Prochiloneurus thonus, Noyes, 2023

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 482-485

Prochiloneurus thonus sp.nov.

(Figs. 1212-1216; Hab. E 174)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.1-1.8mm): head orange, temple and gena with a dark brown streak; antenna (Fig. 1212) with funicle segments brown, partially pale orange-brown; F6 and clava dark brown, occasionally F5 entirely dark brown; thorax mostly orange, posterior one-third of mesoscutum faintly brown (Fig. 1214) with a strong metallic blue, blue-green and purple sheen and clothed with translucent silvery setae; mesopleuron mostly orange, but posterior one-third brown; fore wing (Fig. 1216) with a line of 4 or 5 setae below proximal half of parastigma but without a group of pale setae below distal half; hyaline apex of fore wing about as wide as 1.7X length of marginal vein; fore wing with a subapical band of slightly paler setae; propodeum medially orange, laterally slightly dusky and with a weak metallic sheen around spiracle and with about 5 or 6 silvery setae surrounding spiracle; gaster largely orange-brown with a metallic sheen, but at least syntergum pale orange; head (Fig. 1213) about 0.95-1.01X as long as broad and about 5.2-7.1X as wide as frontovertex, head relatively longer and frontovertex narrower in larger individuals; antennal scrobes sharply margined, carinate laterally; scape (Fig. 1212) about 4.2-4.8X as long as broad, widest in proximal half, about 0.3X along its length; sculpture on paler parts of mesoscutum (Fig. 1214) generally obliquely elongate striate-reticulate, that on posterior, darker part more regular, rounded, polygonally reticulate sculpture; apical scutellar tuft about 0.3X as long as scutellum; fore wing (Fig. 1216) about 2.7-2.9X as long as broad; line of setae on ventral surface of costal cell continuous above parastigma; exserted part of ovipositor about 0.6X as long as gaster. Male (length about 1.02mm): face purple with some coppery reflections a slight brassy and metallic green sheen below torulus; scape brown in proximal two-thirds, remainder pale orange; pronotum and mesoscutum dull with a slight metallic green and coppery sheen; mesoscutum clothed in uniform brown setae; hind femur white dark brown with apex orange-brown, tibia mainly brown with apices dirty white; head in profile about 1.8X as high as deep and in facial view about as broad as high; malar sulcus absent; ocelli forming an angle of about 80°; sculpture on mesoscutum more or less with uniform rounded polygonal cells, but slightly obliquely elongate in extreme anterior part.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 1.52mm; excluding ovipositor, 1.24mm (CPD).

Head generally orange; occiput pale orange with hypostomal area hardly dusky from foramen to mandibular base; temple and gena with a strong, dark brown streak from occipital margin to scrobal margin near torulus; anterior margins of posterior ocelli connected by a brown strip with strong metallic blue-green reflections; most of frontovertex with a weak brassy sheen, with eye margins weakly purple; area above scrobes with a weak mixed blue and purple sheen, this continuing laterally to area between eye and scrobe and to temple, darker parts of temple with additional green, coppery and brassy reflections, gena similar but with more blue and purple; interantennal prominence with a weak brassy, coppery and purple sheen, rest of scrobal area mainly pale orange with a very weak brassy sheen; frontovertex with inconspicuous, translucent, pale brown setae along inner eye margins, these continued as a line of slightly more conspicuous setae below eye; gena and interantennal prominence with numerous, scattered setae; maxillary palpus white, terminal segment slightly dusky; antenna (Fig. 1212) with radicle orange proximally, apex narrowly dark brown; scape very pale orange, apex white, proximal 0.75X of ventral and dorsal margins narrowly dark brown, partly interrupted, extreme apex dark brown; pedicel mostly pale orange, dusky externally and with a dark brown streak along its length internally; funicle largely pale orange-brown, F1-F5 ventrally brown, F6 dark brown; clava dark brown; pronotum orange with weak purple and brassy reflections, neck dark brown; propleuron pale orange; prosternum pale orange; anterior 0.7X of mesoscutum (Fig. 1214) matt orange with weak purple, blue and brassy reflections, anterior half of which is clothed with relatively sparse, translucent, brown setae, posterior half with conspicuous, dark brown setae, posterior 0.3X faintly brown but with a strong blue, blue-green and purple sheen clothed in fairly dense, translucent, silvery setae, posterior margin slightly shiny, purple-brown with 3 or 4 longer, dark brown setae; tegula orange with apex translucent orange-brown; axilla orange with very weak purple reflections, with dark brown setae; scutellum orange with weak purple and brassy reflections, anteriorly with translucent pale brown setae, posteriorly with black setae, sub apical tuft black, apical setae translucent and off-white; metanotum orange; mesopleuron orange, generally with a weak brassy and purple lustre, posterior one-third or so brown; mesosternum orange; fore coxa white; femur white, tibia pale orange, tarsus pale orange; mid coxa white, inner surface dark brown; mid femur white, brown at extreme apex, tibia pale orange with an external brown stripe for most of its length, spur and tarsus pale orange; hind coxa white; femur pale orange, tibia pale orange, very slightly dusky towards its base, tarsus pale orange; fore wing (Fig. 1216) mostly infuscate but hyaline towards base and at apex, venation pale orange, no group of pale setae below distal half of parastigma; propodeum orange, very slightly dusky around spiracle, this area with a slight metallic purple and dark blue sheen, only about 5 or 6 inconspicuous setae anteriorly to, and outside, spiracle; gaster generally dusky orange with purple, green and brassy reflections, Gt1 medially dark brown, Gt2-Gt3 pale brown, remainder of dorsum and hypopygium pale orange; gonostylus very pale orange.

Head (Fig. 1213) about 6.9X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 1.6X as high as deep, anteriorly fairly evenly rounded from occipital margin to mouth margin with interantennal prominence fairly protuberant; occipital margin sharp, weakly carinate; vertex with an inconspicuous, narrow, shiny bottomed groove along eye margin from posterior ocellus almost to occipital margin; ocelli forming an angle of about 35°; frontovertex quite shiny, with shallow, fairly regular, fine, polygonally reticulate sculpture of mesh size a little smaller than diameter of facet, area immediately above scrobes with coarser, more irregular, transversely elongate sculpture; narrowest point between eye and scrobe about 0.15X length of scape and with obliquely elongate, polygonal sculpture; temple with irregular, transversely elongate, sculpture, gena with similar, but more longitudinally elongate sculpture; scrobes deep, very broadly ∩-shaped, meeting, dorsally very smooth, sharply margined dorsally and laterally, margin carinate laterally; interantennal prominence without median ridge, broadly rounded dorsally, virtually smooth, but with shallow, regular, polygonally reticulate sculpture; antenna as in Fig. 1212; scape slightly broadened and flattened, widest in proximal half at about 0.3X along its length, about 4.2X as long as broad; F1 slightly longer than broad, F2-F6 transverse, segments larger and broader distad; clava clearly broadened, slightly longer than funicle, sutures oblique, sensory area enlarged, extending ventrally about 0.8X length of clava, apex strongly obliquely truncate; eye virtually reaching occipital margin, separated by much less than diameter of facet, clothed with inconspicuous setae that are slightly shorter than diameter of facet; inner eye margins clearly diverging in front of anterior ocellus; malar sulcus absent; clypeal margin weakly concave medially; mandible with three acute teeth; apical segment of maxillary palpus not enlarged, not longer than radicle. Relative measurements: HW 90, HH 86, FV 13, POL 4, OOL 0, OCL 9, AOL 10.5, EL 64, EW 50, MS 35, SL 55, SW 13.

Thorax (Fig. 1214) with polygonally reticulate sculpture on pronotum, mesoscutum, axilla and scutellum that is similar to that in ocellar area, but sculpture on paler parts of mesoscutum generally obliquely elongate striate-reticulate, that on posterior, darker part of mesoscutum perhaps a little shallower and sculpture on axilla and scutellum a little deeper; visible part of mesoscutum about 2X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.2X as broad as long, with a distinct subapical tuft, setae about 0.3X as long as scutellum; mid tibia with a strong external carina for about 0.7X its length; hind femur about 4.4X as long as broad; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 1212, 1215; costal cell naked dorsally at apex; apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins connected by a naked, hyaline streak; propodeum (Fig. 1214) medially about 0.14X as long as scutellum, virtually smooth but with some shallow irregular sculpture. Relative measurements: FWL 87.5, FWW 30.5; HWL 65, HWW 16.5

Gaster with syntergum about 0.6X as long as mid tibia; exserted part of ovipositor about 0.6X length of gaster or about 0.6X mid tibia.

Paratype. Funicle with linear sensilla present only on F5-F6. Relative measurements: OL 61, GL 25 [MT 39].

Variation. Females vary in overall length from 1.05-1.82mm, F5 may be entirely dark brown; the mid coxa varies from completely white to very pale orange and may have the inner surface dark brown; the head varies from about 5.2-7.1X as wide as the frontovertex, from 0.95-1.01X as long as wide in facial view and from 1.5-1.7X as long as deep with smaller specimens generally having a relatively broader frontovertex and deeper head, the scape varies from about 4.2-4.8X as long as wide and the fore wing varies from about 2.7-2.9X as long as broad.

Male: length 1.02mm.

Head metallic dark green with some coppery reflections. face purple with some coppery reflections a slight brassy and metallic green sheen below torulus; scape brown in proximal two-thirds, remainder pale orange, pedicel dark brown, flagellum pale testaceous-yellow; pronotum and mesoscutum dull with a slight metallic green and coppery sheen; mesoscutum clothed in uniform brown setae; axilla and scutellum similar to mesoscutum but virtually completely matt; propleuron and prosternum dark brown; tegula dark brown, metanotum dark brown, mesopleuron dark brown with weak coppery purple sheen; fore coxa white; fore femur white; tibia white; tarsus pale orange; mid coxa dark brown; mid leg otherwise white; hind coxa dark brown; hind femur white dark brown with apex orange-brown, tibia mainly brown with apices dirty white, tarsus pale yellow; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; gaster dark brown with blue, purple and brassy reflections.

Head about 2.3X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 1.8X as high as deep, anteriorly fairly evenly rounded from occipital margin to top of scrobes then straight to mouth margin with interantennal prominence hardly protuberant; occipital margin sharp, carinate; vertex with a short, shiny bottomed groove along eye margin just behind posterior ocellus; ocelli forming an angle of about 80°; frontovertex with a weak sheen, with deep, fairly regular, fine, polygonally reticulate sculpture of mesh size subequal to diameter of facet; area between eye and scrobe with obliquely elongate, polygonally reticulate sculpture; temple and gena with irregular, longitudinally elongate sculpture; scrobes shallow, ∩-shaped, meeting, smooth, not sharply margined; torulus at least 1.5X its own length from mouth margin; scape slightly broadened and flattened, widest in middle, about 3X as long as broad; all funicle segments at last 2.5X as long as broad and clothed with whorls of long setae that are generally about 2-4X as long as diameter of segments; clava slender, entire and with apex rounded; eye reaching occipital margin, clothed in very inconspicuous setae that are much shorter than diameter of facet; malar sulcus absent; clypeal margin weakly concave medially. Relative measurements: HW 86, HH 86, FV 38, POL 16, OOL 4, OCL 5, AOL 10, EL 56, EW 36, MS 32, SL 33, SW 11.

Thorax with polygonally reticulate sculpture on pronotum, mesoscutum, axilla and scutellum that is similar to, but generally slightly shallower than that on frontovertex, sculpture on mesoscutum more or less with uniform rounded polygonal cells, but slightly obliquely elongate in anterior fifth or so, sculpture on scutellum about as deep as that on mesoscutum, but finer; visible part of mesoscutum about 2.2X as broad as long; scutellum about 1.1X as broad as long, without a subapical tuft; mid tibia without an external carina; costal cell with a line of setae dorsally in its apical one-third; apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins not connected by a naked streak.

Gaster with a short apical hook on digitus, aedeagus very slender, apex truncate.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica, Colombia.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Los Patos / Sirena , La Casona, LS 514200 276500, 100m, #61695, 13.ii-18.iii.2001 (J. Azofeifa) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, Heredia, La Selva BS, 50m, 22.i-3.ii.1991 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Heredia, La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, ii.2001 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, ii.2003 (J.S. Noyes); 2E , Heredia. Estación Biologica La Selva , ( OTS), 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 22-24.ii.2012 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Heredia, Est. Biol. La Selva , 10°26’N 84°01’W, 75m, 25.ii.2016 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, 1E, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 19-20.ii.2009 (J.S. Noyes) ; Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 12-24.ii.2013 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 19-20.ii.2016 (J.S. Noyes); 4E , Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 11-12. ii.2018 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, Reserva Absoluta, Cabo Blanco , 9°35’N 85°06’W, 30m, 16-17.ii.2009 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, PN Piedras Blancas, Est. El Bonito , 100m, 8°43’N 83°13’W, 13-14.ii.2012 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, same data as holotype; 1E , Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Los Patos / Sirena , La Casona, LS 514200 276500, 100m, #62424, 18.iii-5.v.2001 (J. Azofeifa); 1E , Puntarenas, PN Corcovado, Est. Los Patos , 200m, 21.ii.2002 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Puntarenas, RF Golfo Dulce, Est. Agujas, LS 276750 526550, 300m, YPT, #53490, 15.ix-15.x.1999 (J.A. Azofeifa); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Agujas, C. Quebraditos, LS 521400 274300, 782m, #62408, iii-iv.2001 (J. Azofeifa) . COLOMBIA, 1E, 1G, nr Palmira , ex coccid, A427 and A428, COM. INST. ENT. COLL. NO. 13110, i.1953 (D.J. Taylor) . Holotype in MZUCR, paratypes in MZUCR, NHMUK, MLP, UCR, TAMU and USNM .

COMMENTS. Apart from the characters given in the key the females of thonus can additionally be distinguished from those of zunigai by having a slightly broader scape. In thonus the scape varies from about 4.2-4.8X as long as broad, whereas in zunigai the scape varies from about 5.0- 6.6X as long as broad.

Prochiloneurus seini (Dozier) , known only from Puerto Rico, may run to thonus in the above key but differs in having the scape hardly more than 3X as long as broad and lacks the dark brown band on the temple and gena (see also comments under lucetia , p. 487)