, ii-iii.2000 (P. Hanson); 2E, Heredia, 16km SSE La Virgen, 10°16’N 85°05’W, 1050-1150m, 11/M/NOTN, 9.ii-21.iv.2001 ( INBio / OET - ALAS); 2E, Heredia, 11km SSE La Virgen, 10°20’N 84°04’W, 450-550m, 05/M/NOTN, 22.ii-20.iv.2003 ( INBio - OET - ALAS); 1E, Heredia, 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 200m, 10/M/TN, ii.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 3E, Heredia, 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 2000m, 20/M/TN, iii.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, 6km ENE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 2000m, 20/M/TN, iv.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Vara Blanca, vii-viii.1990 (P. Hanson); 1E, Heredia, F. La Selva 3km S Puerto Viejo, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 5.iv.1985 (H.A. Hespenheide); 4E, Heredia, La Selva BS, 50m, 22.i-3.ii.1991 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, La Selva BS, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 50-150m, fog Carapa guianensis, FOT /02, 5.iii.1993 ( INBio- OET); 1E, Heredia, OTS La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 50-150m, M/05/260, 15-30.xi.1993; 1E, Heredia, OTS La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 50-150m, M/09/227, 15-30.xi.1993; 1E, Heredia, La Selva BS, 10°26’N 84°01’W, FVK 32, 3.xi.1994; 1E, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, ii.2002 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Heredia, Est. La Esperanza, 2500m, 24.iii.2002 (M. Gates); 3E, San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, iii.1991. ii-iv.1993 and v.1994 (P. Hanson); 1E, San José, Braulio Carrillo NP, 1000m, 18.ii.2001 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, San José, San Antonio de Escazu, 1300m, ii.1999 (W. Eberhard); 1E, San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, v.1994 (P. Hanson); 2E, San José, Est. Biol. Cerro de la Muerte, 9°33’N 83°44’W, 3100m, v-vi.2000 and vii.2000 (P. Hanson); 1E, San José, Cerro de la Muerte, 16km S Empalme, 2600m, ii-iv.1989 (P. Hanson); 3E, San José, 19 km S Empalme, Mirador Quetzal, 9°39’N 83°52’W, 2600m, i.2000, ii.2000 and iv.2000 (P. Hanson); 1E, San José, Hwy 2, km 66, 2400m, 4.iv.1985 (H. Goulet, L. Masner); 1E, Cartago, 4km NE Cañon, Genesis II, 2350m, iv.1985 (P. Hanson); 3E, Cartago, PN Tapanti, 9°45’N 83°47’W, 1200-1500m, 20.iii-10.iv.2000 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 1E, Cartago, PN Tapanti, Torre ICE #32, LN 561600 187400, 1700m, #61073, viii-ix.2000 ( D. Rubí ); 1E, Cartago, Turrialba, CATIE, JC #96 from coccid infested Bixa orellana , 15.iii.1990 (J.S. Noyes); 5E, Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen, 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 14-15.ii.2005 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Manuel Antonio NP, iii.1986 (L. Masner); 2E, Puntarenas, Hwy 2, km 95, 9°36’N 83°45’W, 3200m, 1-7. iv.1985 (H. Goulet, L. Masner); 1E, Puntarenas, Hwy 2, km 95, 9°36’N 83°44’W, 3200m, 3-13.iv.1986 (H. Goulet, L. Masner); 1E, Puntarenas, Res. Biol. Carara, 9°46’N 84°57’W, 40m, 1-7.iii.2005 (C. Hansson); 5E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. los Gigantes, LS 331800 572100, 1460m, 10.i-10.ii.2002 ( D. Rubí ); 3E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. los Gigantes, LS 351800 572100, 1400m, ii.2002 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 2E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. a Casa Coca, LS 331750 57440, 1700m, ii.2002 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí, J. Azofeifa ); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Cerro Biolley, LS 332400572200, 1760m, #63980, 10.vii-10. viii.2001 ( D. Rubí ); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Valle de Silencio, Jardin Natural, LS 572200 342300, 2450m, #64111, vi-vii.2001 (( D. Rubí ); 1E, Puntarenas, Portero Grande, Cerro Kasir, 2959m, LS 349700 566850, #59113, 20.viii.2000 (M. Alfaro); 1E, Puntarenas, Portero Grande, Sendero a Cerro Kasir, 2959m, LS 349700 566850, #60380, 19.ix-9.x.2000 (M. Alfaro); 1E, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces, Wilson Bot. Gdns, 1300m, 24.ii.2002 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces, Wilson Bot. Gdns, 8°46’N 82°57’W, 1300m, 15-16.ii.2006 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, RF Golfo Dulce, 3km SW Rincon, i.1992 (P. Hanson); 1E, Puntarenas, RF Golfito, Est. Agujas, LS 526550 276750, 300m, #591257, 1-14.x.2000 (J. Azofeifa); 1E, Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Est. Agujas, LS 526550 276750, 300m, 11.ii.2002 (J. Azofeifa); 1E, Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Los Patos, 8°33’N 83°30’W, 200m, ii.2000 (J.S. Noyes, J.A. Azofeifa); 1E, Limón, PN Barbilla, Sect. Colonia Puriscaleña, Sendero Cerro Azul, ex galls, 4-24.iii.2000 ( E. Mora ); 4E, Limón, RB Hitoy-Cerere, 100m, MT/YPT, 14-19.i.1991 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Limón, AC Amistad, RB Hitoy Cerere, LN 643400 184600, 150m, iii.1994 (G. Carballo); 1E, Limón, AC Amistad, RB Hitoy Cerere, LS 398100 572800, 100m, vi-viii.1994 (G. Carballo); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, Valle de la Estrella, Send. Toma de Agua, LS 643400 184600, 100m, #57947, viii-ix.2000 (F. Umaña); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, Valle de la Estrella, Send. Bobocara, LN 184300 642500, 180m, #55290, iii.2000 (F. Umaña); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, Send. Espavel, LS 570460 401558, 220m, #54815, 10-19.ii.2000 (F. Umaña); 1E, Limón, Talamanca, Valle de Silencio, Sendero al Jardin Natural, 2400m, LS342300 577200, #62338, iv-v.2001 ( D. Rubí ); 1E, Limón, P.I.L.A., Valle del Silencio, Alred. d.Refugio, LS 340258 577465, 2480m, #75066, 20-26. ix.2003 ( D. Rubí ); 1E, Limón, P.I.L.A., Valle de Silencio, Sendero Andarivel, 2472m, 17024. iii.2003 (R. González, et al.); 1E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, Send Espavel, LN 401200 569800, 560m, 21.vi-8.vii.2003 (R. Gamboa, et al.); 3E, Limón, RB Hitoy Cerere, 9°40’N 83°02’W, 100m, ii.2004 (J.S. Noyes). Holotype in MZUCR, paratypes in NHMUK, MZUCR, UCR, USNM and CNC.

COMMENTS. The unusual amount of variability exhibited by the above material suggests that it probably represents a species complex.At present I am unable to resolve the taxonomy based only on morphology. If a more satisfactory solution becomes necessary (e.g., for biocontrol purposes), it will almost certainly require a comprehensive in-depth analysis of large amount of combined morphological and molecular data.

Anicetus lysithea is very close to toumeyellae Milliron from North America, both species belonging to the ceylonensis group (see Annecke, 1967) and having the apex of the scape dorsally at least slightly convex and not shiny and the pedicel dorsally with shallow sculpture and not completely smooth and shiny. Smaller females of lysithea can be extremely similar to those of toumeyellae, but they can be separated by the sculpture of the frontovertex. In lysithea the frontovertex between the anterior ocellus and transfacial carina is completely devoid of sculpture and smooth and shiny, whilst in toumeyellae this area has shallow, but distinct, polygonally reticulate sculpture. Anicetus lysithea also appears to be somewhat similar to anneckei Prinsloo, described from South Africa. However, anneckei has the dorsal surface of the pedicel slightly concave and polished which places it in the abyssynicus group ( Annecke, 1967). In lysithea , the pedicel is never concave and usually very slightly convex and not polished