Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron), 2020

Saguiah, Pâmella Machado, Molin, Ana Dal & Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira, 2020, The South American species of Chalcis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), Zootaxa 4885 (3), pp. 353-383 : 365-368

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4885.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4DA945AD-653E-4E8A-A33D-D52E2F9E44D3
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4330389
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87F3-FFCE-BB63-FF6F-FD37FA93FEF1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron)
status	stat. nov.

Treatment

Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron) View in CoL , stat rev.

Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 a–f, 9a–d, 10a–d

Smicra ornatifrons Cameron, 1909: 425 View in CoL . Type Data: Mendoza. Lectotype ♀ (NHMUK type no. 5-168, images examined), lec-totype designation by Delvare (1992: 189).

Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron) View in CoL : De Santis (1967: 214).

Chalcis pilicauda (Cameron) View in CoL : Delvare (1992: 189) (incorrect synonymy).

Diagnosis. Both sexes. Antennal scape with inner face sinuous ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ); metatibia with spine shorter than the apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ). Female. Tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare, pubescence very distinct from basal tarsomeres ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ); protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ); protarsal claws only slightly curved, ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae ( Fig. 9a View FIGURE 9 ). Male. Ventral plaque on distal quarter of antennal scape and with indistinct elongate sensillum ( Fig. 10b View FIGURE 10 ); hypopygium with U-shaped distal notch, the medial portion of the notch straight ( Fig. 10d View FIGURE 10 ).

Description. FEMALE. Length 5.7–6.9 mm. Color: Body predominantly black, with yellow spots and some light brown areas as follows ( Figs 8 View FIGURE 8 a–c, 9b). The following parts yellow (size of the yellow areas may vary): spot on parascrobal area ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ) (additional spot may be present on the inferior portion of the parascrobal area), interantennal projection ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ), posterior margin of pronotal collar ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ), median lobe of mesoscutum with a Vshaped spot on posterior margin, mesoscutellum posteriorly ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ), tegula, outer face of metafemur dorsally and anteroventrally ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ), metatibia subbasally ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ), petiole dorsally and posterolaterally, Gt1 with a medially interrupted band, Gt2–Gt6 each with a complete band. The following parts light brown: ocelli, inner face of scape, ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ) pedicel, flagellum ventrally ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ), labrum, mandibles, maxillary and labial palps, fore and middle legs, metafemur ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ); metatibia, tarsi, hypopygium. Wings infuscate ( Figs 8a, b View FIGURE 8 ).

Head. Lower face not bulging above clypeus, with elongate umbilicate fovea enclosed by diagonal irregular carinae; parascrobal area densely foveate, interstices raised as irregular diagonal rugae, median intumescence present; malar space 0.6–0.7× eye height ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ); malar sulcus obliterate, internal carina absent, external carinae fine and irregular, at most present near eye; gena rugose, genal carina absent; mandibular formula 2:3; antennal scrobe from coriaceous ventrally to strigulate dorsally and with transverse carina below median ocellus ( Fig. 8c View FIGURE 8 ); interantennal projection with median carina dorsally, carina extending to median ocellus midway. MOD:POL:APL:OOL = 0.14:0.38:0.14:0.32. Scape 4.5 – 5.2× as long as wide, inner face sinuous ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ); anellus about 0.5× as long as wide; Fu1 longer than all other funicular segments, about 1.3× as long as wide and 1.2× as long as Fu2 length ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ).

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum with interstices coriaceous and dull, narrower than diameter of umbilicate foveae; mesoscutellum convex, frenal carina forming two sublateral lobes; mesopleuron with mesepisternum densely punctate, interstices from smooth and shiny to finely coriaceous ( Fig. 8e View FIGURE 8 ); propodeum with irregular median carina, submedian carina absent, anterior and posterior costulae irregular, adpetiolar area with a narrow and irregular areola medially, anterosubmedial area areolate-rugose ( Fig. 9c View FIGURE 9 ); tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ), mostly smooth and shiny, with inconspicuous short and sparse pubescence, distinct from basal tarsomeres; protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally without pairs of distinct peg-like spines ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ), but with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width; protarsal claws only slightly curved, ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae ( Fig. 9a View FIGURE 9 ); mesocoxa densely pubescent posteriorly; mesotibial spur 0.4× as long as the width of the mesotibial apex; metacoxa punctate-rugose dorsally, inner face pubescent; metafemur with outer face very densely punctate and interstices weakly coriaceous, ventrally without inner basal tooth but with 10–12 teeth along outer margin, outer basal tooth the largest and distant from second tooth, the other teeth increasing in size up to fifth tooth ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ); metatibia with spine triangular and shorter than the apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ); metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than any of tarsomeres 2–5. Fore wing SMV:MV:PMV = 1.86:0.74:0.83.

Metasoma. Petiole about 1.8–2.5× as long as wide, dorsal face flat and with dorsolateral carina along basal third (sometimes irregularly carinate), ventrally with median carina along basal half; hypopygial median projection apically with dense set of short and appressed bristles, ventrally with some bristles, the latter bristles about as long as the width of hypopygial projection in lateral view ( Fig. 9d View FIGURE 9 ); ovipositor sheath rounded apically, without some long setae ( Fig. 9d View FIGURE 9 ).

MALE. Length: 6.8 mm. Similar to females ( Fig. 10a View FIGURE 10 ), except: antennal scape with ventral plaque on distal quarter and with indistinct elongate sensillum ( Fig. 10b View FIGURE 10 ); all tarsomeres distinctly pubescent; tarsal claws bifid and pectinate ( Fig. 10c View FIGURE 10 ); hypopygium with concave surface and U-shaped distal notch, the medial portion of the notch straight ( Fig. 10d View FIGURE 10 ).

Material examined. Type material. Smicra ornatifrons , ♀ ( NHMUK), ‘ Type’ ‘ P. Cameron Col. 1914-110’ ‘ Smicra ornatifrons Cam. Type Mendoza [ Argentina]’ ‘B.M. Type Hym. 5.168a’ Lectotype /Delvare, 1989’ ‘[QR Code] NHMUK 013456438 View Materials ’.

Other specimens examined (11♀ and 1♂). Argentina. Córdoba. Sierra Córdoba, 8.I.1930, S.J. Williner col. (1♀, MACN) . La Rioja. Patquía , XII.1932 - I.1933, J.J. Hayward col. (7♀, 1♂, NHMUK) . Mendoza. Mendoza, 6.XI.1906, J. Haarup col. (1♀, NHMUK) ; [no other data] (2♀, MACN) .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. ARGENTINA (Cordoba, La Rioja, and Mendoza).

Remarks. Cameron (1909) described Octosmicra pilicauda , Smicra ornatifrons and S. spinicoxu s based on differences in the distribution of yellow spots on the body and number of metafemoral teeth. Delvare (1992) considered that these differences represented intraspecific variation and placed S. ornatifrons and S. spinicoxus as junior synonyms of C. pilicauda . However, we found features that indicate C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda are separate species, and therefore re-establish C. ornatifrons as a valid species. Cameron (1909) also described S. spinicoxus based on a single male specimen, which matches the color patterns and metafemoral teeth pattern described for C. pilicauda , described above.

Chalcis ornatifrons differs from C. pilicauda by the smaller body; median lobe of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with yellow spots adjacent or fused medially ( Fig. 8b View FIGURE 8 ) (widely apart medially in C. pilicauda , Fig. 14b View FIGURE 14 ); antennal flagellum ventrally brown ( Fig. 8d View FIGURE 8 ) (black in C. pilicauda , Fig. 14d View FIGURE 14 ); Gt7+8 black (yellow in C. pilicauda ); mesepisternum densely punctate ( Fig. 8e View FIGURE 8 ) (puncticulate-coriaceous in C. pilicauda , Fig. 14e View FIGURE 14 ); metafemur ventrally with 10–12 teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ) (7–9 teeth in C. pilicauda , Fig. 15b View FIGURE 15 ); metatibia with apical spine shorter than the apical width of metatibia ( Fig. 9b View FIGURE 9 ) (longer in C. pilicauda , Fig. 15c View FIGURE 15 ); female tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare, mostly smooth and shiny ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ) (pubescent laterally and with the pair of distal setae in C. pilicauda , Fig. 14f View FIGURE 14 ); female protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width ( Fig. 8f View FIGURE 8 ) (about as long as the tarsomere width in C. pilicauda , Fig. 14f View FIGURE 14 ); female protarsal claws ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae ( Fig. 9a View FIGURE 9 ) (3 or 4 basal denticles followed by 3 peg-like setae in C. pilicauda , Fig. 15a View FIGURE 15 ); petiole ventrally with median carina (with submedian carina in C. pilicauda ); male antenna with ventral plaque on distal 1/4 of scape ( Fig. 10b View FIGURE 10 ) (on distal third in C. pilicauda , Fig. 16b View FIGURE 16 ); and male hypopygium with the U-shaped distal notch transverse ( Fig. 10d View FIGURE 10 ) (concave in C. pilicauda , Fig. 16c View FIGURE 16 ).

Among the New Word species, C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda are similar to C. divisa (Walker, 1962) and C. lasia Burks, 1940 , from Mexico and California, respectively, as they present similar yellow spot patterns (face, pronotum, mesoscutellum and metafemur), protarsal claws ventrally with few basal denticles followed by 3 setae, and similar ventral teeth along outer margin of metafemur. Chalcis lasia differs from C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda by the pronotal dorsum with yellow spot interrupted medially; mesoscutum and gaster entirely dark, without spots or bands (in males, Gt1 has one subapical yellow spot medially); profemur robust, not clavate; mesoscutellum flat and frenal lamina without sublateral lobes; metafemur with outer basal tooth not as developed; metatibial apical spine short and apically recurved toward tarsomeres; petiole dorsally with dorsolateral carina; and males with hypopygial margin shallowly concave distally, without U-shaped notch. Chalcis divisa differs from C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda by the gaster entirely red-brown, without transverse bands dorsally; mesoscutellum with median depression or central hollow, frenal carina without sublateral lobes; and ovipositor sheath obliquely truncate apically.