Orasema delicatula (Walker)

Burks, Roger A., Mottern, Jason & Heraty, John M., 2015, Revision of the Orasema festiva species group (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eucharitidae), Zootaxa 3972 (4), pp. 521-534 : 526-529

Orasema delicatula (Walker)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7773C1D5-446C-4FB2-96A1-2CF0983EA3D0 ( Figs 11–17 )

Eucharis delicatula Walker, 1862: 377 .

Stilbula delicatula ; combination by Walker, 1871: 66.

Orasema delicatula ; combination by Bouček, 1988: 520; Heraty, 1994: 54 (discussion of distribution); Heraty 2002: 51 (taxonomy).

Diagnosis. Face flattened and smooth, with very short setae, and with a strongly impressed longitudinal groove between torulus and eye. Petiole strongly expanded laterally near midlength, dorsally smooth or nearly so, and with a single dorsal longitudinal carina ( Fig. 14 : dpc).

Similar to O. erwini , but differs by the median petiolar carina and the prominent lateral expansions of the petiole ( Fig. 14 ).

Female. Length, 4.5–4.7 mm. Head and mesosoma metallic bluish green to purple; pedicel and anellus pale brown, flagellum dark brown; coxae yellow, metatrochanters black medially; petiole metallic purplish black; gaster dark brown dorsally with purplish luster, ventrally pale brown, except anterior region of Ms2 black with metallic luster and some areas near ovipositor dark brown.

Head subtriangular ( Fig. 11 ), 1.5× as long as broad. Face flat with broad depression enclosing longitudinal groove between torulus and eye; scrobal depression with a broad flat median carina bordered laterally by broad foveate furrow. Eye bare. Labrum with 8–10 digits. Palpal formula 3-2. Pedicel as broad as F2; flagellum length 2× height of head; F2 2.5× as long as broad, F2 1.2× as long as F3.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum with variable sculpture ranging from rugulose-areolate, approaching reticulate ( Fig. 13 ) to transversely carinate, lateral lobe with finely sculptured medial depression; dorsally with minute setae. Axilla with oblique carinae or with very weak sculpture; mesoscutellar disc areolate-rugose with ovate depression just anterior to frenal line, as long as broad, broadly separated from transscutal articulation at base by deep fovea; frenum areolate-rugose. Propodeal disc areolate-rugose with irregular median carina; callus nearly smooth, with a few minute setae. Metafemur sparsely setose ventroapically. Fore wing 2.7–3.3× as long as broad; stigmal vein 1.5–2.0× as long as broad, slightly angled to anterior margin.

Metasoma with petiole 1.5–1.6× as long as metacoxa, 2.1–2.4× as long as broad, laterally expanded near midlength, smooth or nearly so, with strong dorsal longitudinal carina ( Fig. 14 ). Hypopygium with few minute setae apically. Ovipositor ( Figs 15, 16 ) curved cephalad, ventral (1st) valvula ( Fig. 16 : vv) with subapical lateral line of 6–8 narrowly spaced blunt teeth ( Figs 15, 16 : tvv); dorsal (2nd) valvula ( Fig. 16 : dv) with 8–11 annuli that are carina-like and meet along midline ( Figs 15, 16 : adv).

Male. Length, 3.5 mm. Similar to female except for following character states: face reddish; metasoma with petiole 1.9× as long as metacoxa, 3.27× as long as broad. Parameres long and narrow, digitus with 6 broadly spaced teeth.

Planidium first instar larva (USNM: UCRCENT00412681, Fig. 17 ). Length 0.17 mm. Antenna absent. Labial plates absent. Tergopleural line absent. Tergites I and II (TI, TII) separate. TI, TII, TIII with dorsal seta and with wrinkle-like longitudinal sculpture dorsally. TII, TVI with very short lateral seta. TI, TIII, TV, TVII with ventral seta. TIX with separated leaflike ventral plate having a uniformly curved posterior margin. Caudal pad present; caudal cerci present and relatively long, about as long as apical 4 tergites.

Found on metacoxa of adult female from Panama: El Valle. Planidia can be found on adults that may have visited oviposition sites frequented by other females. While common in some groups of Eucharitinae , this is the first case recorded for a member of the Oraseminae . The planidium very closely matches with Orasema planidia ( Heraty 1994, 2000), and we feel confident of the association.

Type material Examined. Lectotype. “Lecto-type, Type, Psilogaster delicatula Walker, B.M. Type HYM. 5.612, Orasema delicatula (Walk.) det. Z. Bouček, 1978” [♀, BMNH: UCRCENT00310030]. Note: The specimen locality was reported as “ Australia (?)” by Walker (1862) but this is certainly incorrect, and this specimen must have been collected from South America or Panama (Heraty 1992).

Additional material examined. Brazil: Mato Grosso: [no locality] 7.iii.1968, O.W. Richards, R.S. & R.G.S. Exped., gallery forest [1♀, BMNH: UCRCENT00239436]. Pará: Santarem, 30m, 2°26'22"S, 54°41'55"W, H.H. Smith [1♀, USNM: UCRCENT00161421]. Rondônia: Faz. Rancho Grande, 62 km S Ariquemes, 10°17'57"S, 62°52'12"W, 12–22.xi.1991, E. Fischer [1♀, UCRC: UCRCENT00408490]. Ecuador: Napo: Napo & Coca rivers, 0°23'46"S, 78°03'00"W, 2–10.v.1965, L. Peña [1♀, AEIC: UCRCENT00251354]; Limoncocha, on Rio Napo, 0°24'42"S, 76°37'31"W, 26.vii.1974, B.A. Drummond, malaise trap [2♀, FSCA: UCRCENT00322523, FSCA: UCRCENT00322524]; Limoncocha, 250m, 0°24'41"S, 76°37'31"W, 15–28.vi.1976, S. & J. Peck [1♂ 4♀, CNC: UCRCENT00320759— CNC: UCRCENT00320763]; 10 km NE Tena, Bio Hollin, 400m, 0°58'28"S, 77°43'38"W, 19.ii.1983, L. Masner [1♀, CNC: UCRCENT00415262]. Zamora-Chinchipe: Zamora, Rio Jumboé, 4°07'29"S, 78°56'23"W, 1.iv.1965, L. Peña [1♀, AEIC: UCRCENT00251355]. French Guiana: Montagne des chevaux, 4°43'22"N, 52°24'44"W, 4.x.2011, SEAG [2♀, UCRC: UCRCENT00412210, UCRC: UCRCENT00412211]. Guyana: Kartabo, Bartica Dist., 8m, 6°24'00"N, 58°37'00"W, 29.iii.1924 [1♀, AMNH: UCRCENT00238126]. Panama: El Valle, 8°34'48"N, 80°10'12"W, xi.1946, N.L.H. Krauss [3♀, USNM: UCRCENT00247752— USNM: UCRCENT00247754]. Peru: Huánuco: Monson Valley, Tingo Maria, 620m, 9°17'43"S, 75°59'51"W, 20.i.1927, A. Garcia & C. Porter [1♀, MCZ: UCRCENT00318635]; Monson Valley, Tingo Maria, 750m, 9°17'59"S, 75°59'05"W, 18.ix.1954, E.I. Schlinger & E.S. Ross [1♀, CASC: UCRCENT00417472]. Cusco: Quince Mil, 750m, 13°13'00"S, 70°44'00"W, 16.x.1962, Pena [1♀, MCZ: UCRCENT00318634]. Quince Mil, 750m, 13°13'03"S, 70°44'27"W, 15–30.x.1962, L. Peña [1♂, CNC: UCRCENT00320765]. Quince Mil, nr Marcapata, 750m, 13°13'03"S, 70°44'27"W, 20–30.x.1962, L. Peña [2♀, AEIC: UCRCENT00251356–57]. Venezuela: Táchira: Pregonero, Camp. Siberia, Hospital, 1280m, 8°00'56"N, 71°45'48"W, 10–31.vii.1989, S. & J. Peck [1♀, UCRC: UCRCENT00434757].

Figures

FIGURE 17. Orasema delicatula. 1 st instar (planidium) larva (UCRCENT 00412681); lateral setae indicated in both views. Top half: ventral view; surface sculpture indicated on TI – TIII. Lower half: dorsal view.

FIGURES 11 – 16. Orasema delicatula. 11 and 12, female (UCRCENT 00320759): 11, head, anterior; 12, mesosoma, lateral. 13, female (UCRCENT 00239436): mesosoma, dorsal. 14, female (UCRCENT 00408490): petiole, dorsal. 15 and 16, female (UCRCENT 00239436): 15, ovipositor, dorsal. 16; ovipositor, lateral. adv = annuli of dorsal valvula, dpc = dorsal longitudinal petiolar carina, dv = dorsal (2 nd) valvula, hyp = hypopygium, tvv = ovipositor teeth of ventral valvula, vv = ventral (1 st) valvula.