Leseha carranzae Smith & Nishida, 2019

Smith, David R. & Nishida, Kenji, 2019, A new genus and three new species of Neotropical sawflies (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae) from Costa Rica, with host plants and life history notes, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 72, pp. 45-65 : 45

Leseha carranzae Smith & Nishida sp. nov.

Figs 38-44 , 45-50

Diagnosis.

Black with contrasting white basal 3 tarsomeres. Wings a contrasting bright yellow. Female lancet ( Fig. 42 ) short, but with distinct serrulae and annuli at apex.

Description.

Female ( Fig. 38 ): Length, 10.0 mm. Black, small mark on outer surface of scape and basal 3 tarsomeres white. Wings, with veins and stigma, completely golden yellow. Head and thorax shiny, without sculpture, abdomen dull and densely microsculptured. Head ( Figs 39 , 40 ): Antenna 2.1 × head width; scape and pedicel each slightly longer than broad; 3rd antennomere slightly longer than 4th, 4th to 9th antennomeres gradually decreasing in length. Malar space less than half diameter of front ocellus; clypeus with shallow, circular emargination. Lower interocular distance subequal to eye height. Distances between eye and lateral ocellus, between lateral ocelli, and between lateral ocellus and hind margin of head as 1.0: 0.5:1.2; postocellar area almost quadrate, very slightly broader than long, with deep lateral grooves. Thorax: Hind basitarsus slightly longer than length of remaining tarsomeres combined, as 1.0:0.8; apical hind tibial spurs sub equal in length, length slightly less than width of hind tibia at apex. Hind tibia and hind basitarsus slightly flattened, each with longitudinal groove. Tarsal claw with long inner tooth, very slightly shorter than outer tooth. Abdomen: Sheath ( Fig. 41 ) short and rounded at apex in lateral view; in dorsal view, uniformly wide with stiff, straight hairs at apex. Lancet ( Fig. 42 ) short, with few annuli and serrulae.

Male: Length 8.5-9.5 mm. Color and structure as for female. Genitalia in Figs 43 , 44 ; harpes oval, slightly longer than broad; parapenis very narrow, elongate, apex slanted laterally; valviceps of penis valve rounded at apex, with narrow dorsal lobe directed posterorly.

Larva: Last feeding instar ( Figs 45 , 48-50 ): Ca. 20 mm long. Head black; width ca. 2.5 mm. Body reddish yellow with longitudinal 3 dark green to dark gray stripes (one mesially on dorsum, other two above lateral lobes). Thorax laterally reddish yellow with black spots, thoracic legs black, spiracular to proleg area of abdominal segments 1-10 creamy white. Abdominal segment 10 and anal plate black (n = 7).

Type material.

Holotype female, labeled "COSTA RICA, Puntarenas Province, Monteverde, Estación Biológica Monteverde, 1530 m, 10°19'08.5"N, 84°48'32.0"W, larvae collected 4.xii.2017, adults 1.i.2018 to 27.i.2018, Elaphoglossum spp., Kenji Nishida" (USNM). Paratypes: Same data as for holotype (4 ♀, 2 ♂, MZUCR, USNM), on leaf, 6.viii.2018 (1 ♀, MZUCR); Costa Rica, San José, Zurquí Moravia, 1600 m, iii.1999, P. Hanson (1 ♀, MZUCR), same except iv.1995 (1 ♀, MZUCR), same except viii.1995 (1 ♀, USNM).

Etymology.

Named after Melanie Carranza who started to have a passion for insects and helped with the rearing of this species and getting the adults.

Host, life history.

Larvae were feeding on Elaphoglossum hellermannianum , E. lingua (under natural conditions) and E. hammelianum (under rearing conditions) ( Dryopteridaceae ). On a windy afternoon of 4.xii.2017, while KN was sitting on a chair outside in front of the laboratory of EBM, a sawfly larva climbed on to his shirt ( Fig. 45 ). KN had not seen this larva before and started to search for the host plant in the surrounding environment. The larva was placed in a translucent plastic bag with leaves of ca. 10 plant species, e.g., Myrsine coriacea ( Myrsinaceae ), Myrcia splendens ( Myrtaceae ), Cormus disciflora ( Cornaceae ), Quercus insignis and Q. cortesii ( Fagaceae ); however, the larva did not feed on any of these plants. The larva under captive conditions appeared to walk/move upwards to a higher position, and KN searched for other plants that grow on the higher part of trees, such as epiphytic ferns. KN collected Elaphoglosum hammelianum that was growing 4-5 m from the ground and placed in the plastic bag. The larva readily fed on the fern. KN searched for more larvae on Elaphoglossum ferns growing on trees in front of the laboratory, and found eight more larvae in a patch of Elaphoglossum species growing on a dead branch ( Figs 46 , 47 ).The larvae were feeding on thick and tough blades of E. lingua ( Fig. 48 ). When finished devouring a blade the larvae walked around and settled on abaxial of E. bellermannianum and stared to feed on it eventually. The larvae were collected and placed in the plastic rearing bag along with the Elaphoglossum spp. patch attached to the soil. Additionally, a small patch of E. lingua was added for rearing. The larvae fed on all three species of Elaphoglossum under rearing conditions. From 9.xii.2017 the larvae started to disappear from fronds little by little until 17.xii.2017. The larvae probably spun cocoons within the attached soil, rhizome, and roots, and pupated. Adult emergence occurred between 1.i.2018 and 27.i.2018. Part of the life history data and additional information were published online ( Nishida 2017). See Type Material section and above for collecting and rearing records.

Remarks.

Elaphoglossum bellermannianum is a scaly blade (leather like) epiphytic fern, with elongate oval shaped blade of 6-17 cm long by 1.5-4 cm wide, relatively thick and dark green on adaxial. The species has been recorded from Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia ( Vasco 2011, Missouri Botanical Garden 2018), In Costa Rica it is distributed between 1500 and 3100 m elevations. Elaphoglossum hammelianum is epiphytic, having relatively thin, narrow and long blade (up to 20-30 cm) with wavy margin. Pale brown scales are present scattered along the blade (KN personal observation 2017, 2018). It has been recorded from elevations between 900 and 3100 m from Costa Rica through western Panama ( Missouri Botanical Garden 2018). Elaphoglossum lingua is an epiphytic or terrestrial fern with thick and crunchy tongue-shaped blades. The blade grows up to ca. 24 by 7 cm. It is found from Costa Rica, Antilles to Brazil at Tropic of Capricorn and recorded along the mountain ranges of Costa Rica between 1100 and 2700 m ( Mickel 2009, Missouri Botanical Garden 2018, KN personal observation 2017, 2018).

Two other species of Selandriinae were reared from ferns at the same study site: a single specimen of a black and pink ‘firefly-mimicking” species from Elaphoglossum lingua and more than 30 adults of another species from Blechnum appendiculatum ( Blechnaceae ). Also, unidentified sawfly larvae (n = 2) were collected feeding on Serpocaulon ptilorhizon ( Polypodiaceae ); however, adults were not obtained.

Figures

Figures 38 - 44. Leseha carranzae 38 female, dorsolateral view 39 head, front 40 head, top 41 female sheath, lateral 42 female lancet 43 male genital capsule 44 male penis valve.

Figures 45 - 50. Leseha carranzae 45 wandering last feeding instar larva (arrow) on shirt of KN 46 habitat with chair where wandering larva appeared (arrow pointing at location of host plants with larvae) 47 closer view of habitat (arrow pointing at host plants where larvae were present) 48 six last feeding instar larvae shown in indicated white circle, four last feeding instar larvae resting on abaxil of Elaphoglossum bellermannianum and two other larvae ' in search of food plant' 49 last feeding instar (lateral view) reaching for next frond 50 three last feeding instar and one penultimate feeding instar (dorsal view) resting abaxial of Elaphoglossum lingua, fed area shown on lower right.