Ipsiura affinissima ( Ducke, 1903 )

Lucena, Daercio A. A., Kimsey, Lynn S. & Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2016, The Neotropical cuckoo wasp genus Ipsiura Linsenmaier, 1959 (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae): revision of the species occurring in Brazil, Zootaxa 4165 (1), pp. 1-71 : 7-9

Ipsiura affinissima ( Ducke, 1903)

( Figs 1–6 )

Chrysis affinissima Ducke, 1903: 229 . Holotype ♀ [examined]: BRAZIL: Pará, Belém ( MPEG). Ipsiura affinissima: Bohart 1985: 710 .

Neochrysis (Ipsiura) affinissima: Linsenmaier 1985: 477 .

Diagnosis. Ipsiura affinissima most closely resembles I. obidensis (Ducke) , I. catamarcae Bohart and I. neolateralis (Bohart) ; it can be distinguished from these and other Ipsiura species by the following combination of characters: T3 with six acute distal teeth (lateral teeth obstuse in I. obidensis ), with a short and strongly convex prepit swelling (swelling low, sloping gently in I. obidensis ), pit row indicated by very small lateral pits on T3 (pit row well-developed in I. catamarcae , I. neolateralis and I. obidensis ); head with a well-delimited and complete TFC, forming a complete arc, as long as broad (much broader in I. obidensis , medially interrupted in I. catamarcae ); fore femur without ventral tooth on distal margin (present in I. catamarcae and I. neolateralis ); lower posterior margin of mesopleuron with two distinct close together tooth-like projections (projections well-separated in I. neolateralis ); metanotum rounded (irregularly cristate to serriform in I. catamarcae and I. neolateralis ); and S2 spots medium-sized (large S2 spots in related species).

Male description. Body ( Fig. 1 ). Length: 8.9 mm. Coloration: head predominantly green, with dark maculations on vertex; F1 brownish green; mesosoma metallic green, with faint bluish highlights dorsally, particularly on pronotum; metasoma metallic green, with whitish spot laterally on T3;wing membrane light brown, with brown veins; femora and tibiae greenish; tarsi brown; hind basitarsus greenish brown. Head: TFC forming complete arc ( Fig. 2 ); F1 longer than broad, 1.3× as long as F2; scapal basin with sparse silvery pubescence. Mesosoma: fore femur with discrete flattened area on outer surface of distal margin, diameter of distal area subequal to diameter of proximal area; fore wing with short M distal to discoidal cell, R1 shorter than stigma (e.g. Fig. 190 ); dorsal surface of pronotum wider than head; lower lateral pronotal surface smooth, without distinct posterior area delimited by transverse ridge; metanotum rounded, without differentiated surface; mesopleural lower posterior margin with distinct close together tooth-like projections. Metasoma: T3 with six acute distal teeth, pit row only indicated by small lateral pits ( Fig. 3 ), with protruding and short prepit swelling; S2 spots medium-sized, touching medially ( Fig. 4 ). Punctation: fore femur sparsely punctate, with tiny punctures marked externally; dorsal surface of head and mesosoma with definite punctures; metasoma with shallow punctures on T3. Genital capsule ( Fig. 5 ): cuspis broad, sub-triangular, asetose distally, with strong longitudinal line medially; gonostylus longer, slenderer than cuspis; digitus acute apicaly, clavate; aedeagus robust, lobes blunt apically.

Female. Same as male, except for the characteristic shape of S2 spots as shown in Fig. 4 and the broad dark band occupying much of the dorsum of meso- and metasoma.

Variation. Specimens collected by malaise trap shown variation in the color pattern with predominantly bluish coloration and some green maculation on dorsum of head and mesosoma. Specimens from the Amazonian region ( Brazil: Pará, Óbidos – BME) have the punctation deeper and coarser than the specimens collected in Minas Gerais. Body length 7.9–9.2 mm.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Brazil (MG, PA) ( Fig. 6 ).

Material examined. BRAZIL: Pará, Belém , 17.vi.1902, coll. Ducke, A. / Holotype ♀ Chrysis affinissima Ducke [ MPEG].

Additional material. Pará, 31.xii.1906, 1Ƌ, coll. Ducke, A. [BME] . Minas Gerais, Marliéria, Parque Estadual do Rio Doce 19º37’S 42º34’O, 24–31.x.2002, 8♀, coll. Fontenelle, J.C.R. [ UFES] .

Comments. The redescription above is based on a male from Brazil: Pará, Belém.

Figures

FIGURE 190. Generalized Ipsiura fore wing. R 1 and M veins indicated in red. Discoidal and medial cells are indicated by “ D ” and “ M ”, respectively. Setae omitted. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 1 – 6. Ipsiura affinissima, Ƌ. 1. Habitus, lateral view. 2. Head, frontal view. 3. T 3, postero-dorsal view. Scale bar = 1 mm. 4. Spots of S 2, Ƌ (above) and ♀ (below). 5. Ventral view of genital capsule, digitus omitted on right side, scale bar = 0.5 mm. 6. Distribution, previous (red circle) and new (green square) records.