Noumeasega decorata (Kimsey) Kimsey, 2014

Kimsey, Lynn S., 2014, Description of a new chrysidid genus from New Caledonia (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae, Amiseginae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 38, pp. 19-36 : 26-29

Noumeasega decorata (Kimsey) comb. n. Figures 6, 7 , 10 , 13 , 19, 24 , 27, 38

Atoposega decorata Kimsey 1995:590. Holotype female; New Caledonia: Ciu, near Mt. Canala (MCZ).

Material studied.

New Caledonia: 1 female: Sud Prov., 9.1 km nw, Sarraméa; (MCZ); 1 female: Sud Prov., Mt. Khogis, 17 km nne Nouméa, 22°10'34S, 166°30'17E, 28/i/1996, MT, 425m, Irwin, Webb & Schlinger (INHS); 2 females: Sud Prov., 9.1 km nw, Sarraméa; 22°35'07S, 165°47'24E, 14-15/i/1996, MT, 425m, Irwin, Webb & Schlinger (BME); 1 male: Mandjelia summit, 750m, 20°24'S, 164°32'E, 29/x/2003-31/i/2004, G. Monteith, FIT, #11486 (QM); 1 male: Chute Madeleline, 230m, macquis, 22°14'S, 166°52'E, 18/ix-12/xi/2000, Malaise trap, Skevington & Burwell, #9970 (QM); 1 male: Aoupinie, 850m, 21°11'S, 165°18'E, 23/xi/2001-1/i/2002, Burwell & Monteith, Malaise trap, #8926 (QM); 1 male: Plateau de Dogny, 20/xi/1958, C.R. Joyce (BPBM).

Diagnosis.

This is the most brightly colored species of Noumeasega . The bright blues and purples, with the white metasomal spot in the female will readily distinguish decorata from other Noumeasega species. Males can be distinguished by the yellow legs and antennae, metallic blue head and thorax and antenna as long or longer than the body. Noumeasega decorata shares the strongly convex pronotum and extensive metallic coloration with bicolorata. Other shared characters include the banded wings, spine-like propodeal angle in the females. Males share the unusually long antenna, brown spot adjacent to forewing stigma, and correspondingly long flagellomeres with kaoriensis.

Female description.

Body ( Fig. 13 ): length 5-6 mm. Head: face ( Fig. 24 ); scapal basin coarsely cross-ridged medially, zone of cross-ridging occupying one-third of distance between eyes, one half of height of scapal basin; frons with punctures contiguous; malar space 2.8 midocellar diameters long; head 0.9 × as long as wide; vertex in dorsal view ( Fig. 28 ), with narrow lateral postocular extension, less than 0.2 midocellar diameter wide, midocellus 1.5-1.6 midocellar diameters from ocular margin; hindocellus separated from ocular margin by 0.5 hindocellar diameter; clypeus evenly curved apically; malar space 2.8 midocellar diameters long; subantennal distance 0.4 midocellar diameter long; scape length 4.3-4.5 × breadth; flagellomere I length 3.0-3.3 × breadth; flagellomere II 0.7-0.8 × as long as broad; flagellomere IX 1.9-2.0 × as long as broad; antenna as long as body. Mesosoma: pronotal and scutal punctures coarse, contiguous, longitudinally ridged, striatiform punctures becoming most pronounced on scutum; scutum with notauli obscured anteriorly by coarse ridging; mesopleuron with contiguous, horizontally striatiform punctures; scutellum with large, contiguous but not striatiform punctures; metapleuron and side of propodeum polished and impunctate; metanotum 1.4 × as long as scutellum, medial enclosure with large contiguous punctures, without medial ridge; propodeal dorsal surface coarsely areolate, posterior surface without medial enclosure, medially polished and impunctate, laterally rugose; metapleuron and propodeal side smooth, impunctate. Metasoma: terga and sterna polished and impunctate. Color: head, including clypeus, and mesosoma dark metallic blue, except scutum, metanotum and propodeal sides purple; metasoma black, with blue tints, tergum II with whitish lateral spot; scape and pedicel dark blue; flagellomere I whitish, remainder of flagellum red; coxae blue; femora blue with base and apex whitish; fore and midtibiae whitish, with dark brown apex; hindtibia dark blue; tarsi brown to black; forewing largely dark brown, with untinted band across wing as base of stigma and apex of Rs and wing tip untinted.

Male description.

Body ( Fig. 10 ): length 4.5-5.0 mm. Head: face ( Fig. 19 ); scapal basin finely cross-ridged medially, zone of cross-ridging occupying one third of distance between eyes, one half of height of scapal basin; frons with punctures contiguous; malar space 2.9 midocellar diameters long; scape length 2.3 × as long as broad; vertex with complete lateral postocular extension; flagellomere I 5 × as long as broad; flagellomere II 3.4 × as long as broad; flagellomere IX 6.8-7.0 as long as broad; antenna as long as entire body; vertex in dorsal view ( Fig. 27 ), with narrow lateral postocular extension, separated by 0.2-0.3 midocellar diameter, midocellus 2.2-2.3 midocellar diameters from eye margin; hindocellus 0.7-0.8 hindocellar diameters from eye margin; ocular setulae minute; clypeal margin broadly truncate apically; malar space 2.9-3.0 midocellar diameters long; subantennal distance one midocellar diameter long; scape 2.3 × as long as broad; flagellomere I 5 × as long as broad; flagellomere II 2.4 × as long as broad; flagellomere IX 6.8-7.0 × as long as broad. Mesosoma: pronotum strongly convex in lateral view; pronotal and scutal punctuation coarse, contiguous; notauli obscured by punctation; scutellum with coarse, contiguous punctuation; metanotum without longitudinal ridge or welt; mesopleuron with dense, large, contiguous punctures; metapleuron and propodeal side polished, impunctate, posterior enclosure polished and impunctate, with weak medial longitudinal ridge. Metasoma: punctation even, punctures 1-2 puncture diameters apart. Color: head, including clypeus, and mesosoma dark metallic blue becoming purplish on propodeal side; antenna dark brown to black, except scape yellowish basally, api cally with metallic blue highlights; metasoma black with metallic blue highlights, tergum I anterior brown; legs yellow, becoming darker brown on tarsi; hindfemur and tibial brown with metallic blue tints; forewing untinted except for brown spot between stigma and R1 and Rs.

Remarks.

Unlike the other species of Noumeasega , Noumeasega decorata males and females have the mesosoma metallic blue, not black with metallic blue highlights. Additionally, females have the metasoma metallic blue and the males have metallic blue highlights on the metasoma. This is also the largest bodied Noumeasega species in both sexes. This is the most widespread species on the island, found in nearly all sites collected

Figures

Figures 2 - 7. 2 - 4 Lateral view of body 5 - 7 Ventral view of mesopleuron and midcoxae.

Figures 8 - 11. Lateral view of male Noumeasega.

Figures 12 - 15. Lateral view of female Noumeasega.

Figures 16 - 24. Noumeasega. Front view of face. 16 - 20 Males, with flagellomeres II-IX or III-IX removed 21 - 24 Females.

Figures 25 - 32. Noumeasega, dorsal view of head a = midocellar eye distance b = hindocellar eye distance c = postocular distance m = males f = females.