Aximopsis vogti Gates

Gates, M. W., Metz, M. A. & Schauff, M. E., 2006, The circumscription of the generic concept of Aximopsis Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae) with the description of seven new species, Zootaxa 1273, pp. 9-54 : 47-48

Aximopsis vogti Gates , n. sp.

( Figs. 9 , 11–13 , 18, 20, 22, 30, 35, 38, 39, 44, 46, 48, 49, 51–54)

Etymology

This epithet is a patronymic noun, genitive, masculine singular, recognizing George B. Vogt for his extensive collecting resulting in the availability of this material for study.

Diagnosis and identification

Aximopsis vogti has the sculpturing on Gt1 narrowly triangular and the petiole roughly as broad as long. Aximopsis pythmenis also has triangular sculpturing on Gt1, but the petiole is 1.7X longer than broad. Aximopsis hespenheidei has somewhat triangular sculpturing on Gt1 and the petiole roughly as long as broad, but the excavated furrow of the propodeum composed of fine punctulae rather than large punctae and the anterior and posterior sections of furrow separated by one transverse carina is unique within the genus.

Female. Length 2.5–3.3 mm. Prepectus with shallow finely alveolate concavities in middle and ventrally. Gaster effaced reticulation occurring dorsally on some segments; Gt1 coarsely alveolate anteriorly above the petiolar insertion. Antenna dark brown, extreme base of scape light brown. Legs brown, except extreme apices of femora, bases and apices of tibiae, and tarsomeres pale yellow, pretarsus brown.

Head (Figs. 18, 20, 22, 51). 1.4X wider than high; 1.1X wider than width of pronotum; HTE:msp 2.5. Preorbital carina produced into a horn at vertex. POL 2.0X longer than OOL. Width of oral fossa 0.32X width of head. Gena below lower eye margin with middle elevated and alveolate. Scape 5X longer than broad. Antennal segment ratios 8:4:1:9:7:7:7:7:15. Clava 3X longer than broad.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 9 , 11–13 , 30, 35 , 38, 39 , 52 ). Dorsal pronotum 3X wider than long, with paired pronotal processes. Mesoscutum 2X broader than long. Scutellum 1.3X longer than wide at its widest. Dorsellum disc composed of a central ovoid structure with lateral arms broadening laterally into paddle­shapes ( Fig. 43 ). Propodeum central depression not obvious, entire dorsal surface with large fovea, lateral ridges obscured. Postmarginal vein subequal in length to stigma, ratio of mv:pmv 0.86.

Metasoma ( Figs. 44, 46, 48, 49 ). Petiole 1.3X longer than wide; dorsal surface median carina discontinuous, lateral carinae higher and thickened in mediolateral plane in middle; ventral surface with medial and lateral carinae.

Male ( Figs. 53–54 ). Length 2.5–3.5 mm. Similar to female in coloration and structure except as follows: scape 3.8–4.3X longer than broad with indistinct ventral plaque in basal half; petiole 4.3–5.5X as long as broad, reticulate­rugose, broadest and highest in anterior half, thinning apically, with anterodorsal carinae fading by midlength, lacking mediodorsal carinae, mpp reticulate with ventrolateral carinae diverging from mpp, extending length of petiole ( Fig. 54 ).

Va r i a t i o n

There is some variation in the size of the specimens. Slightly smaller specimens may have less distinct sculpturing overall (e.g., extent of sculpturing on Gt 1 in female).

Type material (17 Ψ, 7 ɗ)

Holotype Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480015) ( USNM), Panama: Panama: Cerro Campana, vii.29 ­viii.2.1970, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. #70­131, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. Curitella. Paratypes 1f ( USNM ENTO 00480016) ( USNM), same data as holotype, Vogt coll. # 70­128; 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480017) ( USNM), same data as holotype, Vogt coll. # 70­129; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480009) ( USNM), Panama: Panama: Fort William Davis, 1983, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. # 83­259, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. Ochroma (balsa); 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480027) ( USNM), same data, Vogt coll. # 83­260; 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480037), Panama: Colon: Fort San Lorenzo, viii.13.1977, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. # 77­396, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ); 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480013) ( USNM), Costa Rica: Puntarenas: Sirena, viii.1978, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. # 78­209, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. Serjania ; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480029) ( USNM), Costa Rica: Limon: 4.6 mi N Escuintla, ix­x.1978, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. # 78­588, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. nettle; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480036), 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480007) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­80; 2Ψ ( USNM ENTO 0 0 480043, 00480044), 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480002) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­ 82; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480042) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­83; 1Ψ( USNM ENTO 00480020) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­84; 2Ψ ( USNM ENTO 0 0 480019, 00480034) no data, Vogt coll. # 81­85; 3Ψ ( USNM ENTO 0 0 480004, 0 0 480006, 00480040) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­86; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480011) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 60­748; 1Ψ ( USNM ENTO 00480023) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 60­745; 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480036) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 81­89; 1ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480032) ( USNM), no data, Vogt coll. # 80­124.

Additional material of Aximopsis that cannot be determined to species includes the following: One ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480031) ( USNM), Brazil: Santa Catarina: Bananal Selva, vi.1961, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. #61­1336, reared from Taphrocerus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. palm. One ɗ ( USNM ENTO 00480005) ( USNM), Bolivia: Santa Cruz: La Guardia, v.5 ­13.1962, G.B. Vogt, Vogt coll. #62­364, reared from Pachyschelus ( Coleoptera : Buprestidae ) ex. Sapindus (soapberry). The male from Brazil (00480031) has a dorsoventrally flattened mesosoma and the pronotal processes are absent.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 9. 2. Axima zabriskiei, female gaster, lateral. 3. Aximopsis lanceolepis, female gaster, lateral. 4. Ax. zabriskiei female, forewing. 5. Aximopsis female, forewing. 6. Aplatoides diabolus, female head, lateral. 7 – 8. Ax. zabriskiei, female: 7. ventrolateral prepectus, 8. prepectus, lateral. 9. A. vogti, female, ventrolateral prepectus.

FIGURES 10 – 13, 16 – 19. 10. Ap. diabolus, female, anterodorsal mesosoma. 11 – 12. Aximopsis vogti, female: 11. propodeum, dorsal, 12. propodeum, posterior, 13. petiole, anteroventral (male). 16. Heimbra opaca, female, clypeus. 17. Macrorileya oecanthi, female, head, anterior. 18. A. vogti, female, head, anterior. 19. M. oecanthi, female, head, posterior.

FIGURES 28 – 35. 28. M. oecanthi, female, mesosoma, dorsal. 29. Ax. zabriskiei female, pronotum, anterior. 30. A. vogti, female, head + mesosoma, dorsolateral. 31. A. morio, female, mesosoma, dorsoposterior. 32. M. oecanthi, female, mesosoma, lateral. 33. H. opaca, female, mesosoma, lateral. 34. M. oecanthi, female, prepectus, lateral. 35. A. vogti, female, prepectus, lateral.

FIGURES 36 – 43. 36. M. oecanthi, female, propodeum, dorsal. 37. M. cariniceps female, head + anterior mesosoma, lateral. 38. A. vogti, female, mesosoma, lateral. 39. A. vogti, female, propodeum, posterior. 40. M. oecanthi, female, forewing. 41. Ap. diabolus, female, forewing. 42. E urytoma robusta, male, petiole, lateral. 43. C. bennetti, female, petiole, dorsal.

FIGURES 52 – 59. 52. A. vogti, female, mesosoma, dorsal. 53. A. vogti, male, antennae. 54. A. vogti, male, metasoma, lateral. 55. A. hespenheidei, female, propodeum, dorsal. 56. A. hippolytis, female, pronotum, anterior. 56. A. vogti, female, metasoma, lateral. 57. A. lanceolepis, female, head, anterior. 58. A. pythmenis, female, head, dorsolateral. 59. A. anubis, prepectus, lateral.

FIGURES 44 – 51. 44. A. vogti, female, petiole, dorsal. 45. C. bennetti, female, petiole, lateral. 46. A. vogti, female, petiole, lateral. 47. C. bennetti, female, petiole, ventral. 48. A. vogti, female, petiole, ventral. 49. A. vogti, female, metasoma, lateral. 50. A. lanceolepis, female, metacoxa, lateral. 51. A. vogti, female, antenna.