Colpoclypeus Lucchese

Sánchez-García, José Antonio, Pineda, Samuel, Martínez, Ana Mabel, Rebollar-Alviter, Angel, Juárez-Gutiérrez, Ana Celestina, Cruz, Ignacio López, Salle, John La & Figueroa, José Isaac, 2011, A new species of Colpoclypeus Lucchese (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 2830, pp. 64-68 : 65

Colpoclypeus Lucchese

Colpoclypeus Lucchese 1941: 33 . Type species: Colpoclypeus silvestri Lucchese , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Female antenna with two funicular segments ( Fig. 1a, c ); male antenna with 3 funicular segments; frons with transverse sulcus just ventral to anterior ocellus ( Fig. 1b ); notauli curving to meet apical corner of axilla and not extending to scuto-scutellar suture ( Fig. 1d ); scutellum without longitudinal grooves ( Fig. 1d ); clypeus broadly bilobed with a distinct median incision ( Fig. 1a ); propleura meeting medially for about half medial length, separated posteriorly so as to expose posterior part of prosternum.

Discussion. Colpoclypeus can be easily identified using the keys to eulophine genera of Europe ( Askew 1968) and North America ( Schauff et al. 1997). It is more difficult to assign it to tribe, as is indicated by its recent placement in either the Eulophini by Gauthier et al. (2000) or the Cirrospilini by Ubaidillah et al. (2003).

Gauthier et al. (2000) separated the Eulophinae into three tribes (Eulophini, Cirrospilini, Elasmini) based on morphological and molecular data. One morphological synapomorphy was provided to support the Eulophini — the propleura meeting posteriorly along their entire medial margin and covering the prosternum ( Gauthier et al. 2000, fig. 7A). It was noted at the time that two genera, Colpoclypeus and Dicladocerus Westwood , were assigned to the Eulophini that have the propleura slightly separated posteriorly, displaying an intermediate condition between the two states. Females of Eulophini all have either three or four funicle segments, with the exception of Colpoclypeus , which has two. The Cirrospilini were characterized by the face usually having a transverse sulcus about midway between the torulus and anterior ocellus ( Gauthier et al. 2000, fig. 8A −D), the propleura separated posteriorly so as to expose the prosternum ( Gauthier et al. 2000, fig. 7B), the postmarginal vein often equal in length or shorter than the stigma vein, and the female antenna generally with two or three funicle segments. Colpoclypeus has a transverse sulcus on the frons, but it is much closer to the anterior ocellus. It remains to be determined whether this sulcus is homologous with the transverse sulcus about midway between the torulus and anterior ocellus that characterizes Cirrospilini. With the exception of the aberrant position of this transverse sulcus, Colpoclypeus might best be classified in the Cirrospilini. However, Gauthier et al. (2000: 533) considered that it was more likely “just an aberrant member of the Eulophini”. The Eulophini and Cirrospilini were separated with a high level of support in the molecular trees, but unfortunately, Colpoclypeus was not included in the molecular data set.

Ubaidillah et al. (2003) provided a cladistic analysis of the Cirrospilini based on morphological characters. A strict consensus tree based on their analysis showed both Colpoclypeus and Dicladocerus were placed in the Cirrospilini where they form a clade with Pseudiglyphus Girault. It should be noted that Dicladocerus was included in the molecular data set analyzed in Gauthier et al. (2000), where it was placed in the Eulophini.

The description of a second species of Colpoclypeus from Mexico confirms the validity and important diagnostic characters of this genus, as well as highlights the difficulties with its tribal placement. The addition of molecular data should help to resolve this issue.

Figures

FIGURE 1. a – f, Colpoclypeus michoacanensis female: a, frontal view of head (insert: antenna); b, dorsal view of head (arrow indicates transverse sulcus); c, habitus in lateral view; d, dorsal view of mesosoma; e, lateral view of mesosoma (arrow indicates almost straight mesopleural suture); f, dorsal view of propodeum. g − h, C. michoacanensis male: g, lateral view of fore femur; h, genitalia (arrow indicates digitus with 4 or 5 apical teeth). i – j, Colpoclypeus florus: i, male genitalia (arrow indicates digitus with 2 apical teeth); j, lateral view of female mesosoma (arrow indicates curved mesopleural suture).