Paraulax ronquisti Nieves-Aldrey & Liljeblad

Nieves-Aldrey, José Luis, Liljeblad, Johan, Nieves, María Hernández, Grez, Audrey & Nylander, Johan A. A., 2009, Revision and phylogenetics of the genus Paraulax Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Cynipidae) with biological notes and description of a new tribe, a new genus, and five new species, Zootaxa 2200, pp. 1-40 : 16-18

Paraulax ronquisti Nieves-Aldrey & Liljeblad sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 & 10E)

Type material. Holotype 3 (in Museum, Berlin, pin mounted, Green label: CHILE, Mittel Chile, Contulmo, 20.10.1903, Schöneman S, leg. White label: Från låda 35. Paraulax sp 3 det Ronquist 91.

Etymology. Named in honour of our friend Fredrik Ronquist, one of the most prominent scientists working with Cynipoidea.

Diagnosis. This new species differs from P. p e r p l e x a and P. q u e u l e n s i s by the red-brown color (Fig. 10E), shape of the antennal male flagellomeres F3 and F4 ( Fig. 5 A), the faint notauli and the predominantly smooth and shining mesopleuron. It has a similar elongate body like P. queulensis , but the coloration, antennal configuration and body sculpture differ as outlined above.

Description. Body length 2.2 mm (N = 1). Coloration of body and legs red-brown, tarsi and antenna paler, yellowish. Forewing hyaline, veins light, yellowish.

Male. Head, in dorsal view 1.9 times wider than long. Gena slightly expanded behind compound eye. POL 2 times longer than OOL, posterior ocellus separated from inner orbit of eye by about 1.5 times its diameter. Head in anterior view more or less oval. Face with white setae, much denser in lower face; strong facial strigae radiating from clypeus,, laterally reaching ventral margin of eye and almost reaching ventral margin of toruli in median area; vertical median carina absent. Upper face (frons) and vertex with shining, almost smooth sculpture. Clypeus indistinct, more or less rectangular; ventral margin slightly projecting over mandibles. Subocular impression not visible. About 10 regular vertical carinae present ventrolaterally in depression on gena.

Antenna 0.6 times length of body, with 15 antennomeres. Flagellum not widening towards apex. F1 cylindrical, not excavated basally, slightly broadened towards apex, 1.4 times longer than pedicel; F2 and F3 excavated, slightly curved in basal third and inflated at apex, outer apical margin curved ( Fig. 5 A); less than 2 times length of pedicel. Relative length of antennomeres: 22:13:14:19:20:21:20:17:18:19:16:15:15:15:20. Placodeal sensillae present on F5–F13.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with distinct pronotal plate; dorsal part distinctly set off, anterolateral margin marked and moderately projecting laterally. Pronotum in lateral view 1.7 times longer than high. Lateral surface of pronotum pubescent, almost entirely smooth and shining, only a few short, horizontal rugae running from lateral margin of pronotal plate to posterior margin of pronotum.

Mesonotum. Mesoscutum in dorsal view ( Fig. 5 B) 1.1 times longer than wide; coriaceous-imbricate sculpture. Median mesoscutal impression invisible. Notauli inconspicuous. Anteroadmedian signa visible. Scutellar foveae shallow, confluent, forming a transverse depression. Scutellum in dorsal view with coriaceous rugose sculpture. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 5 C) with a longitudinal mesopleural impression running on posterior half of mesopleuron. Area surrounding mesopleural impression almost entirely smooth and shining. Mesopleural triangle not distinctly impressed basally, pubescent; dorsal margin meeting area near prepectus. Metanotum. Metascutellum distinctly constricted medially. Not divided into two parts by median vertical bar below median constriction. Lateral and median propodeal areas smooth, pubescent. Nucha with strong, irregular, longitudinal rugae dorsally.

Forewing slightly longer than body. Radial cell 3 times longer than wide, closed along anterior margin but R1 slightly depigmented along margin of radial cell; radius (Rs) straight, reaching anterior margin of wing. Areolet absent; vein Rs+M and M invisible. Fringe of long setae along apical margin of wing.

Metasoma. Metasoma as long as mesosoma. Abdominal petiole 1.5 times longer than high. T2 smooth and shining.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Recorded only in Contulmo, between Concepción and Valdivia, central Chile ( Fig. 15 ).

Biology.: Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Paraulax ronquisti: (A) Male antenna. (B) Mesosoma dorsal view. (C) Mesopleuron.

FIGURE 15. Map of collection localities of species of Paraulacini in Chile and Argentina: Paraulax perplexa (1), P. queulensis (2), P. ronquisti (3), Cecinothofagus gallaecoihue (4), C. gallaelenga (5), C. ibarrai (6)