Leprosa milga Kim & La Salle

Kim, Il-Kwon & Salle, John La, 2008, A new genus and species of Tetrastichinae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) inducing galls in seed capsules of Eucalyptus, Zootaxa 1745, pp. 63-68 : 64-67

Leprosa milga Kim & La Salle sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Pedicel with coarse and raised reticulation; this reticulation absent on the scape. Frons with very weak frontofacial suture. Median carina with a small transverse split. Gena strongly swollen and malar sulcus strongly curved. Pronotum about 0.3 length of mid lobe of mesoscutum. Dorsellum about 2.3 times as long as propodeum. Propodeum smooth without median carina. The entire rim of propodeal spiracle exposed. Submarginal vein with 2 setae. Postmarginal vein about half the length of stigmal vein.

Description. Female ( Fig. 1–8 ). Body 1.3–1.9 mm.

Body mainly brownish yellow with some dark brown areas and stripes. Head brownish yellow except back of the head and ocellar triangle dark brown. Antenna brown; scape mainly brownish yellow, brown apically. Pronotum with small dark area anteriorly. Scapula with dark area apically. Scutellum in anterior half with small dark area medially; the remainder brownish yellow. Mesopleuron with a dark spot ventrally. Propodeum mainly dark except callus and postero-lateral end. Gaster with transverse brown stripes on every segment. Legs mainly pale brown.

Head ( Fig. 3 ). POL approximately 8 times as long as OOL. Frons with very weak frontofacial suture; with distinctive median carina. Median carina with a small transverse crack-like suture which can be seen more clearly on a dried specimen. Antennal torulus placed lower than middle of face; slightly above the ventral line of eyes. Gena strongly swollen and malar sulcus strongly curved. Face with longitudinal furrow extending from torulus to clypeus. Clypeal margin bilobed.

Antenna ( Fig. 1–2 ) with 3 anelli and 3 funicular segments. The second anellus shorter than others and asymmetrical in lateral view, becoming thinner dorsally. The third anellus with one seta situated dorso-laterally on the outer side. F1 (F1/pdl = 0.54–0.57) the longest; F2 very slightly shorter than F3 (F1: F2: F3 = 1.0: 0.85–0.87: 0.89–0.92). F1 longer than broad; F2 almost quadrate; F3 broader than long. Each successive segment slightly broader than preceding one (F1: F2: F3 = 1.0: 1.12–1.15: 1.35–1.39). Clava three segmented and each claval segment slightly asymmetrical with its sutures rather oblique; C3 very short and with a terminal spine which is so short that it can hardly be distinguishable from other sensillae. Pedicel with some coarse and raised reticulations, but not as coarse as seen in Q uadrastichodella. Scape flattened and expanded anteriorly; not extending above the vertex.

Thorax ( Figs 4–5 ). Pronotum about 0.3 length of mid lobe of mesoscutum in dorsal view. Mesoscutum with a distinct medlian line; with 5–7 adnotaular setae. Transscutal articulation normal; not deep and wide. Scutellum with 2 dorsal setae; anterior pair situated slightly beyond the middle. Dorsellum about 2.3 times as long as propodeum, in dorsal view. Propodeum smoth without distinct median carina; the whole rim of propodeal spiracle exposed. Callus with 8–10 setae. Mesosternum nearly flat and without precoxal suture in front of trochantinal lobe.

Gaster ( Fig. 6 ) almost as long as head plus thorax. Apex of hypopygium extending about 0.27–0.28 length of gaster and reaching almost up to the posterior margin of G3. Cercus with 3 setae, all subequal in length.

Wing ( Fig. 7 ) veins light brown and without hyaline breaks. Submarginal vein with 2 dorsal setae; tapering apically and joining parastigma distal to proximal end of parastigma.. Marginal vein not swollen. Postmarginal vein about 0.5 length of stigmal vein. CC: MV: STV: PMV = 3.8–4.3: 3.8–6.0: 1.0: 0.5–0.6. Basal line of setae absent and cubital line of setae not extending past base of speculum. Speculum very small; area distal to speculum densely setose.

Male unknown.

Type material. Holotype Ψ: SOUTH AFRICA WCAPE, Stellenbosch, 33.56S, 18.51E, 30.ix.2004, S. Neser. ex. galls in locules of ripe seed capsules of Eucalyptus ? camaldulensis . ( ANIC).

28 Ψ Paratypes: Same collection date as Holotype (1Ψ, SANC; 4Ψ, ANIC); SOUTH AFRICA NCAPE, Colesberg, 30.42S, 25.07E, xi. 2003, A. Witt. ex. seed capsules of E.? camaldulensis (2Ψ, SANC; 15Ψ, ANIC; 2Ψ, USNM; 2Ψ, BMNH); SOUTH AFRICA NCAPE, 26km SW Hanover, 31.14S, 24.15E, xi. 2003, A. Witt, ex. seed capsules of E.? camaldulensis (2Ψ, ANIC).

Non-type material: 6Ψ ( ANIC), SOUTH AFRICA, Rietondale Exp. Stn., Pretoria, 25.43S 28.14E, 9.ix. 2005, H. Klein, ex. seed capsules of E. camaldulensis ; 14Ψ ( ANIC), SOUTH AFRICA, WCape, Stellenbosch, 33.56S 18.51E, 4.xi.2005, M. Alsopp, ex. seed capsules of E. camaldulensis ; 5Ψ ( ANIC), ITALY, Valenzano, Bari prov., 2.ix.2006, ex. seed capsules of E. camaldulensis ; 10Ψ ( ANIC), ITALY, Valenzano, Bari prov., 18.xii.2006, ex. seed capsules of E. camaldulensis ; 6Ψ ( ANIC), ITALY, Valenzano, Bari prov., 2.xii.2007, from flowers of E. camaldulensis .

Etymology. The species name milga comes from an Australian aboriginal word, meaning of seed. It denotes the seed-galling biology of the species.

Biology. Emerged from seed capsules of E.?camadulensis.

Distribution. Described from specimens from South Africa and Italy. Although we have yet to obtain specimens from Australia, we are assuming from its relationship to the endemic Australian genera Quadrastichodella and Moona that it is Australian in origin.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Leprosa milga Ψ. 1. Antenna, inner side; 2. Pedicel, outer side; 3. Face, frontal view; 4. Mesosoma, dorsal view; 5. Mesosoma, lateral view; 6. Gaster, lateral view; 7. Forewing.

FIGURES 8 – 9. Leprosa milga and galled seeds of Eucalyptus? camaldulensis. 8. L. milga Ψ; 9. seeds with emergence hole in a seed capsule.