Plutofoenus edwardsi Turner, 1927

Macedo, Antonio Carlos Cruz, 2009, Generic classification for the Gasteruptiinae (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) based on a cladistic analysis, with the description of two new Neotropical genera and the revalidation of Plutofoenus Kieffer, Zootaxa 2075, pp. 1-32 : 14-15

Plutofoenus edwardsi Turner, 1927

(Figs. 3a, 3c, 6e, 6i, 7e, 9b, 11c–d, 12b, 13d, 14b–c, 15)

Plutofoenus edwardsi Turner, 1927: 556 –557 (description); Hedicke, 1939: 42 (catalog); De Santis, 1967: 95 (catalog). Gasteruption edwardsi: Crosskey, 1962: 383 ( Fig. 5 , fore wing), 397–398 ( Plutofoenus synonymized under Gasteruption ).

Holotype. Female examined. Type locality: ARGENTINA: Mendoza: Potrerillos, P. & M. Edwards, 6.I.1927 ( BMNH). Labels: (1) Type H.T. (2) B.M. TYPE HYM 3.a 145 (3) Plutofoenus edwardsi Turn. Type (4) Potrerillos 6.1.1927 (5) Argentina: Mendoza Prov. P.& M. Edwards B.M. 1927–63.

Other specimens examined. Four females. ARGENTINA: Jujuy: Volcán, 2000m, II.1927, (no collector specified), 2 Ƥ ( AEIC); Volcán, 2000m, II.1927, (no collector specified), 2 Ƥ (one missing metasoma beyond segment 3) ( IMLA).

Diagnosis. Differs from P. paraguayensis by the longer ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3c) (2.2 times longer than metasoma in P. e d w a rd s i, and 1.5 times in P. paraguayensis ). Differs from P. c h a e t u r u s by the shorter ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3c) (3.0 times longer than metasoma in P. chaeturus ), by the head wider than long ( Fig. 11 c) (as wide as long in P. chaeturus ), and by the pronotum with shallow rugae ( Fig. 13 d) (with deep rugae in P. c h a e t u r u s).

Redescription. Female. Length: 16.5 mm (15.1–18.3 mm) (n=3, 2 specimens from AEIC, 1 from IMLA); ovipositor sheath length 1.37 (1.34–1.38)X body length.

Head. Black, rugulose to imbricate, wider than long ( Fig. 11 c); head length 1.35 (1.33–1.37)X eye length; eye length 6.16 (5.77–6.33)X malar space; distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.55 (1.45–1.60)X distance between posterior ocelli; 1st flagellomere 0.94 (0.81–1.05)X as long as scape, 1.96 (1.83–2.00)X as long as pedicel, 0.81 (0.67–0.93)X as long as 2nd flagellomere; mandible medial tooth developed; clypeus lighter than remaining frons; clypeus and face with fine longitudinal striae; frontal carina well developed between antennae; posterior ocellus inserted at level of upper eye margin ( Fig. 11 c); occipital carina relatively narrow dorsally and wide laterally.

Mesosoma. Mesonotum black, with edges red brown, remaining portions of mesosoma red brown, with some portions black; fore and middle legs with coxa and trochanter black or red brown, femur and tibia red brown, tibia with a white longitudinal stripe, tarsus red brown, with basal tarsomeres lighter and apical tarsomeres gradually darker; hind leg dark brown to red brown; mesosoma (excluding propleuron) 1.57 (1.47–1.68)X as long as high; propleuron 1.11 (1.02–1.15)X longer than its largest wide, 0.75 (0.73–0.76)X pronotum length; metacoxa 2.11 (1.87–2.35)X as long as wide; metatibia 4.38 (4.12–4.55)X as long as wide, 1.37 (1.33–1.40)X as long as femur, 3.43 (3.15–3.68)X as long as 1st tarsomere; propleuron rugulose dorsally and imbricate, with sparse punctations laterally; pronotal process distinct ( Fig. 13 d); pronotum ventral lobe rugose, dorsal and lateral lobes rugulose, area between lobes with a crenulate ridge; mesoscutum estriate rugose ( Fig. 12 b); mesoscutellum rugulose; mesepisternum rugose; mesepimeron with irregular striae; metapleuron micro areolate dorsally, ventral margin near middle coxa rugulose, remaining portion areolate rugose; propodeum areolate ( Figs. 14 b-c); fore wing vein r–m nebulous (Fig. 3a); hind wing with vein 2M+Cu pigmented; 4–6 hamuli (5/4: 25%, 5/5: 50%, 6/5: 25%).

Metasoma. Dark brown, imbricate, 2.60 (2.54–2.72)X as long as mesosoma; ovipositor sheath dark brown basally and subapically, remaining portions yellow brown, 2.23 (2.17–2.29)X as long as metasoma (Fig. 3c).

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Argentina (Jujuy, Mendoza) ( Fig. 15 ).

Comments. Plutofoenus edwardsi has been recorded in mid-Andean altitudes, although the records are too few to allow further interpretations.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Head in dorsal and lateral views. a – b: Plutofoenus chaeturus; c – d: P. e d w a rd s i; e – f: P. paraguayensis; g – h: Spinolafoenus ruficornis; i – j: Trilobitofoenus alvarengai; k – l: T. plaumanni; m – n: T. sericeus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm. Numbers indicate characters and respective synapomorphic states (within brackets).

FIGURE 12. Mesonotum in dorsal view. a: Plutofoenus chaeturus; b: P. e d w a rd s i; c: P. paraguayensis; d: Spinolafoenus ruficornis; e: Trilobitofoenus alvarengai; f: T. plaumanni; g: T. sericeus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm. Numbers indicate characters and respective synapomorphic states (within brackets).

FIGURE 13. Mesosoma in lateral view. a: Gasteruption bispinosum; b: G. guildingi; c: Plutofoenus chaeturus; d: P. edwardsi, e: P. paraguayensis; f: Spinolafoenus ruficornis; g: Trilobitofoenus alvarengai; h: T. plaumanni; i: T. sericeus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm. Lobes of pronotum: vl: ventral lobe; dl: dorsal lobe; ll: lateral lobe. Numbers indicate characters and respective synapomorphic states (within brackets).

FIGURE 14. Propodeum and metacoxa in dorsal view. a: Gasteruption bispinosum; b – c: Plutofoenus edwardsi; d: Gasteruption sp. I; e: Spinolafoenus ruficornis; f: Trilobitofoenus plaumanni. Scale bar: 1.0 mm. Numbers indicate characters and respective synapomorphic states (within brackets).

FIGURE 15. Geographic distribution of the species of Plutofoenus, Spinolafoenus and Trilobitofoenus.

FIGURE 5. a – b: Trilobitofoenus plaumanni habitus. Numbers indicate characters and respective synapomorphic states (within brackets).