Ooderella stenoptera, Gibson, Gary A. P., 2017

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2017, Revision of world Ooderella Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), with description of the first males for the genus, Zootaxa 4289 (1), pp. 1-74 : 52-54

Ooderella stenoptera n. sp.

Figs 137–146

Type material. Holotype ♀ (CNC). “ VENEZUELA: Bolívar | Rio Caura | 28.XII.1987 | M. Sanborne, MT / HOLOTYPE | Ooderella | stenoptera | Gibson” . Holotype point-mounted by mesosternum; entire; uncontorted.

Paratypes (7♀). Trinidad. Caroni, Pepper , 2.VII.1976, cocoa and coffee plantation, J.S. Noyes, Brit. Mus. 1976-462 (1♀ [ NHMUK 010353735 ] BMNH) . Curepe, Sta. Margarita, Circular Rd. , 30.I.1978, E.D. Bennett, Mal. trap (1♀ CNC) . St. Patrick: Cedros Forest , 12.VIII.1976, J.S. Noyes, Brit. Mus. 1 976-462 (2♀ [ NHMUK 010353731 & NHMUK 010353733 ] BMNH) ; Coora , 14.VIII.1976, J.S. Noyes, Brit. Mus. 1976-462, coffee plantation and rainforest (1♀ [ NHMUK 010353736 ] BMNH) . Victoria, Hardbargain , 18.VII.1976, scrubland, J.S. Noyes, Brit. Mus. 1976-462 (1♀ [ NHMUK 010353729 ] BMNH) . Venezuela. Aragua, Parc. Nac. H. Pittier, La Trilla , 200m, 11–14.IV, L. Masner (1♀ CNC) .

Etymology. A combination of the Greek words stenos (narrow) and pteron (wing), in reference to the very small wings of females.

Description. FEMALE (habitus: Fig. 140 ). Length = 2.3–[3.5] mm. Head ( Figs 137, 138 ) multicolored with frontovertex primarily dark with variably extensive greenish and reddish-violaceous lusters under different angles of light, scrobal depression dorsally over transversely striate-strigose region dark to reddish-violaceous, but usually green or sometimes blue under different angles of light over more reticulate-rugulose region and bright purple, blue or violaceous in transverse furrow differentiating scrobal depression from scrobes and interantennal prominence, smooth part of interantennal prominence and scrobes bright coppery to reddish-violaceous, and lower face mostly green though sometimes with variably extensive coppery to reddish-coppery lusters under some angles of light; in lateral view ( Fig. 140 ) comparatively highly convex with frontovertex quite abruptly angled relative to lower face so broadest near middle, about 1.3× as high as long; in frontal view ( Fig. 137 ) about 1.2× as wide as high; in dorsal view ( Fig. 138 ) about 1.5× as wide as long with interocular distance almost 0.4× head width without any indication of ocellocular mark, and with OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 13: 19: 13: 8. Frontovertex with vertex at most only narrowly coriaceous-alutaceous posteriorly, mostly smooth and shiny similar to frons except for setiferous pits with mostly brownish hairlike setae (often arranged in up to three irregular longitudinal rows on frons on either side of anterior ocellus) ( Figs 137, 138 ). Scrobal depression ( Fig. 137 ) dorsally abruptly angled to and therefore distinctly delimited from frons, broadly Π-shaped with lateral margin curved out from torulus toward lower inner orbit such that without distinct parascrobal region, and dorsal margin uniformly arched between inner orbits and separated from anterior ocellus by 3.75× ocellar diameter; delimited ventrally from scrobes and interantennal region by transverse, sometimes medially emarginate furrow, and punctate-reticulate to reticulate-rugulose above transverse furrow but more transversely reticulate-strigose near dorsal margin, and scrobes and interantennal region above about mid-height of toruli smooth and shiny. Interantennal prominence bare over smooth part, but prominence between toruli and lower face with brownish lanceolate setae ( Fig. 137 ). Mandible ( Fig. 142 ) bidentate with acute ventroapical tooth and broad, slightly incurved dorsoapical margin. Labial and maxillary palps pale, yellowish to white ( Fig. 142 ). Antenna with scape almost entirely yellow but dark ventrobasally at least along carinate margin, and pedicel and flagellum dark though usually with variably extensive and distinct green luster and white-reflective setae under at least some angles of light ( Fig. 141 ); length of flagellum + pedicel 1.65× head width; scape with ventral margin sinuate so as to be most distinctly compressed and broadest basally, and narrower and more tubular apically; length[width] of scape: pedicel: funiculars: clava = 69[18]: 19[11]: 12[9], 29[10], 32[11], 38[13], 25[15], 22[16], 18[17], 17[17]: 41[19].

Mesosoma ( Figs 143–145 ) brown to dark brown except acropleuron dorsally sometimes lighter yellowishbrown and mesoscutal flange yellowish-translucent, but dorsally with variably extensive and distinct green to blue luster, particularly scutellar-axillar complex ( Fig. 144 ) and pronotum ( Fig. 143 ). Legs ( Fig. 140 ) with front leg dark brown except coxa apically and trochanter white, and extreme base of tibia yellowish; middle leg with coxa and trochanter whitish, femur yellowish on posterior and ventral surfaces but dorsally darker brown in apically widened pattern, tibia brown except paler apically and narrowly basally, and tarsus pale, yellowish; hind leg with at least ventral surface of coxa plus trochanter and trochantellus whitish, otherwise brown except tibia variably extensively apically and tarsus paler, more yellowish. Pronotum in dorsal view ( Figs 138, 143 ) with collar transversequadrangular, about 2× as wide as long with anterolateral corners right-angled relative to anterior margin and anterior margin right-angled relative to abruptly inclined neck, the dorsal surface flat on either side of deep mediolongitudinal groove and with only a couple of dark hairlike setae along outer and inner margins of each side. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 143 ) flat anteriorly and with lateral lobes carinately angled only within about posterior quarter or less; meshlike reticulate; with inconspicuous posteriorly directed setae of similar color as cuticle except dense lanceolate white setae forming reflective patches antero- and posteromedially, the anterior region consisting of at least a few posteromedially directed setae on either side forming a variably conspicuous, more or less contiguous patch, and the posterior region ovate and extending to posterior margin with setae within anterior half directed anteriorly and posterior-most setae directed posteriorly, but in between with at least a few setae directed medially. Scutellar-axillar complex ( Fig. 144 ) about 1.1× as long as basal width with hairlike setae of similar color as cuticle along lateral margins of axillae and scutellum; axillae reticulate, much smaller, shorter and narrower than scutellum; scutellum reticulate, broadly teardrop-shaped, about 2× as long as greatest width, with distinctly differentiated, meshlike coriaceous frenal area. Tegula ( Figs 143, 145 ) narrowly setose with dark setae along inner margin, and setae often somewhat longer posteriorly but not forming distinct tuft-like region. Fore wing ( Fig. 144 ) extending slightly over base of propodeum to level of spiracle, about 2.8× as long as greatest width, flat, brownishhyaline; costal cell and submarginal vein extending to angulate apical margin of wing; costal cell setose ventrally; submarginal vein with long, apical-most seta extending conspicuously beyond wing margin; membrane behind submarginal vein bare, without marginal setae. Mesopleurosternum ( Fig. 145 ) with region of dense white lanceolate setae forming setal tuft anteriorly on acropleuron and dorsally on mesopectus, and mesopectus extensively but more sparsely setose with white lanceolate extending anterior to setal tuft almost to anterior margin of mesopectus (setae nearest anterior margin shorter and more hairlike), and those along acropleural sulcus somewhat longer, but less than twice as long as others; acropleuron smooth and shiny except coriaceous-imbricate beyond setal tuft to level almost equal with posterior margin of tegula, and variably strongly reticulate- to striatestrigose along dorsal margin and reticulate-strigose around posterior margin. Metacoxa ( Fig. 145 ) densely setose with white lanceolate setae dorsally and ventrolaterally but bare longitudinally on outer surface. Propodeum ( Fig. 144 ) with both anterior and posterior margins incurved at midline such that strongly recurved margins united into median carina posteriorly over more vertical surface, the propodeum depressed anteromedially so abruptly curved in lateral view with region near metanotum forming almost dorsal surface relative to more vertical posterior surface; meshlike reticulate medially and along foramen but coriaceous laterally, and with a couple of white lanceolate setae anterior to spiracle and region of dense white lanceolate setae posterolaterally.

Gaster ( Figs 140, 146 ) brown except tergites with various metallic lusters under some angles of light, and syntergal flange and extreme tips of ovipositor sheaths yellow; shiny, finely meshlike coriaceous with long setae of similar color as tergites in single row across tergites except for more extensively setose syntergum; syntergum ( Fig. 146 ) longer than wide and longer than penultimate tergite, with dorsal surface in similar plane such that syntergal flange differentiated as posteriorly rounded, yellowish bare region behind setae; ovipositor sheaths projecting slightly beyond syntergal flange by distance at most equal to 0.2× length of metatibia.

Distribution (Map 1H). Trinidad, Venezuela.

Remarks. Females of O. stenoptera are differentiated by a combination of features, none of which are unique. Contorted females of O. setosa in which the fore wing setation is not clearly visible could be keyed to O. stenoptera , as discussed under the former species. Females are similar to O. microptera in having the most extensively, usually entirely smooth and shiny frontovertex ( Figs 137, 138 ).

Figures

FIGURES 137 – 146. Ooderella stenoptera n. sp., holotype ♀: 137, head, frontal; 138, head, dorsal; 139, scape, outer surface; 140, lateral habitus; 141, antenna; 142, mandibles; 143, pronotum and mesoscutum; 144, axillar complex to propodeum plus wings; 145, mesosoma, lateral; 146, gaster, dorsal.