Megamymar waorani Huber, 2022

Huber, John T. & Read, Jennifer D., 2022, Three new genera of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) from the Neotropical region, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 92, pp. 1-21 : 1

Megamymar waorani Huber sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Material examined.

Holotype female (USNM) on triangular card point labelled 1. " ECUADOR: NAPO Res. Ethnica Waorani, 1km S. Onkone Gare Camp, Trans.Ent. 9 Oct. 1994 220m 00°39'10"S, 76°26'W T.L. Erwin et al.". 2. " Holotype Megamymar waorani Huber". 2. "Insecticidal fogging of mostly bare green leaves, some with covering of lichenous or bryophytic plants in terra firme forest. At Trans 5m Sta. 4 Project MAXUS Lot 913" 3. " HOLOTYPE f# Megamymar waorani Huber".

Diagnosis.

Megamymar waorani is the only described species in the genus. Its diagnosis is therefore the same as for the generic description, i.e., ovipositor extending anteriorly in a short, truncate gastral sac dorsal to propodeum (Fig. 1 ).

Description.

Female. Colour. Body orange-yellow, with metasoma except for apical tergum and sternum slightly lighter; transverse trabecula and mandibles dark reddish-brown; scape and pedicel dark yellow, fu1-fu4 brown except slightly lighter apex of fu4, fu5 cream coloured, fu6 and clava dark brown; legs same colour as body except mesotibia slightly darker yellow, mesotarsomere brown, and metatibia and tarsus almost black. Fore wing clear except yellowish suffusion posterior to and slightly distal to venation; hind wing clear (Fig. 1 ). Body length. 4.8 mm, excluding exserted part of ovipositor, which extends 4.9 mm posterior to apex of gaster. Head. Head width ~535. Entire face with fine engraved but slightly granulate sculpture and with 2 sublateral setae, about 6 lateral setae and a dense patch of thicker setae sublaterally and laterally at mouth margin. Vertex with 2 setae between lateral ocelli, apparently 2 minute setae lateral to median ocellus, and engraved, slightly granulate reticulations at least anteriorly. Back of head with faint engraved reticulations, 1 short seta posterolateral to lateral ocellus, and a few minute setae lateral to foramen and sublaterally on gena. Antenna. Scape with faint, fine transverse sculpture on inner surface and apparently at least 1 very short seta, on dorsal margin at least. Fu6 with at least one longitudinal row of 6 or 7 short mps, clava with numerous (11 on at least one surface) short scattered mps; funicle slender, with segments barely widening towards apex, each with apex squarely truncate and with numerous short setae. Length/width measurements (ratio, calculated from eyepiece micrometer measurements before converting to micrometres): scape 220/120 (1.83); pedicel 120/60 (2.00), fu1 240/30 (8.00); fu2 545/30 (18.33); fu3 910/40 (23.00); fu4 645/50 (13.00); fu5 495/60 (8.33); fu6 385/80 (4.87), clava 604/90 (6.78). Mesosoma. Pronotum with 2 setae anteriorly and 1 seta posterolaterally, and with faint raised reticulate sculpture. Mesoscutum with faint raised reticulate sculpture, 1 adnotaular seta at extreme anterior margin and 1 lateral seta posterolaterally on lateral lobe. Scutellum with faint engraved reticulate sculpture and without setae; axilla with 1 small seta; frenum apparently with faint sculpture. Propodeum with 1 propodeal setae well separated from spiracle and with faint reticulate sculpture. Wings. Fore wing with a single line of microtrichia separating bare space posterior to parastigma from bare space anterior to retinaculum; hypochaeta next to proximal macrochaeta, distal macrochaeta not visible (absent?); wing length 3900, width 845, length/width 4.62, longest marginal setae 100, venation length 820, spur 100. Hind wing with median row of microtrichia but only a few distally along anterior and posterior margins; wing length 2400, width 50, longest marginal setae 155, venation length 770. Legs. Metatibia and tarsomeres 1 and 2 with short, dense setae; tarsomere 1 slightly longer than metatibia. Metasoma. Petiole (mostly hidden by metacoxae and gt1) ~310 long, width 90. Gaster with terga and sterna apparently transparent above yellow ground colour; middle terga apparently the longest segments (not accurately measurable). Ovipositor length (visible part only, the part concealed within gaster not measurable) 5500, the exserted length 4900 with hooked apex.

Derivation of species name.

The species is named after the indigenous Waorani people of Ecuador in whose reserve M. waorani was collected. Their way of life has been seriously affected by resource extraction and settlement by colonists. The species name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Biology.

Unknown, but because of its size, likely a solitary parasitoid in large insect eggs. We suggest that the host is most likely a species of Orthoptera . First, despite M. waorani being the third longest fairyfly species known worldwide, after specimens of a species of Neotriadomerus from Australia and specimens of one species of Australomymar from New Zealand, it has apparently never been collected at ground level, despite considerable Malaise or pan trapping in equatorial rain forests of the Neotropical region. Second, the host egg must be at least 4.8 mm long and eggs of this size are mostly likely to be found among species of Orthoptera . Third, although hosts of any species of Mymaridae with body length over 3.0 mm are unknown, one relatively small (~1.3 mm) species of Australomymar has been reared from Tettigoniidae ( Orthoptera ) and one large (2.5 mm) species of Acmopolynema Ogloblin has been reared from Oecanthus spp. ( Orthoptera : Gryllidae ).

Figures

Figure 1. Megamymar waorani Huber, holotype female, lateral habitus (ovipositor photoshopped to curve downward to fit page better).