Gonatocerus Hoddle & Stouthamer 2005 : 339 León et al. 2006a : 41 León et al. 2006b : 54 León et al. 2006c : 57 Gonatocerus A new species of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from Argentina, an egg parasitoid of Tapajosa rubromarginata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Triapitsyn, Serguei V. Logarzo, Guillermo A. Virla, Eduardo G. De, Jesse H. Zootaxa 2007 1619 61 68 S. Triapitsyn, Logarzo S. Triapitsyn, Logarzo [151,662,1823,1849] Insecta Mymaridae Gonatocerus Animalia Hymenoptera 1 62 Arthropoda species virlai     Gonatocerussp. 6:  Hoddle & Stouthamer 2005: 339; Hoddle & Triapitsyn 2005: 341–342; De  León et al.2006a: 41–42; De  León et al.2006b: 54; De  León et al.2006c: 57–58.   Gonatocerussp.: Jones et al.2005: 243.    Typematerial  Holotypefemale on slide [ MLPA]: ARGENTINA, Tucumán, Tafí Viejo, 7–11.i.2001, E. Virla, “ex. eggs of  Tapajosa rubromarginata(Signoret)exposed in citrus fields #F6”. Paratypes: ARGENTINA. CÓRDOBA, Villa de Soto, 30°50’53’’S, 65°00’18’’W, 540 m, 24.i.2003, G. Logarzo, L. Varone (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus left 17.i.2003by G. Logarzo, L. Varone, E. & M. Virla, W. Jones and S. Triapitsyn, emerged 7.ii. 2003in UCR quarantine, Riverside, California, USA) [ 1 maleon point, UCRC]. CORRIENTES, Yapeyú, xi.2006, G. Logarzo (ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginata) [ 1 female, 1 maleon points, UCRC]. LA RIOJA: Anillaco, 1–31.iii.2001, P. Fidalgo, J. Torrens, G. Fidalgo [ 1 femaleon point, UCRC]. Castro Barros, La Calera, 8.i.2001, P. Fidalgo [ 1 femaleon slide, IMLA]. MISIONES, Loreto, 9.xii.1931, A.A. Ogloblin [ 1 femaleon slide, MLPA]. SALTA, ca. 14 kmN of Rosario de la Frontera, 25°42’45.4’’S, 64°56’10.9’’W, 780 m, 21.i.2003, S. Triapitsyn, G. Logarzo [ 1 femaleon point, UCRC]. TUCUMÁN: El Cadillal ([Ruta Nacional] RN9, km 1311), 23.i.1995, E. Virla (ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginataon corn) [ 1 female, 2 maleson slides and 1 female, 1 maleon cards, CNCI]. San Miguel de Tucumán, soccer field near PROIMI, 26°48’35.6’’S, 65°14’24.6’’W, 500 m, 2002, E. Virla (ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginataon Johnson grass) [ 1 maleon slide, UCRC, 2 femaleson points, IMLA, UCRC, and 12 maleson points, IMLA(6), UCRC(3), and USNM(3)]. Tafí Viejo: xii.2000, E. Virla, ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginatain citrus orchard [ 1 female, 1 maleon points, UCRC]; 11.i.2001, E. Virla, ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginatain field [ 2 femaleson points, UCRC]; 7–11.i.2001, E. Virla, ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginatain citrus orchard [ 12 femaleson points, CNCI(1), IMLA(2), MLPA(2), UCRC(4), USNM(3), 1 maleon slide and 1 maleon point, UCRC]; 3–10.iii.2002, E. Virla, ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginataon lemon (colony originators, emerged en route to USDA, APHISMission quarantine laboratory, Edinburg, Texas, USA, died 15–20.iii.2002) [ 1 femaleon point, 2 maleson slides and 3 maleson points, UCRC]. USA. CALIFORNIA, Riverside Co., Riverside, laboratory colony at UCR quarantine: emerged 20.iv.2005from eggs of  H. vitripennison  Euonymus japonicaleaves, coll. V. Berezovskiy [ 1 female, 2 maleson points, UCRC]; originally from: Argentina, Tucumán, San Miguel de Tucumán, soccer field near PROIMI, 26°48’35.6’’S, 65°14’24.6’’W, 500 m, 20.i.2003, G. Logarzo, L. Varone, W. Jones, S. Triapitsyn, E. Virla (emerged 10.ii. 2003in UCR quarantine from eggs of  T. rubromarginataon Johnson grass).  Additional material examined  ARGENTINA. CÓRDOBA, Las Tapias, 16–25.i. xi.2003, M. Virla (ex. egg mass of a proconiine sharpshooter on grape leaf) [ 1 femalein alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. CORRIENTES, San Cosme, 11– 13.xi.2003, G. Logarzo, L. Varone (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [ 5 femalesin alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. LA RIOJA, Anillaco, 7.xi.2002, G. Logarzo, L. Varone (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [ 16 females, 5 malesin alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. ENTRE RÍOS, Concordia, 12– 14.xii.2001, G. Logarzo (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [ 2 malesin alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. MENDOZA: La Consulta, 23–27.x.2002, G. Logarzo, E. Virla (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [ 2 females, 1 malein alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. San Carlos, i.2007, G. Logarzo, F. Palottini (ex. wild eggs of  T. rubromarginataon  Populussp. and from sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [numerous females and males in alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. MISIONES, Cerro Azul, 27.x.2000, G. Logarzo (ex. sentinel eggs of  T. rubromarginataon citrus) [ 2 females, 2 malesin alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. TUCUMÁN: El Manantial, 22–24.i.2005, E. Virla (ex. sentinel eggs of  Molomea consolidaSchröderon citrus) [ 3 femalesin alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. San Miguel de Tucumán, soccer field near PROIMI, 26°48’35.6’’S, 65°14’24.6’’W, 500 m, 21–22.i.2005, E. Virla (ex. sentinel eggs of  Molomea consolidaSchröderon citrus) [ 7 females, 1 malein alcohol, USDA, ARS SABCL]. USA. TEXAS, Hidalgo Co., Edinburg, USDA, APHISMission quarantine, from laboratory colony (various dates during 2002) [numerous females and males on points, in gelatin capsules, and in alcohol, UCRC]; originally from: Argentina, Tucumán, Tafí Viejo, 3–10.iii.2002, E. Virla (ex. eggs of  T. rubromarginataon lemon).   Description FEMALE ( holotypeand paratypes). Body length 1.1–1.4 mm. Head, mesosoma, and metasoma ( Fig. 3) mostly light brown except trabeculae and vertex (between the ocelli only) dark brown, mesoscutum (posteriorly) and scutellum (anteriorly) with irregular brownish spots, and middle gastral terga brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown to dark brown; legs light brown. Antenna ( Fig. 1) with radicle 2.4–2.5 x as long as wide, rest of scape about 3.5 x as long as wide, with strong setae; pedicel longer than F1, with a few strong setae; all funicular segments longer than wide and densely setose (setae short); F2 much longer than F1 and slightly shorter than F3 (F3 and F4 equal in length and the longest funicular segments), F5 a little longer than F6, F7 slightly longer than F6 and notably longer than F8; F1 without longitudinal sensilla, longitudinal sensilla on F2 (0 or 1), F3 (1 or 2), F4 (2), F5 (2), F6 (2), F7 (2), and F8 (2); clava with 8 longitudinal sensilla, 3.2–4.2 x as long as wide.   FIGURES 1–4.  Gonatocerus virlai(female, holotype). 1. Antenna. 2. Dorsellum and propodeum. 3. Mesosoma and metasoma. 4. Forewing. Mesosoma as in Fig. 5. Pronotum divided medially, each lobe with 2 strong dorsal and 2 weak lateral setae. Mesoscutum much wider than long, shorter than scutellum; midlobe of mesoscutum with a pair of strong, long setae. Dorsellum of metanotum ( Figs 2, 5, 6) with posterior margin widely angulate medially. Propodeum ( Figs 2, 5, 6) with curved submedial carinae; these not meeting posteriorly and meeting or almost meeting at anterior margin of propodeum, extending to its anterior margin. Propodeum more or less smooth between submedial carinae but between submedial and lateral carinae with conspicuous transverse wrinkles, and with cellulate sculpture lateral to lateral carinae. Protibia without conical sensilla; metacoxa finely, inconspicuously sculptured. Forewing ( Fig. 4) 3.5–3.7 x as long as wide; marginal setae short, the longest marginal seta 1/5–1/4 greatest wing width. Forewing blade slightly infumate throughout, bare behind submarginal and marginal veins except for a few setae at apex of marginal vein, remainder of the blade densely setose. Submarginal vein with 1 macrochaeta and 2 smaller setae, marginal vein with 4 or 5 setae between proximal and distal macrochaetae. Hindwing 19–23 xas long as wide, the blade slightly infumate and mostly bare except for the usual two complete rows of setae along margins and several scattered setae at apex and an incomplete row of short setae just distal to apex of venation.   FIGURES 5, 6.  Gonatocerus virlai(female, scanning electron micrographs). 5. Mesosoma. 6. Dorsellum and propodeum. Gaster a little longer than mesosoma. Petiole 1.2–1.3 x as wide as long, trapezoidal. Ovipositor 7/10–4/5 length of gaster, not exserted beyond its apex. Ovipositor length: mesotibia length about 1.0. Outer plates of ovipositor each with 1 distal seta. Measurements of the holotype(in µm, as length or length:width). Mesosoma 529; petiole 58; gaster 584; ovipositor 403. Antenna: radicle 73; rest of scape 212; pedicel 70; F1 45; F2 73; F3 79; F4 79; F5 70; F6 64; F7 67; F8 58; clava 242. Forewing 1341:381; longest marginal seta 91. Hindwing 984:45; longest marginal seta 109. MALE ( paratypes). Body length 1.1–1.4 mm. Body color usually a little (but sometimes notably) darker than in female, particularly of mesonotum and gastral terga (mostly brown, with some light brown); scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown to dark brown. Antenna ( Fig. 7) with scape and radicle fused, scape (excluding radicle) 2.7–3.4 x as long as wide, pedicel very small, F1 the shortest and widest flagellar segment; all flagellomeres longer than wide and with 10–12 longitudinal sensilla. Forewing ( Fig. 9) 3.4–3.5 x as long as wide. Genitalia as in Fig. 8; apex of apodeme of genital sternite more or less rounded.   Diagnosis Member of the aterspecies group of  Gonatocerus, as defined by Huber (1988), and its  morrillisubgroup, which is characterized by a usually conspicuously rugose propodeum, particularly posteriorly. The petiole in the species belonging to this subgroup is usually (but not always, as in the case of  G. virlai) distinctly longer than wide. Among the described species of  Gonatocerusin the New World, the following ones belong to the  morrillisubgroup of the atergroup:  G. annulicornis(Ogloblin),  G. coxalis(Ogloblin),  G. grandis(Ogloblin), G. h e l a v a iYo s h imo t o,  G. morganiS. Triapitsyn,  G. morrilli(Howard),  G. quirogai(Ogloblin),  G. tuberculifemur(Ogloblin), and  G. walkerjonesiS. Triapitsyn. Amongthese,  G. annulicornis,  G. morgani,  G. morrilli,  G. quirogai, and  G. walkerjonesihave white or contrastingly lighter funicle segments of the female antenna.  Gonatocerus annulicornisand  G. walkerjonesicluster with  G. virlai sp. n.molecularly (de León et al.2006a,b,c), thus supporting their inclusion in the same subgroup. The female flagellum is all brown to dark brown, without white or light funicular segments, in G. c o x a l i s, G. v i r l a i, and  G. tuberculifemur.  Gonatocerus coxalisdiffers from  G. virlaiin having a conspicuous subapical brown spot on the female forewing blade (forewing blade slightly infumate throughout in G. v i r l a i). The propodeum of the dark brown-colored  G. tuberculifemuris not rugose as in  G. virlaibut smooth between the submedial carinae and elsewhere with a faint cellulate sculpture. The male of  G. grandis, for which females are not known, differs from the male of  G. virlaiby its much larger body size (body length of the slide-mounted specimens 1.8–2.4 mm) and also by a hyaline forewing. The male of G. h e l a v a i, which is known from the male sex only, has branched antennae and a very long petiole (much longer than wide).   Gonatocerus virlaidoes not match the descriptions and typesof any of the numerous species of  Gonatocerusfrom Argentinaand elsewhere in South Americadescribed by A.A. Ogloblin and others [the senior author examined all of them (except for one lost typeof an unrelated species from Ecuador, which belongs to the membraciphagusspecies group) for the forthcoming revision of the described Neotropical species of  Gonatocerus(Triapitsyn 2006b)].   Comments Interestingly, A.A. Ogloblin also recognized this as a new species because the female specimen (now a paratypeof G. v i r l a i) from Loreto, Misiones, is labeled using his manuscript name “  Gonatocerus loretoensis”.   Etymology This species is named after our colleague and friend (and co-author of this communication) Eduardo G. Virla, who first reared it from the eggs of  T. rubromarginataand also studied its biology.  Natural hosts   Cicadellidae (Proconiini):  Tapajosa rubromarginata(Signoret)as well as  Dechacona missionum(Berg)and  Molomea consolidaSchröder(the latter two from the sentinel eggs only). Also Cicadellini:  Ciminius platensis(Berg)and  Plesiommata mollicella(Fowler)(from sentinel eggs only).  Laboratory and apparently unnatural hosts  Cicadellidae (Proconiini):  Homalodisca vitripennis(Germar)as well as  Oncometopia tucumana(Schröder),  Tapajosa similis(Melichar), and  Tretogonia notatifronsMelichar.   Comments Our laboratory (no-choice) and field host range studies revealed that G. v i r l a ireadily parasitized eggs of Proconiini, although occasionally it also attacked sentinel eggs of two leafhopper species from the Cicadellini(E.G. Virla unpublished data). Biological traits of this species will be reported elsewhere (E.G. Virla and G.A. Logarzo in preparation).