Porcepicus 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

Porcepicus Huber gen. nov.

Figs 11 , 12-17 , 18 , 19-20

Type species.

Porcepicus herison Huber, here designated.

Diagnosis.

Female with the following combination of features: back of head dorsal to foramen with median vertical occipital groove and transverse occipital groove/trabecula extending from eye to eye (Fig. 12a ); mandible a small stub without teeth (Fig. 12a ); gastral petiole apparently absent and gaster wider than long; body, legs and antenna with prominent stout spines (Figs 11 - 20 ).

Description.

Female. Head. Head slightly narrower than mesosoma (14:17), ~2.0 × as wide as long, ~1.7 × as wide as high and ~1.15 × as high as long, measured laterally; transverse and supraorbital trabeculae with short dark sections alternating with light sections. (Fig. 12a ). Face slightly wider than high; torulus ~1.4 × its own height from transverse trabecula; preorbital groove bulging laterally ventral to eye. Compound eye ~1.7 × as long as malar space and with a few short blunt setae among ommatidia. Vertex posteriorly with sharp, slightly concave margin at junction with occiput (Fig. 12b ); median ocellus well separated from transverse trabecula; ocelli in a low triangle, with lateral ocelli at posterolateral angle of vertex, and POL ~2 × LOL and ~23 × OOL. Back of head with vertical occipital groove, complete transverse occipital groove obtusely angled medially dorsal to occipital foramen, and oral cavity posteriorly almost confluent with occipital foramen (Fig. 12b ). Antenna. Scape with radicle barely differentiated; funicle 6-segmented; clava 1-segmented (Figs 14a, b ). Mouthparts. Mandibles without teeth, with rounded apex shorter than maxilla, presumably not meeting when closed (Fig. 12a ). Mesosoma. Mesosoma ~0.8 × as long as wide, ~1.2 × as long as high, and ~1.4 × as wide as high. Pronotum in lateral view almost vertical, apparently longitudinally divided medially, in dorsal view barely visible except laterally. Prosternum almost 2.0 × as wide as long and longitudinally divided medially (Fig. 19 ). Mesoscutum as long as scutellum + frenum, in lateral view flat; notauli incomplete, barely indicated anteriorly (Fig. 18a ). Scutellum ~0.25 × as long as frenum, without campaniform sensilla or fenestra; axilla barely advanced, about as long as wide; second phragma extending to apex of propodeum, widely truncate apically. Metanotum linear and barely visible, without defined dorsellum. Propodeum medially ~5.0 × as long as metanotum. Wings. Fore wing narrow and curved (Fig. 15 ) with distinct lobe posterior to parastigma; venation ~0.3 × as long as wing length; parastigma with distal macrochaeta but without proximal macrochaeta or hypochaeta. Hind wing (Fig. 16 ) with distinct bend in basal third beyond venation, with anterior margin concave and posterior margin convex. Legs. legs short; tarsi 5-segmented, with protarsomere 1 the longest segment, and meso-and metararsomere 1 the shortest segments. Metasoma. Metasoma ~0.8 × as long as mesosoma (Figs 18a , 20 ). Petiole vertical, not visible in dorsal view, ~10 × as wide as long (high). Gaster ~1.2 × as wide as long, and ~1.1 × as wide as high; gt2 and gt3 the longest terga, gt1 planoconvex, the almost straight anterior margin and curved posterior margin meeting laterally to form an acute angle (Fig. 18a ); cercus apparently with only 2 cercal setae. Ovipositor arising in apical half of gaster, slightly less than 0.5 × gaster length and slightly less than 0.5 × metatibia length.

Male. Unknown.

Derivation of genus name.

An arbitrary combination of letters based on the French word for porcupine, porc-épique, referring to the long and strong setae distributed on the antenna, body, and legs.

Relationships.

Porcepicus belongs to the Camptoptera group of genera. It appears to be most similar to Camptoptera by the back of the head having a vertical occipital groove, transverse occipital groove, and narrow and curved fore wing and lack of a hypochaeta. The 6-segmented funicle in females, slightly dorsoventrally flattened mesosoma, gaster wider than long, and apparent absence of a petiole distinguishes it from Camptoptera Foerster as well as the other genera in the genus group.

Figures

Figure 11. Porcepicus herison Huber, holotype female on card, before slide mounting.

Figure 18. Porcepicus herison Huber, holotype female 18 a habitus without head, dorsal 18 b genitalia (seen through gaster).

Figures 12 - 17. Porcepicus herison Huber, holotype female 12 a head, anterior 12 b head, posterior (seen through head and flipped horizontally) 13 a right antenna (clava and fu 5 missing) 13 b right antenna (opposite surface seen through antenna and flipped horizontally) 14 a left antenna 14 b left antanna (opposite surface seen through antenna) 15 fore wing 16 hind wing 17 holotype slide.

Figures 19, 20. Porcepicus herison Huber 19 holotype, habitus without head, ventral (seen through body and flipped vertically) 20 paratype, habitus, dorsal, fore wings missing.