Conostigmus johnsoni Trietsch & Mikó, 2020

Trietsch, Carolyn, Mikó, István, Ezray, Briana & Deans, Andrew R., 2020, A Taxonomic Revision of Nearctic Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae), Zootaxa 4792 (1), pp. 1-155 : 108-112

Conostigmus johnsoni Trietsch & Mikó sp. nov.

Figs. 60 , 61

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from all other Nearctic Conostigmus species by the following combination of characters: occipital carina complete, postocellar carina present, wings present and macropterous, width of the crenulae of the notauli increasing more than 2× anteriorly, sternaulus absent, and proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape acute.

The female for this species is unknown.

One similar species is C. obscurus , which also has the width of the crenulae of the notauli increasing more than 2× anteriorly, in combination with the presence of the postocellar carina, preoccipital furrow and facial pit. Conostigmus obscurus differs in that it has a short sternaulus, whereas C. johnsoni does not have a sternaulus. There are also differences in the male genitalia; C. obscurus has the proximodorsal notch of the cupula present, U-shaped, and longer than wide, and while C. johnsoni has a U-shaped proximodorsal notch present, it is never longer than wide.

This species also has unique coloration; most specimens have different coloration above and below the site of the sternaulus (the sternaulus is absent), with the area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus. This coloration also occurs in C. michaeli and C. washburni , which both differ from this species in that the occipital carina is not complete (complete in C. johnsoni ), and that the widest point of the harpe is at the articulation site with the gonostyle-volsella complex (widest point of harpe between the proximal 1/3rd and 2/3rds in C. johnsoni ).

Variability. The gonocondyle is blunt in some specimens (PSUC_FEM 68976, PSUC_FEM 16076) and acute in others (PSUC_FEM 110/UCFC384702, PSUC_FEM 8705). The dorsal gonostipes are comprised of two separate pieces that overlap in some specimens and do not in others; there is variation in the character “Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex length relative to length of gonostyle–volsella complex” based on this. Though most specimens have different coloration above and below the site of the sternaulus, with the area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus, there is one specimen from Florida that lacks this unique coloration (PSUC_FEM 110/UCFC384702).

There is also one specimen (CMNHENT0022819) with a teratology in the male genitalia; when viewed laterally, one harpa is wider than the other. This specimen matches the rest in all other characters.

Description. Color hue pattern in male: cranium dark brown to black; propleuron yellow; coxae white to yellow; scape ochre to yellow; pedicel and flagellomeres brown; mesosoma brown dorsally and yellow to ochre ventrally. Color intensity pattern in male: cranium darker than mesosoma; area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus. Color intensity dorsal and ventral to the site of the sternaulus: area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus. Color intensity pattern of syntergite: petiole neck and anterior region of syntergite concolorus with the posterior region of the syntergite; petiole neck and anterior region of syntergite lighter in coloration than the posterior region of the syntergite. Foveolate sculpture on body count: absent. Rugose sculpturing count: absent. Rugose region on upper face count: absent.

Antennae: Male scape length vs. pedicel length: 2.7–4.2. Male scape length vs. F1 length: 1.1–1.5. Male F1 length vs. pedicel length: 2.4–3.3. Male F1 length vs. male F2 length: 1.3–1.5. Longest male flagellomere: F1. Longest female flagellomere: F9. Length of setae on male flagellomere vs. male flagellomere width: setae shorter than width of flagellomeres. Sensillar patch of the male flagellomere pattern: F6–F9.

Head: Head width, dorsal view: equal to or only slightly wider than mesosoma (less than 1.3× wider than mesosoma). Head height (HH, lateral view) vs. eye height (EHf, anterior view): HH:EHf=1.2–2.0. Head height (HH) vs. head length (HL): HH:HL=1.1–1.3. Head width (HW) vs. interorbital space (IOS): HW:IOS=1.4–1.7. Head width (HW) vs. head height (HH): HW:HH=1.1–1.5. Cephalic size (csb): Mean: 335–445 μm. Maximum eye diameter vs. minimum eye diameter: 1.1–1.4. POL:OOL: POL equal to or shorter than OOL and ocellar triangle with short base. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. lateral ocellar line (LOL): OOL:LOL=1.7–2.5. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. posterior ocellar line (POL): OOL:POL=1.4–1.8. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL): posterior ocellar line (POL): lateral ocellar line (LOL): 1.7–2.5:1.2–1.8:1.0. Head shape (anterior view): circular or triangular. Preoccipital lunula count: present. Preoccipital carina count: absent. Occipital carina structure: occipital carina complete. Occipital carina sculpture: crenulate. Preoccipital furrow count: present. Preoccipital furrow anterior end: preoccipital furrow ends inside ocellar triangle, but ends posterior to the anterior ocellus; Preoccipital furrow ends at site of postocellar carina. Preoccipital furrow sculpture: crenulate. Postocellar carina count: present. Dorsal margin of occipital carina vs. dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view: occipital carina ventral to lateral ocellus in lateral view. Transverse scutes on upper face count: absent. Transverse frontal carina count: absent. Randomly sized areolae around setal pits on upper face count: absent. Setal pit on vertex size: smaller than diameter of scutes. Ventromedian setiferous patch and ventrolateral setiferous patch count: absent. White, thick setae on upper face count: absent. Antennal scrobe count: absent. Facial structure count: facial pit present. Facial pit count: present. Facial sulcus count: absent. Median facial keel count: absent. Supraclypeal depression count: present. Supraclypeal depression structure: absent medially, represented by two grooves laterally of facial pit. Intertorular area count: present. Intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina shape: blunt. Median process of intertorular carina structure: process does not extend across intertorular area to dorsal margin of clypeus. Median region of intertorular area shape: flat; convex. Ventral margin of antennal rim vs. dorsal margin of clypeus: not adjacent. Torulo–clypeal carina count: present. Subtorular carina count: absent. Mandibular tooth count: 2. Mandibular lancea count: absent.

Mesosoma: Weber length: WL=450–700 μm. Anterior mesoscutal width (AscW) vs. posterior mesoscutal width (PscW): AscW/PscW=0.6–0.8. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. anterior mesoscutal width (AscW): MscL/ AscW=1.3–1.7. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. mesoscutellar length (MscIL): MscL:MscIL= 0.8–1.1. Wing count: present. Fore wing size: wings present and macropterous with apex extending past petiole. Pronotum median length: less than longest median anatomical line of the mesoscutum. Notaulus count: present. Crenulae of notaulus width: width of the crenulae increases more than 2× anteriorly. Notaulus posterior end location: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Posterior region of notaulus orientation: posterior end of notaulus curves and is adjacent to median mesoscutal sulcus. Median mesoscutal sulcus count: present. Median mesoscutal sulcus posterior end: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Scutoscutellar sulcus vs. transscutal articulation location: adjacent. Axillular carinae count: absent. Speculum ventral limit: not extending ventrally of pleural pit line. Metapleural sulcus shape: straight. Mesometapleural sulcus count: present. Ventrolateral invagination of the pronotum count: present. Sternaulus count: absent. Sternaulus length: sternaulus absent. Epicnemial carina count: complete. Epicnemium posterior margin shape: anterior discrimenal pit present; epicnemial carina curved. Transverse striations on the ventral metapleural area count: absent. Scutes on posterior region of mesoscutum and dorsal region of mesoscutellum convexity: flat. Ventral projection of the metapleural carina count: present. Ventral projection of the metapleural carina length: less than 2× as long as wide. Lateral propodeal carina count: present. Lateral propodeal carina shape: inverted “Y” (left and right lateral propodeal are adjacent medially posterior to antecostal sulcus of the first abdominal tergum, and connected to the antecostal sulcus by a median carina representing the median branch of the inverted “Y”). Mesopostscutellum count: absent (scutellum flat).Anteromedian projection of the metanoto–propodeo–metapecto–mesopectal complex count: absent. Posterior margin of nucha in dorsal view shape: straight; concave.

Metasoma: Transverse carina on petiole shape: concave. Paired blue iridescent ovoid patches on the syntergite count: absent. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. syntergal translucent patch maximum width: 1.8–2.4. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: 2.0–2.4. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.0–1.8. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.6– 2.0. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal setiferous patch shape: linear, with a patch of setae lateral or posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch structure: comprised of a single or double row of setae anterior to the synsternal translucent patch, with a patch of setae lateral or posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch anterior end: synsternal setiferous patch begins anterior to the synsternal translucent patch anterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch posterior end: synsternal setiferous patch ends posterior to the synsternal translucent patch posterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch length vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: synsternal setiferous patch at least as long as the maximum width of the synsternal translucent patch but not 2× as long. S1 length vs. shortest width: S1 wider than long.

Male Genitalia: Distal margin of male S9 shape: convex. Proximolateral corner of male S9 shape: blunt. Male S9 distal setal line/setal patch count: distal setae composing setiferous patch or patches. Male S9 distal setal line / setal patch structure: single or double transverse row of setae, interrupted medially to form two separate patches. Distomedian hairless area interrupting transverse row of setae or patch on male S9 count: present with distal setiferous patch/line separated medially. Submedial projections on proximal margin of S9 count: absent. Cupula length vs. gonostyle–volsella complex length: cupula less than 1/2 the length of gonostyle–volsella complex in lateral view. Proximodorsal notch of cupula count: present. Proximodorsal notch of cupula shape: arched (inverted U-shape). Proximodorsal notch of cupula width vs length: wider than long. Proximolateral projection of the cupula shape: blunt. Gonocondyle count: present. Gonocondyle shape: blunt; acute. Distodorsal margin of cupula shape: concave. Distoventral submedian corner of the cupula count: absent. Dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: absent. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: present. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex length relative to length of gonostyle–volsella complex: dorsomedian conjunctiva extending more than or equal to 2/3 of length of gonostyle–volsella complex in dorsal view; dorsomedian conjunctiva extending equal to or less than 1/2 of length of gonostyle–volsella complex in dorsal view. Dorsomedial margin of gonostyle–volsella complex shape: V-shaped. Proximal end of dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape: acute or V-shaped. Parossiculus count or parossiculus and gonostipes fusion: present and parossiculi not fused with the gonostipes. Medioventral conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count or fusion of parossiculi: medioventral conjunctiva present and parossiculi independent or fused proximally. Apical parossicular setae count: one. Distal projection of the parossiculus count: absent. Distal projection of the penisvalva count: absent. Gonossiculus spine count: 3. Gonossiculus spine length: one spine not more than 2× as long as the other(s) (spines of similar lengths). Harpe length: harpe equal to or shorter than gonostipes in lateral view. Harpe shape: simple and not bilobed. Harpe orientation: medial. Lateral margin of harpe shape: widest point of harpe is between proximal 1/3rd and 2/3rds. Distal margin of harpe in lateral view: blunt. Lateral setae of harpe count: present. Lateral setae of harpe orientation: oriented distally. Lateral setae on harpe density: setae sparse. Dense patch of setae on the distoventral edge of the harpe count: absent. Distal setae on harpe length: setae of equal length across distal end of harpe. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe length vs. harpe width in lateral view: setae longer than harpe width. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe orientation: distomedially. Sensillar ring area of harpe orientation: medially. Distoventral margin of harpe in lateral view: convex.

Distribution. Nearctic.

Etymology. This species is named johnsoni in honor of Norman F. Johnson for his valuable contributions to the taxonomy and systematics of Ceraphronoidea .

Material Examined. Holotype male: USA: Minnesota: PSUC _FEM 68976 ( UMSP) . Paratypes (4 males): CANADA: 1 male. PSUC _FEM 16076 ( PSUC) . USA: Florida: 1 male. PSUC _ FEM 110 ( UCFC) . USA: Ohio: 2 males. CMNHENT0022819 ( CLEV); PSUC _ FEM 8705 ( OSUC) .

Figures

FIGURE 60. Conostigmus johnsoni Trietsch and Mikό sp. nov., paratype males. A. Lateral view (PSUC_FEM 22819). B. Dorsal view (PSUC_FEM 16076). Abbreviations: median process on intertorular carina (mip; projection blunt in this case); postocellar carina (pcc).

FIGURE 61. Conostigmus johnsoni Trietsch and Mikό sp. nov., male genitalia. A. Ventral view of holotype (PSUC_FEM 68976). B. Lateral view of paratype (PSUC_FEM 110). C. Dorsal view of holotype (PSUC_FEM 68976).