Lomachaeta ptilohyalus Pitts & Manley

Pitts, James P. & Manley, Donald G., 2004, A Revision of Lomachaeta Mickel, with a new species of Smicromutilla Mickel (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), Zootaxa 474, pp. 1-27 : 12-13

6. Lomachaeta ptilohyalus Pitts & Manley , New Species

( Figs. 10 , 19 , 26 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Lomachaeta by lack of a distinct ventral mandibular tooth, distinctly brachyplumose setae, and by sparse, very small punctures on the pronotum and mesonotum ( Fig. 10 ). It is most similar to L. crocopinna , especially regarding the presence of elongate setae on the parameres, but differs from this species by coloration of the metasoma.

Holotype Male. Head. Width 0.92 mm, black, clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. Compound eye maximum diameter 0.37 mm. Median ocellus 0.069 mm, lateral ocellus 0.062 mm, ocellocular distance 0.27 mm, and interocellular distance 0.10 mm. Malar space very short, 0.12 mm in length. Mandible black except tip brown orange, slightly emarginate beneath, without distinct tooth beneath. Antennal tubercle brown. Antenna black. Scape clothed with pale white and black brachyplumose setae throughout. Pedicel and flagellomeres with decumbent white setae. Length of scape, pedicel and first three flagellomeres: 0.30, 0.092, 0.077, 0.12 and 0.10 mm, respectively; width of first flagellomeres 0.088 mm; front with punctures small and dense; vertex with small, distinct, separated punctures and brown setae.

Mesosoma. Black brown. Clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white and black brown setae. Pronotum with small, distantly spaced punctures, not confluent on posterior margin. Mesonotum with small, distant punctures throughout. Scutellum almost flat, only very slightly convex, with small, shallow punctures similar to mesonotum but more crowded. Dorsum and posterior face of propodeum reticulate throughout. Tegula black with brown margin, glabrous, except entire margin punctate and with long, pale, erect setae. Legs brown, clothed with sparse, long, erect, brachyplumose pale white setae. Tibia and tarsus with golden bristles. Tibial spurs pale. Wings with pterostigma 0.17 mm in length along costa. Marginal cell 0.23 mm in length. Second submarginal cell pentagonal, 0.22 mm in length.

Metasoma. T1 brown, orange laterally. Metasomal segment 2 and S3 orange. T3 orange, black brown medially. S1 and metasomal segments 4–6 brown. Metasoma clothed throughout with sparse, long, erect, pale white setae. T5–T7 also with brown setae anterior to apical margin, denser on apical segments. Bristles at posterior margins of T2–T4, pale orange. T1 punctate on lateral margins, glabrous medially, posterior margin with row of small, contiguous punctures. T2 with small, distant, widely separated punctures. T3–T7 with progressively small to fine, separated punctures. S2 with large, close punctures throughout. Genitalia Fig. 19 .

Length. Approximately 5.2 mm.

Type material. Holotype, ɗ, MEXICO, Oaxaca, 10 m North of Huajuapan de Leon, 7.III.1985, L. Stange & R. Miller ( CNCI). Paratypes, 4 ɗ, USA, California, San Bernardino Co., 8–9 m S Kelso, reared by F.D. Parker ( BBSL).

Female. Unknown.

Host. Solierella plenoculoides similis .

Etymology. From the Greek ptilon “feather” and hyalos “glass,” in reference to the brachyplumose setae and sparse punctures on the dorsum of the mesosoma.

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 13. 6 – 12, Pronotum and mesonotum of males, dorsal view of left half, not to same scale, 6. Lomachaeta chionothrix; 7. L. cirrhomeris; 8. L. hicksi; 9. L. hicksi; 10. L. hicksi; 11. L. hicksi; 12. L. ptilohyalus. 13. Mesonotum of L. hyphantria, dorsal view.

FIGURES 14 – 23. Internal view of male genitalia, 14. Lomachaeta chionothrix; 15. L. cirrhomeris; 16. L. hicksi; 17. L. hicksi; 18. L. hicksi; 19. L. ptilohyalus; 20. L. crocopinna; 21. L. hyphantria; 22. L. hicksi; 23. Smicromutilla beadugrimi; scale = 0.20 mm.

FIGURES 24 – 29. Habitus of 24. Lomachaeta crocopinna ♂; 25. L. hicksi ♂; 26. L. ptilohyalus ♂; 27. L. hicksi ♂; 28. L. cirrhomeris ♂; 29. L. cirrhomeris Ψ.