Leptomastix baspinari Japoshvili, 2023

Japoshvili, George, Yerlikaya, Hüseyin & Kaydan, Mehmet Bora, 2023, New records of mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) parasitoids belonging to the family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Turkey, Zootaxa 5254 (4), pp. 576-584 : 580-582

14. Leptomastix baspinari Japoshvili sp. n. ( Figs 1–11 )

Diagnosis. Female (length 1.00– 1.83 mm): gaster from dark-brown to black in color ( Figs 1, 2, 7 ); all coxae dark brown; Fl 1.3–1.7× length of pedicel ( Figs 3, 9 ); position of ocelli relative to eye orbit and occipital margin variable, mostly near orbit and at the same distance to occipital margin as to eye margin; wings hyaline; forewing ( Fig. 4 ) about 2.7× as long as broad; postmarginal vein about 1.5× as long as stigmal vein, which slightly shorter than the marginal vein; linea calva interrupted by three lines of setae; gaster about as long as mesosoma.

Male (0.94–1.20 mm): similar to female but antennae covered with long setae, the longest one almost 3× as long as the diameter of Fl.

Female (Holotype). Body length is about 1.80 mm, gaster dark-brown to black in color; lower face with conspicuous silvery setae; antennae dark-brown, except for dorsal side of scape, which is light brown; mesoscutum with contrasting silvery setae; mesoscutellum similar in color to mesoscutum, but setae not as conspicuous; wings hyaline; all coxae brown; femora brown except for apex of fore and mid femora which are yellowish; all tibiae and tarsi light brown.

Head with inner eye margins almost parallel; minimum frontovertex width 0.6× as long as eye length; posterior ocelli equidistant from occipital margin and eye; antenna ( Fig. 3 ) almost as long as body, scape about 7.7× as long as broad, pedicel 2.2× as long as broad, Fl nearly 1.7× as long as pedicel, clava 1.2× as long as Fl and 2.2× as long as F6. Relative measurements (holotype): HW 64, HH 65, FVL 27, AOL 8, POL 12, OCL 5, OOL 5, EL 45, EW 20, MS 12, SL 36, SW 5. Thorax with finely reticulate sculpture on mesoscutum and mesoscutellum ( Fig. 5 ); forewing ( Fig. 4 ) about 2.7× as long as broad, with postmarginal vein as long as marginal vein and about 1.5× as long as stigmal vein; linea calva interrupted by three lines of setae ( Fig. 4 ); hindwing hyaline, about 4× as long as broad.

Gaster longer than broad, with ovipositor hidden ( Fig. 6 ). Relative lengths: OL 55, MT 89 . Paratype ovipositor and antenna ( Figs 8, 9 ).

Male. Similar to female but minimum frontovertex width approximately equal to eye length, forewing about 2.4× as long as broad, linea calva interrupted by two lines of setae, antennae covered with long setae, the longest about 3× as long as diameter of Fl ( Fig. 11 ). Aedeagus as in ( Fig. 10 ).

Variation. Very little except in body size.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in honor of Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Başpınar for his contributions in the field of Entomology.

Hosts. L. baspinari has been reared from the mealybugs Ph. solenopsis , Ph. madeirensis , Ph. parietaricola , Ph. solani , Ph. peruvianus , D. angustifrons .

Distribution. Turkey.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype, ♀, Aydın: Efeler (37°51′05″N, 27°54′32″E), 57 m, ex. D. angustifrons on Echium angustifolium , 10.ix.2019 (Slide). Deposited in the Entomological collection of Agricultural University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Paratypes, Aydın: Didim (37°24′56″N, 27°25′13″E), 30 m, 1 ♀, ex. Ph. solenopsis on La. camara , 24.vii.2019 (Slide); Card mounted: Aydın: Didim (37°24′56″N, 27°25′13″E), 30 m, ex. Ph. solenopsis on La. camara , 24.vii.2019 (2 ♀, 3 ♁), Deposited in the Entomological collection of Agricultural University of Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia. Didim (37°2′43″N, 27°23′12″E), 16 m, ex. Ph. solenopsis on Ce. nocturnum , 24.vii.2019 (1 ♀); Efeler (37°50′59″N, 27°45′51″E), 49 m, ex. Ph. solenopsis on H. syriacus , 15.vii.2019 (2 ♀, 2 ♁); Didim (37°25′09″N, 27°22′16″E), 45 m, ex. Ph. peruvianus on Bougainvilea spectabilis , 24.vii.2019 (1 ♀); Didim (37°24′57″N, 27°25′15″E), 19 m, ex. Ph. madeirensis on Solanum lycopersicum , 24.vii.2019 (3 ♀); Didim (37°21′25″N, 27°16′38″E), 15 m, ex. Ph. madeirensis on Ruellia brittoniana , 3.vii.2019 (1 ♀); Efeler (37°49′52.3″N, 27°50′35.7″E), 45 m, ex. Ph. solenopsis on Conyza bonariensis , 28.viii.2019 (1 ♁), (Slide); Kuşadası (37°50′44″N, 27°14′41″E), 20 m, ex. D. angustifrons on on A. officinalis , 13.vi.2019 (1 ♀); Kuşadası (37°49′43″N, 27°22′10″E), 204 m, ex. Ph. parietaricola on Parietaria judaca , 17.ix.2019 (5 ♀); Efeler (37°51′05″N, 27°51′09″E), 158 m, ex. Ph. madeirensis on Pelargonium domesticum , 11.ix.2019 (1 ♀); Didim (37°50′05″N, 27°50′52″E), 51 m, ex. Ph. solenopsis on A. officinalis , 2.viii.2019 (1 ♀).

Comments. L. baspinari is most similar to L. africana Anga & Noyes and L. nigrocoxalis Compere ( Anga & Noyes, 1999). In L. baspinari , F1 is about 1.3–1.7× as long as pedicel and about 4× as long as broad, while in L. africana F1 is nearly 4× as long as pedicel and about 5.5× as long as broad. In L. nigrocoxalis , F1 is 1.3–2.0× as long as pedicel, similar to L. baspinari but F1 is about 5.5× as long as broad. The position of posterior ocelli relative to occipital margin and eye margin is variable in L. baspinari , but usually at the same distance to eye margin as to occipital margin; in L. africana , the posterior ocelli are closer to occipital margin than to the eye margin In L. nigrocoxalis , the position of the ocelli relative to occipital and eye margin is variable, though usually with same distance to eye margin as to occipital margin. In L. baspinari the stigmal vein is shorter than the marginal vein, while the stigmal vein is as long as the marginal vein in L. africana and L. nigrocoxalis . The linea calva is interrupted by 3 lines of setae in the new species, by 2 lines of setae in L. africana and by 4 or 5 lines of setae in L. nigrocoxalis . Finally, the body is entirely dark brown to black in L. baspinari similar to L. africana , whereas the body, including the gaster, is orange to dusky orange in L. nigricoxalis .

Figures

FIGURES 1–11. Leptomastix baspinari sp. n. Holotype female (figs 1–6): dorsal habitus (1), lateral habitus (2), antenna (3), forewing (4), mesosoma (5), ovipositor (6). Paratype female (figs 7–9): lateral habitus (7), ovipositor (8), antenna (9). Male (figs 10–11): aedeagus (10), antenna (11).