Lomachaeta osita Williams, 2019

Williams, Kevin A., Cambra, Roberto A., Bartholomay, Pedro R., Luz, David R., Quintero, Diomedes & Pitts, James P., 2019, Review of the genus Lomachaeta Mickel, 1936 (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) with new species and sex associations, Zootaxa 4564 (1), pp. 101-136 : 123-124

Lomachaeta osita Williams , sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 8 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: the head and mesosoma are orange-brown and the legs and metasoma are lighter yellow-brown with T2 having a brown transverse subapical cuticular band; the mandible has a barely perceptible ventral lamella that does not interrupt the ventral mandibular contour; the erect dorsal brachyplumose setae of the whole body are interspersed dark brown and yellow-brown; the mesosomal dorsum is elongate, coarsely areolate, and lacks appressed subparallel pale setae; the T2 disc is sparsely punctate with the intervals obscurely microreticulate; the T2 fringe is composed of simple silvery setae; and the S6 lateral carina is shallow, but distinct.

Description. FEMALE. Body length 3.1 mm. Coloration. Head and mesosoma orange-brown, legs and metasoma lighter yellow-brown; except F2–10 brown, femoral and tibial apices obscurely brown; T2 with transverse subapical brown band; and T6 dark brown apically. Tibial spurs white. Erect dorsal brachyplumose setae interspersed pale yellow and darker brown; except T6 with setae predominantly brown. Mesonotum with few scattered subappressed simple white setae; fringes of T2–5 composed of subappressed pale golden or silvery setae, those of T2 silvery, not thicker than erect T2 disc setae. Ventral and pleural setae whitish, except S6 setae largely brown. Head. Head width 1.2 × pronotal width. Frons areolate; vertex areolate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly; gena areolate dorsally, smooth ventrally. Clypeus without distinct teeth or ridges. Genal carina continuous to mandible base, subinterrupted medially by areolation margins. Mandible oblique, tapering, bidentate apically, with barely perceptible ventral lamella that does not interrupt ventral mandibular contour. Antennal scrobe without dorsal carina. Lengths of F1 and F2 each subequal to pedicel length. Mesosoma. Mesosoma elongate; thoracic dorsum length 0.92 × width. Humeral carina distinct, angulate dorsally, continuous to epaulet. Mesosomal dorsum areolate; intervals forming uniform carinae, appearing darker than surrounding cuticle; dorsally with 10 areolations between pronotal spiracles. Pronotal and propodeal spiracles scarcely swollen; lateral mesonotal tubercle weakly defined. Lateral propodeal face impunctate. Metasoma. T1 shape sub-disciform, mostly smooth. T2 as wide as long. Disc of T2 with separated punctures, intervals microreticulate. T3–5 and S2–5 with separated weak punctures, intervals microreticulate. T6 convex. Incomplete lateral S6 carina shallow but distinct.

MALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, USA, Arizona, Santa Cruz County, 2 mi. S Sonoita, malaise, 31 o 38’N 111 o 39’W, 5100’ [~ 1650 m], 22–30.VIII.2010, E. E. Grissell ( EMUS, Figs 4 , 8 ).

Distribution. Madrean Archipelago in Arizona.

Etymology. From the Spanish osita “little bear”, based on colloquial reference to these small brown wasps as teddy bears by some authors.

Remarks. Based on mesosomal shape and overall habitus, this species is similar to the newly associated female of L. vacamuerta , although it lacks the appressed subparallel setae on T2. This similarity, coupled with distribution in southeastern Arizona suggests that this could be the female of L. litosisyra .

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Lomachaeta females; dorsal habitus. 1) L. argenta; 2) L. vacamuerta, LaSalle County, Texas; 3) L. vacamuerta, Kennedy County, Texas; 4) L. osita, sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 5–8. Lomachaeta females; lateral habitus. 5) L. argenta; 6) L. vacamuerta, Kennedy County, Texas; 7) L. vacamuerta, LaSalle County, Texas; 8) L. osita, sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.