Trichacis clypeata Arias-Penna & Masner

Arias-Penna, Tania Milena, Masner, Lubomir & Delsinne, Thibaut, 2012, Revision of the Neotropical species of Trichacis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Platygastridae), with description of 24 new species, Zootaxa 3337, pp. 1-56 : 10-11

Trichacis clypeata Arias-Penna & Masner , new species

Figures 3 E, 3F; 4A–4E

Female. Body length: 2.50 mm (holotype); 1.90–2.70 mm (paratypes, n=4); mean length ± SD = 2.32 ± 0.30 mm. Black; base of A1, A2–A5 yellow and distal part of A1, A6–A10 brown; mandible yellow with apex brown; fore and mid legs yellow; hind leg mostly yellow, femur and tibia apices brown; fore and mid coxae brown; hind coxa dark brown; fore wing infuscate in posterior 2/3, with darker and lighter patterns in basal 1/3.

Head, in dorsal view, 2.5 times as wide as long; EH <IOS; interocellar area smooth; OOL> LOL; antennal clava 3-segmented; A1 not reaching vertex dorsal margin; A2–A5, A9, A10 longer than wide; A6–A8 wider than long; base of mandible smooth; frons above torulus with transverse striae; clypeus fused with interantennal process, forming rounded yellow-brown projected sheet; clypeal margin convex medially; gena striate; lateral region of vertex between hyperoccipital carina and occipital carina coriaceous; temple projection absent; hyperoccipital carina complete (i.e. reaching inner margin of eye); posterior ocellus almost reaching hyperoccipital carina.

Mesosoma arched; antero-admedian line present; notaulus percurrent; lateral notaular area smooth; internotaular area with posterior 2/3 smooth and with coriaceous sculpture in basal 1/3; shape of posteromedial region of inter-notaular area V-like but with blunt tip; parapsidal line present; central pronotal area smooth; specialized area of mesoscutellum heart-shaped and elevated; median projection of specialized area of mesoscutellum broadly triangular; mesopleural carina incomplete (length of mesopleural carina/length of mesopleuron = 0.44); fore wing distinctly surpassing apex of metasoma.

Metasoma distinctly elongate; combined length of T3–T6 <T2; T1 as long as wide; T2–T3 longer than wide; T4–T6 shorter than wide; anteromedial area of T2 smooth and flattened; T3 densely covered by shallow punctuation but smooth along its anterior margin, T4–T6 densely covered by shallow punctuation; T6 subtriangular.

Male. Body length: 2 mm (allotype).

Similar to female except the following: base of A1 yellow; distal part of A1 and A2–A10 brown; fore and mid legs yellow; hind leg brown; coxae brown; wing infuscate in posterior 2/3, with darker and lighter patterns in basal 1/3; antenna filiform; A1 not reaching vertex dorsal margin; A2, A4, A5, A8, A10 longer than wide; A3, A6, A7, A9 as long as wide; T1 almost as long as wide; T2 longer than wide; T3–T7 wider than long; T2 anteromedial area smooth and flattened; T3 densely covered by shallow punctuation but smooth along its anterior margin, T4–T7 densely covered by deep punctuation.

Etymology. The name refers to the clypeus, which is fused with the interantennal process in this species.

Diagnosis. Trichacis clypeata is the only species that presents the clypeus fused with interantennal process.

Material examined. Holotype: 1 Ƥ, COSTA RICA, Alajuela, Est. Biol. San Ramón, 400 m, October–December 1995, P. Hanson ( CNCI); allotype: 1 3, Limón, 16 km W Guapiles, 400 m, December 1989, MT, P. Hanson ( CNCI); paratypes: 2 Ƥ, with same data as holotype but collected at 900 m, August–September 1995 ( CNCI), 1 Ƥ, with same data as holotype ( CNCI); 1 Ƥ, with same data as holotype but collected at 900 m, July–August 1995 ( ICN).

Holotype is deposited in CNCI.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Bright field images of Trichacis species. A – D: Trichacis acuta Arias-Penna & Masner, n. sp. A, Ƥ, head and mesosoma anterior view (holotype); B, Ƥ, head and anterior mesosoma, dorsal view (holotype); C, 3, head, anterolateral view (allotype); D, 3, posterior thorax and metasoma, dorsal view (allotype). E, F: Trichacis clypeata Arias-Penna & Masner, n. sp., Ƥ (holotype). E, head, anterior view; F, habitus, dorsal view.