Fontaliella Pujade-Villar

Pujade-Villar, Juli, Díaz, Norma B. & Gallardo, Fabiana, 2013, Description of a new genus and species of Eucoilinae (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 3626 (3), pp. 356-362 : 357

Fontaliella Pujade-Villar new genus

Diagnosis. Head not wedge-shaped in lateral view, antennal sockets not projecting. Compound eyes with short hairs. Ocellar tubercle not protruding. Posterior margin of pronotal plate almost straight. Mesoscutum partially sculptured with lateral transverse carina. Scutellar plate flat and punctate without glandular release pit. Marginal cell longer, and weakly closed, end of R1 unpigmented in the margin of marginal cell. Shorter petiole. Metasomal syntergum densely hairy at base. For more characters see the above ‘Remarks’.

Etymology. The genus is named in honour of our good friend Felix Fontal Cazalla, brilliant young taxonomist of Eucoilinae in the early 2000s.

Gender. Feminine.

Type species. Fontaliella colombiensis Pujade-Villar, Díaz & Gallardo sp. nov.

Description. Body slender, laterally compressed. Head massive, in anterior view slightly wider than long, broader than mesosoma, posteriorly concave in dorsal view; smooth and polished, with sparse setiferous punctures on face, dense on clypeus, genae and occiput. Compound eyes with short hairs. Antennae filiform, arising far above mid-height of eyes, with 13 segments (female). Toruli not projecting. Ocellar tubercle not prominent. Vertex smooth. Malar sulcus present. Genae rounded. Lateral margin of occiput not defined. Occiput concave. Shape of dorsal margin of pronotal plate in anterior view broadly truncate, highly setose behind genae. Posterior part of pronotal plate smooth with isolated setae; lateral cavities open. Mesoscutum longer than wide, quite flat, without median mesoscutal carinae, laterally striated, with faint rows of punctures in position of notauli; parascutal impressions conspicuous. Shape of posterior part of scutellum in dorsal view rounded; lateral bars broad and striated; dorsal surface of scutellum sculptured; scutellar plate large, flat, without glandular release pit; surface punctate, each puncture with a single seta; scutellar foveae wider than long (transversal). Mesopleural carina present. Anteroventral cavity of metapleuron conspicuous and setose. Wings of normal size, surface pubescent and ciliate on margin; marginal cell closed, longer than broad. Propodeum setose, produced posteriorly into a neck-like process, as long as scutellum, shorter than hind coxae, with two almost parallel carinae. Petiole conspicuous but short; metasoma almost sessile, with a hairy ring at base of syntergum, distally punctate.

Biology. Unknown

Distribution. Neotropical Region: Colombia.

Remarks. Fontaliella n. gen. is morphologically similar to Zamischus Ashmead, 1903 , Perischus Weld, 1931 and Steleucoela Kieffer, 1908 . Fontaliella differs from Zamischus and Perischus in having a metasoma with a short petiole (very long in Zamischus and Perischus ) and a hairy ring at base of syntergum (glabrous in Zamischus and Perischus ). Also differs to Zamischus but similar to Perischus to have the posterior margin of pronotal plate almost flat (with two prominent teeth in Zamischus ), sculptured mesoscutum (smooth in Zamischus ), closed marginal cell (open at base as well as on margin in Zamischus ) and nucha shorter than hind coxae (as long as hind coxae in Zamischus ). The new genus is also similar to Steleucoela , but the head is not wedge-shaped in lateral view; ocellar tubercle is not prominent; antennal sockets are not projecting, the compound eyes are hairy and the genae are rounded; posterior margin of pronotal plate is almost straight; scutellar plate flat and punctate, glandular release pit absent; and marginal cell partially open along front margin and longer.