Ooderella melanosceles, 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 : 27-30

Ooderella melanosceles n. sp.

Figs 45–53

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( CNC). “ EL SALVADOR: La | Libertad, La Giralda | 13°39'N ; 89°22'W | X-XI.1999, 1000m | A. Monro / HOLOTYPE | Ooderella | melanosceles | Gibson”. Holotype point-mounted by mesosternum; entire; uncontorted.

Paratypes (2♀). El Salvador . Same data as holotype (1♀ CNC, Photo 2016-83). Mexico . Quinroo [Quintana Roo] Chetumal | 15.VII.83, R. Anderson (1♀ CNC).

Etymology. A combination of the Greek words melanos (black or dark) and skelos (leg), in reference to the comparatively dark legs that helps to differentiate females from those of O. spinositegula .

Description. FEMALE (habitus: Fig. 49 ). Length = 2.3–3.4 [3.0] mm. Head dark with variably distinct and extensive green to blue lusters under some angles of light and sometimes more coppery to reddish-violaceous lusters on interantennal prominence; in lateral view ( Fig. 46 ) highly convex and broadest dorsally, only about 1.1× as high as long; in frontal view about 1.3× as wide as high; in dorsal view ( Fig. 47 ) almost 1.5× as wide as long with interocular distance almost 4× head width, with light-colored, sulcate ocellocular mark, and OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 12: 13: 18: 7. Frontovertex with vertex alutaceous to or near level of posterior ocelli medially but posterolateral of ocelli ( Fig. 47 ), ocellar triangle and frons smooth and shiny except for sparse setiferous pits, in line along inner orbits and longitudinally on either side of anterior ocellus ( Fig. 45 ). Scrobal depression ( Fig. 45 ) dorsally abruptly angled to and therefore distinctly delimited from frons, broadly Π-shaped with lateral margin curved out from torulus to lower inner orbit such that parascrobal region lacking, and dorsal margin broadly arched between inner orbits and separated from anterior ocellus by about 3× an ocellar diameter; meshlike coriaceous to coriaceous-imbricate similarly to interantennal prominence. Interantennal prominence and lower face with brownish hairlike to only obscurely lanceolate setae. Mandibular dentition not clearly visible in any specimen but apparently bidentate with acute ventroapical tooth and broadly incurved dorsoapical margin. Labial and maxillary palps brown. Antenna ( Fig. 48 ) with scape variably extensively yellow apically, but otherwise dark with green luster on pedicel and basal flagellomeres under some angles of light, the greenish flagellomeres usually with more distinctly contrasting white setae; length of pedicel + flagellum about 1.6× head width; scape moderately compressed basally with ventral margin sinuate so as to be broadest subbasally and narrowed apically; length[width] of scape: pedicel: funiculars: clava = 54[15]: 20[9]: 8[7], 21[7], 24[8], 26[10], 20[10], 18[10], 15[11], 13[12]: 37[12].

Mesosoma ( Figs 50–52 ) dark brown except for yellowish-hyaline mesoscutal lateral flanges, though smoother areas with slight metallic lusters under some angles of light. Legs ( Fig. 49 ) similar in color to mesosoma except middle and hind legs with tibiae apically and at least mesotarsi paler. Pronotum in dorsal view ( Figs 47, 50 ) transverse-quadrangular with dorsal surface almost bare with very sparse, inconspicuous dark setae, and flat but inclined anterolaterally on either side of deep mediolongitudinal furrow such that anterolateral corners project tubercle-like toward head. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 50 ) flat anteriorly and with lateral lobes carinately angled only within 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 medially directed setae so as to form contiguous paramedial patches, and the posterior region with posteromedially directed setae extending to posterior margin. Scutellar-axillar complex ( Fig. 52 ) about 1.4× as long as basal width, with axillae and scutellum longitudinally reticulate-strigose, and with hairlike setae of similar color as cuticle along lateral margins of axillae and scutellum; scutellum elongate tear-drop shaped, about 3.1× as long as greatest width, with quite distinctly differentiated, coriaceous frenal area. Tegula ( Figs 50, 51 ) with dense dark setae along inner margin posteriorly forming distinct setal tuft about as long as apical width of tegula ( Fig. 51 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 52 ) extending to or slightly over base of gaster, about 3.3× as long as greatest width, flat or slightly upcurved only near posterior margin, hyaline; submarginal vein extending almost half length of wing with dorsal setae similarly short; costal cell, membrane behind submarginal vein, and apically narrowed membrane distal to submarginal vein bare except for 1–4 minute marginal setae apically. Mesopleurosternum ( Fig. 51 ) with region of dense white lanceolate setae forming setal tuft anteriorly on acropleuron and dorsally on mesopectus, and mesopectus ventral to setal tuft with similar though somewhat less dense region of white lanceolate setae; acropleuron smooth and shiny medially but longitudinally reticulate-strigose beyond setal tuft to level almost equal with posterior margin of tegula, much more finely, longitudinally coriaceous-strigose widely along dorsal margin, and broadly meshlike coriaceous along posterior margin. Metacoxa ( Fig. 51 ) entirely, densely setose with white lanceolate setae on outer surface except narrowly apically. Propodeum ( Fig. 52 ) comparatively long with anterior and posterior margins similarly incurved at midline such that recurved margins contiguous and forming median carina over most of length; meshlike coriaceous-alutaceous, and with a couple of white lanceolate setae anterior to spiracle and region of dense white lanceolate setae posterolaterally.

Gaster ( Figs 49, 53 ) similarly as dark as mesosoma except ovipositor sheaths beyond syntergum yellow and tergites often with slight metallic lusters under some angles of light; quite distinctly meshlike coriaceous and beyond Gt1 with comparatively sparse dark setae in single transverse row dorsally across tergites except for syntergum; syntergum ( Fig. 53 ) about as long as basal width and longer than penultimate tergite, with dorsal surface in similar plane and almost entirely setose except along posterior margin such that syntergal flange poorly differentiated as posteriorly rounded bare region behind setae; ovipositor sheaths projecting only slightly beyond syntergal flange.

Distribution (Map 2A). El Salvador, Mexico.

Remarks. As noted under the discussion for the genus, O. melanosceles , O. spinositegula and O. thegalea comprise a trio of species sharing distinct tegular setal tufts, pronota that have the anterolateral corners conspicuously, cone-like produced, a coriaceous to coriaceous-imbricate rather than reticulate scrobal depression, and the longest discal region beyond the submarginal vein of any other Ooderella species except O. ambigua (see further under discussion for genus and remarks for other two species).

Figures

FIGURES 45 – 53. Ooderella melanosceles n. sp. ♀. 45 & 46, head (2016 - 83): 45, frontolateral; 46, lateral. 47, head and pronotum, dorsal (holotype). 48, antenna (2016 - 83). 49 – 53, holotype: 49, lateral habitus; 50, pronotum and mesoscutum; 51, mesosoma, lateral; 52, scutellar-axillar complex to propodeum plus wings; 53, gaster, dorsal.