Eupelmus (Eupelmus) arizonensis, Gibson, 2011

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2011, 2951, Zootaxa 2951, pp. 1-97 : 27-28

2. Eupelmus (Eupelmus) arizonensis n. sp.

Figs 24, 25; Map 13

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, WFBM: deposited in CASC on indefinite loan). [ USA]: ARIZ [Arizona] Cochise Co. , 2 mi. W. S.W.R.S. [Southwestern Research Station], VIII.18.1988, Quercus / W.F. Barr collector / CNC Photo 2010-66 / Holotype E. (Eupelmus) arizonensis Gibson. [Condition: point-mounted; entire, but left antenna detached and glued to point.]

PARATYPE. USA. ARIZONA: Chiric[ahua] Mts., 3.6, H.G. Hubbard (1♀ USNM, CNC Photo 2010-67) .

Etymology. Named after state from which the type specimens were collected.

Description. FEMALE ( Fig. 24). Length about 2.3–2.5 mm. Head dark with distinct metallic green to bluishgreen luster on at least frontovertex and with limited violaceous and coppery lusters under some angles of light, particularly on frons along dorsal margin of scrobal depression ( Fig. 25); maxillary and labial palpi dark brown. Antenna dark brown, the scape and pedicel with slight metallic luster. Mesosoma with tegula brown; otherwise mostly dark similar to head but mesonotum quite distinctly metallic green at least in part, with convex anteromedian lobe sometimes more purplish under some angles of light and lateral surface more dark brown with less distinct metallic lusters. Forewing hyaline, venation yellowish, and with brown setae. Legs with trochanters and trochantelli dark; femora and tibiae extensively dark except knees and tibiae apically yellowish; tarsi yellowish except for apical tarsomeres. Gaster dark brown except for distinct metallic green luster basally on basal tergum and less conspicuous greenish luster apicolaterally; ovipositor sheaths with about basal third of apparent sheath length dark brown and about apical half brown to yellowish-brown, the intervening lighter yellowish region obviously shorter than either basal or apical regions and less distinctly differentiated from apical than basal region.

Head with frons shiny and meshlike coriaceous to level of posterior ocelli ( Fig. 25); vertex transversely coriaceous-alutaceous to strigose posteriorly; scrobal depression shiny, coriaceous, and interantennal region similar except smoother dorsally and laterally in scrobes; IOD about 0.4× head width; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 0.6–9: 2.2–2.3: 1.5: 1.0. Antenna with combined length of pedicel + flagellum about 1.4–1.6× head width; scape about 4.3× as long as wide, in outer view ventral margin almost straight and without distinct flange; pedicel in lateral view about 2.5–2.75× as long as wide; fl1 slightly transverse to quadrate; fl2 about 2.7–2.8× as long as wide and 2.8–3.5× length of fl1; subsequent funiculars increasing in width to quadrate fl8; clava (compressed) about 2× as long as wide, slightly shorter than combined length of apical three funiculars, and 0.3–0.4× length of funicle. Mesoscutum more or less evenly, very finely, meshlike reticulate except anterior portion of median lobe more transversely coriaceous-alutaceous and lateral lobe more minutely meshlike coriaceous mediolongitudinally. Scutellar-axillar complex meshlike coriaceous to slightly imbricate or obliquely alutaceous laterally. Prepectus almost bare but with 2 inconspicuous setae in dorsal half. Acropleuron meshlike coriaceous to very finely meshlike reticulate anterior and posterior of medial microsculptured region, the cells larger posteriorly than anteriorly but with flat surfaces defined by at most slightly raised ridges. Forewing with linea calva but disc and basal cell otherwise setose; costal cell ventrally setose along length with 2 lines of setae medially, and dorsally with line of setae near leading margin over at least apical half and sometimes along almost entire length; cc: mv: pmv: stv = 4.4–4.5: 4.6–5.0: 1.1–1.2: 1.0. Mesotibia with apical row of 4 pegs; mesotarsus ventrally with pegs on basal four tarsomeres, basitarsus with 11 or 12 pegs arranged distally in double row along either side, second tarsomere with 5, third tarsomere with 2 or 3, and apical tarsomere with single apical peg on either side. Propodeum with U-shaped plical depression extending to foramen; callus with white hairlike setae not obscuring cuticle or sculpture. Gaster with strigose inner plate of ovipositor sheath extending distinctly beyond apex for distance at least equal to length of basitarsus of hind leg, the apparent sheath length about 1.6–1.7× length of body excluding sheaths; ovipositor sheaths about 1.9× length of metatibia and 1.9–2.0× length of marginal vein, but apparent sheath length about 2.2× length of metatibia and 2.25× length of marginal vein ( Fig. 24).

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from southeastern Arizona (Map 13).

Biology. Unknown.

Remarks. The two available females are insufficient to estimate variation reliably, but appear to be easily distinguished from those of other regional species by their very long ovipositor sheaths ( Fig. 24) in combination with quite a shiny, completely coriaceous frons ( Fig. 25). Apparent length and color pattern of the ovipositor sheaths is most similar to that of E. curticinctus (cf. Figs 24, 41), but E. curticinctus females have a reticulate frons ( Fig. 31) as well as a more coarsely sculptured mesonotum and acropleuron. Although the legs beyond the trochanters are missing from the E. arizonensis paratype, at least the holotype has the mesofemur and tibia extensively dark ( Fig. 24), unlike E. curticinctus females which have mostly yellowish-orange middle legs ( Fig. 41). Further, the prepectus appears to have only 2 inconspicuous setae, unlike the more extensively setose prepectus of E. curticinctus females. The last two features, in addition their ovipositor sheaths, also help distinguish E. arizonensis females from those of E. annulatus , which also have a completely coriaceous frons ( Fig. 27). Under some angles of light, the ovipositor sheaths of the paratype have the short medial light-colored region less distinctly differentiated from a much longer yellowish-brown apical region. It is possible that females may be found with the sheaths appearing essentially bicolored, with about the apical two-thirds yellowish-brown and the basal third dark brown.