Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) mediterraneus Donev & Triapitsyn

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Donev, Atanas D. & Huber, John T., 2013, Descriptions of two new species of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) from southeastern Europe, Zootaxa 3718 (3), pp. 277-286 : 281-284

Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) mediterraneus Donev & Triapitsyn , sp. n.

( Figs 8–10)

Type material. Holotype: female ( Fig. 8) on slide [PUPB] labeled: 1. “ 20.07 – 10.08.00, Creet [sic] Island, Iraklio, Greece, Leg. D. Petrov”; 2. “Fam. Mymaridae Gonatocerus mediterraneus sp. n.? holotype ♀ Det. At. Donev”; 3. [red] “ Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) mediterraneus Donev & Triapitsyn HOLOTYPE ♀”. The collecting locality is Heraklion (Iraklion), Crete Island, Crete, Greece; the specimen was captured 20.vii– 10.viii. 2000 in a Malaise trap. The holotype is in fair condition although insufficiently cleared, mounted laterally.

Paratype: GREECE. CRETE, Crete Island, Heraklion, 10–20.vii. 2000, D. Petrov [1 ♀ on slide, PUPB]. The paratype lacks one fore wing.

Description. FEMALE (holotype and paratype). Body length 1107–1218 µm. Head, mesosoma and apical 0.75 or so of gaster brown; remainder of gaster, antenna, and legs light brown or golden brown to brown.

Antenna ( Figs 8, 9) with radicle 0.26–0.29 × total length of scape, rest of scape 3.1–3.2 × as long as wide, faintly scuptured; pedicel longer than F 1 and F 2 together; F 1 and F 2 shorter than following funicle segments, F 3 a little longer than F 2, F 4 longer than F 3 and shorter than F 8 when lacking mps but as long as F 8 when bearing a mps, F 5 as long as F 6 and a little longer than F 7, and notably longer than F 8, F 5, F 6, and F 7 about 2 × as long as wide; mps on F 4 (usually 0 but 1 on one antenna in the holotype), F 5 (2), F 6 (2), F 7 (2), F 8 (2); clava with 9 mps, 3.5–3.6 × as long as wide, a little shorter than combined length of F 6 –F 8.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 8). Propodeum laterally slightly convex. Fore wing ( Fig. 8) 2.6–2.9 × as long as wide; longest marginal seta 0.16–0.2 × maximum wing width; disc completely bare behind submarginal vein, with just a few setae behind the middle and apex of marginal vein (cubital row of setae composed of just a few setae, not extending to base of marginal vein, thus leaving a bare area behind base of marginal vein, Fig. 10), and densely setose elsewhere except for a very small, narrow bare area just beyond stigmal vein. Hind wing ( Fig. 8) 18–19 × as long as wide; disc with a few scattered setae; longest marginal seta about 2.0– 2.3 × maximum wing width.

Metasoma. Gaster ( Fig. 8) longer than mesosoma. Ovipositor occupying about 0.9 × length of gaster, not or just barely exserted beyond its apex; ovipositor 2.2 × length of mesotibia.

Measurements (µm) of the holotype. Body 1107; head 191; mesosoma 412; gaster 554; ovipositor 541. Antenna: radicle 51; rest of scape 124; pedicel 58; F 1 25; F 2 24; F 3 28; F 4 30 (42); F 5 57; F 6 57; F 7 52; F 8 42; clava 145 (148). Fore wing 935: 320; longest marginal seta 67. Hind wing 680: 36; longest marginal seta 83.

MALE. Unknown.

Hosts. Unknown.

Diagnosis. In Triapitsyn (2013), G. mediterraneus keys to the same couplet as G. (Lymaenon) karakum Triapitsyn (known from Italy and Turkmenistan), the only other described Palaearctic species of G. ( Lymaenon Walker ) that has the fore wing with the cubital row of setae not extending to the base of the marginal vein ( Fig. 10). Females of G. mediterraneus differ from those of G. karakum by having 2 mps on F 5 and F 6 (without mps on F 5 and F 6 in G. karakum ), and also by a notably longer ovipositor, which is 2.2 × as long as mesotibia (1.3–1.4 × as long as mesotibia in G. karakum ) (Triapitsyn 2013). The following couplet is thus modified accordingly in Triapitsyn’s (2013: 39–40) key to females of G. ( Lymaenon ) to accommodate G. mediterraneus :

6 (3) Fore wing with cubital row of setae not extending to base of marginal vein ( Fig. 10) [and Fig. 101 in Triapitsyn (2013)]... 6 ’ - Fore wing with cubital row of setae extending to base of marginal vein........................................... 7 6 ’(6) F 5 and F 6 without mps...................................................... G. (Lymaenon) karakum Triapitsyn - F 5 and F 6 each with 2 mps................................. G. (Lymaenon) mediterraneus Donev & Triapitsyn sp. n.