Orasema festiva

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 : 523

Orasema festiva species group

Diagnosis. Recognized from all other Orasema species by having 8 funiculars ( Fig. 2 : F2–F9), smooth face, labrum with 8–11 digits ( Fig. 3 : lbr), densely setose, elongate fore wing with a long postmarginal vein reaching near to apex of wing ( Figs 2, 6 : pmv), and lateral margins of petiole with a single strong carina confluent with a broadened ventral surface ( Fig. 5 : lpc). Additional descriptive features include: scape and legs (beyond coxae) yellow; face smooth; vertex posteriorly sharp; mandibular formula 3:2; wings slightly infuscate, at least 2.3× as long as broad; fore wing with bare basal cell and small specular area; hind wing costal cell densely setose; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with areolate-rugose or transverse sculpture, never reticulate; transverse antecostal sulcus on Ms2 smooth ( Fig. 25 : acs).

Biology. Unknown. Immature stages of O. caesariata (egg) and O. delicatula (first instar) are described herein. Distribution. Northern South America and Panama ( Fig. 1 ), with a range in elevation from 150–1280 meters. Phylogenetics. Six species are recognized. As part of a separate study, we have sequences including 18S (783bp), 28S D2–D5 (1120bp), COI (1041bp) available for four species, O. caesariata , O. delicatula , O. reburra and O. erwini (Mottern & Heraty in prep). In those results (likelihood and parsimony using PAUP and RAxML), the festiva -group is monophyletic, with two species pairs: O. caesariata + O. reburra and O. delicatula + O. erwini . These results are reinforced by morphological differences. Both O. caesariata and O. reburra have long setae on the head, mesosoma and petiole, which in Orasema is otherwise known only in the Orasema coloradensis- group. The longitudinal groove between the torulus and eye is shallow, hardly visible, and not surrounded by a depression in O. reburra , and is absent from O. caesariata , but is deeply impressed and surrounded by a depression in the other species. This feature does not occur in a similar form in any other Orasema and would support the monophyly of O. alvarengai , O. delicatula , O. erwini and O. festiva . No other characters appear to delineate groupings within this complex.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of the Orasema festiva species group.

FIGURES 2 – 6. Orasema alvarengai. Holotype female (UCRCENT 00320756): 2, habitus, lateral; 3, head, anterior; 4, mesosoma, dorsal; 5, petiole, dorsal; 6, wings, dorsal. lbr = labrum, lg = longitudinal groove, lpc = lateral petiolar carina, mlm = mesoscutal midlobe, pmv = postmarginal vein.

FIGURES 22 – 25. Orasema festiva. Female (UCRCENT 00417464): 22, head, anterior; 23, mesosoma, dorsal; 24, petiole, dorsal; 25, metasoma, ventral, acs = antecostal sulcus.