Cherianella arabica Gadallah & Soliman

Neveen S. Gadallah, Ahmed M. Soliman & Hathal M. Al Dhafer, 2017, Eucharitidae new to the fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with the description of a new species and the previously unknown male of Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) albipennis Bouček, Journal of Natural History 51 (1), pp. 96-113 : 99-104

Cherianella arabica Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov.

( Figure 3 a −d)

Material examined

Holotype ♀: SAUDI ARABIA, Al-Baha, Wadi Turubah (20.20388°N, 41.29111°E), 10 May 2011 (leg. Fadl et al.), sweep net ( KSMA) .

Diagnosis

This species has recumbent lanceolate setae covering most of the body ( Figure 3 a, c, d); mesososcutum dorsally arcuately striate anteriorly and laterally, finely shagreened medially; scutellar process 11 × as long as broad and 3.5 × as long as scutellar disc, reaching apex of metasoma ( Figure 3 a); antennal flagellum dark brown to black, scape and pedicle yellowish-white ( Figure 3 b).

Description

Female. Body length: 4 mm.

Colour. Head metallic green; mesosoma metallic bluish-violet (except scutellar process black) ( Figure 3 a); metasoma black with strong bluish tint, tergites brownish on posterior margin ( Figure 3 a); antenna with scape and pedicel yellowish-white, flagellum black ( Figure 3 b); mandible dark brown; coxae and femora black, fore femur pale yellow on apical half, mid and hind femora with pale yellow apices ( Figure 3 a); tibiae pale yellow, hind tibia with slight black tint ( Figure 3 a); mid and hind tibial spurs reddish-brown; tarsi waxy-white, claws brown.

Pubescence. Body sparsely to moderately clothed with recumbent lanceolate setae ( Figure 3 a, c, d); scutellar process with fine and erect setae on basal two-thirds ventrolaterally.

Head. In frontal view distinctly transverse, 2.2 × as broad as height; vertex strongly irregularly carinate; occiput transversely finely carinate, occipital carina present, incomplete, extending behind lateral ocelli only; scrobal depression broad and deep; frons strongly arcuately carinate, being polished and finely punctate laterally; lower face finely sparsely punctate; inner orbit of eye with prominent carina; supraclypeal area swollen, polished and finely striato-punctate; clypeus slightly swollen on disc, finely transversely carinate, free margin straight; labrum simple; eye rounded and bulging, sparsely setose posteriorly; interocular distance 2.5 × eye height; malar space 2.8 × mid-ocellar diameter and 1.1 × eye height; mandible long, flattened, tapering apically and edentate; scape stout, slightly longer than wide, 1.8 × as long as pedicel; pedicel broader than long; funicle 10-segmented, joints cylindrical, F2 – F3 widened apically with dense multiporous plate sensilla, F2 3.1 × as long as wide, 1.4 × as long as F3 and 1.6 × as long as F4 ( Figure 3 b).

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum spherical ( Figure 3 c), arcuately striate anteriorly and laterally, medially shagreened; scutellum and axillae longitudinally striate laterally, micropunctate medially; trans-scutal articulation distinct; scutellar process 11 × as long as broad and 3.5 × scutellar disc, micropunctate, subcylindrical (laterally slightly compressed), tapering to a blunt tip, reaching apex of metasoma ( Figure 3 a), dorsally with narrow median furrow that weakens posteriorly; propodeal disc flat and areolate, bordered with a prominent carina, which projects dorsolaterally to spiracle; callus longitudinally carinate, forming a prominent ridge posteriorly; mesopleuron longitudinally carinate. Coxae and tibiae shagreened, with fine lanceolate setae; tibial spur formula 0:1:1. Wings hyaline, subtriangular and broadly rounded apically, with extremely reduced white venation.

Metasoma. Petiole subcylindrical, 2.0 × as long as maximal width, slightly longer than hind coxa, widened posteriorly, longitudinally carinate and bare; Gt1 polished and smooth, enclosing most of remaining segments, invaginated medially, with sparse lanceolate setae laterally; Gs1 and hypopygium smooth and bare; ovipositor straight, lower valvula with three ventral teeth ( Figure 3 d) dorsal valvula hardly visible; ovipositor sheath with six long hairs.

Host records

Unknown.

Distribution

Saudi Arabia.

Notes

The female of Cherianella arabica is found to be most similar to Cherianella narayani Narendran and Cherianella subtilis Heraty. The three species are distinguished by the following key:

1. Scutellar spine cylindrical, spine much longer than the gaster (India).............................. ........................................................................................................ C. narayani Narendran (Female)

– Scutellar spine laterally slightly compressed (subcylindrical), at most, tip of spine reaching apex of gaster ( Figures 3 a, 4a). ................................................................................. 2

2. Head and mesosoma green to bluish-green, apical metasomal segments black with strong bluish tint ( Figure 3 a, c, d); funicle black, uniformly cylindrical, scape and pedicel yellowish-white ( Figure 3 b); dorsal thoracic setae moderately dense, procumbent, lanceolate and thickened to base ( Figure 3 a, c); metasoma with lanceolate setae ( Figure 3 d) (Saudi Arabia)....................... ....................... C. arabica sp. nov. (Female)

– Head and mesosoma black with very faint bluish reflection, apical metasomal segments light brown ( Figure 4 a, b); antennal funicle dark brown, scape and pedicel pale brown ( Figure 4 b, c); F2 cylindrical, distal segments submoniliform ( Figure 4 a); dorsal mesothoracic setae scattered, erect, weakly capitate at the extreme and narrow at the base ( Figure 4 c); metasoma with fine hair-like setae (Gambia) ............. ......................................................................................................................... C. subtilis Heraty (Male)

Etymology

arabica is a Latin adjective derived from Arabia, referring to Saudi Arabia where the species has been found.

Figures

Figure 3. Cherianella arabica Gadallah & Soliman sp. nov. ι holotype (♀). (a) Habitus. (b) Antennaι basal flagellomere (F 2) indicated. (c) Mesoscutum. (d) Lateral view of metasomaι ovipositor indicated.

Figure 4. Cherianella subtilis Heratyι holotype ♂ (NHMUK 010263968). (a) Habitus. (b) Dorsal aspect of body. (c) Head and mesoscutum. (d) Label of holotype.