Neolirata furcula, Torréns, Javier & Heraty, John M., 2013

Torréns, Javier & Heraty, John M., 2013, A new genus of Eucharitidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with notes on life history and immature stages, Zootaxa 3630 (2), pp. 347-358 : 354-357

Neolirata furcula n. sp.

(Figs 15, 17, 19, 21)

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species by the following combination of characters: face smooth (Fig. 21); scutellar spines stout and bowed medially (Fig. 19); gastral terga bare.

Female. Length: 5.2–6.0 mm. Head, mesosoma, coxae and petiole black; flagellum dark brown; femora and scape yellowish-brown, with antennal flagellum beyond basal flagellomere slightly darker and last antennal flagellomeres sometimes light brown (Figs 15, 17). Wings hyaline, venation yellowish to light brown.

14 – 21. Neolirata spp. 14, Neolirata alta , habitus (female); 15, N. furcula sp. nov., habitus and labels (female, holotype); 16, N. alta , antenna and head (female, sublateral); 17, N. furcula , antenna (female, lateral); 18, N. alta , mesosoma (female, dorsal); 19, N. furcula , mesosoma (female, dorsal); 20, N. alta , head (female, frontal); 21, N. furcula , head (female, frontal). cah, callus hairs.

Head 1.5–1.7× as broad as high. Face smooth; occipital margin carinate. Eyes separated by 2.2–2.5× their height (Fig. 21); malar space 0.7–0.8× eye height. Labrum with 6 or 7 digits (Fig. 21). Clypeus slightly swollen; supraclypeal area slightly swollen, smooth, and demarcated laterally by shallow sulcus. Maxillary palp 2- segmented, labial palp reduced to a button-like segment. Antenna with 12 segments, scape long, smooth, laterally compressed, 3.0–4.0× as long as broad and 0.3–0.4× head height; length of flagellum 1.5–1.7× head height, basal flagellomere 0.8–0.9× length of scape, 3.6–5.0× as long as basal width and 1.6–1.8× as long as next flagellomere; flagellomeres blunt serrate, clava rounded (Fig. 17). Mesosoma. Mesoscutum broadly rounded, elevated, and rugose-areolate; mid lobe areolate with irregular transverse striae, side lobes almost smooth with few incomplete striae; mesosoma with scattered erect setae; notauli present only as a weak impression dorsomedially (Fig. 15). Axillae strongly impressed laterally, broadly rounded dorsally; scutellar spines thickened, cylindrical, strongly arched in dorsal view (Fig. 19), 1.0–1.1× as long as mesosoma, with carinae reaching to apex and scattered erect setae; inferior surface of frenum smooth with some carinae directed medially. Propodeal disc slightly swollen, with areolate carinae; callus swollen, irregular carinated, and with a few setae (Fig. 15). Mesepisternum smooth except for weak transverse carinae; upper mesepimeron smooth except for strong carinae. Coxae with scattered setae; metacoxa semiglobose, 1.3–1.4× as long as broad. Metafemur with scattered erect setae. Fore wing 2.5–2.6× as long as broad, stigmal vein 1.0–1.6× as long as broad; postmarginal vein slightly longer than stigmal vein; wing disc with dense short setae.

Metasoma. Petiole 1.9–2.4× as long as broad and 1.5–1.7× as long as metacoxa; petiole subcylindrical, flattened dorsally, and with strong or weak longitudinal carinae. Gastral terga bare. Hypopygium with cluster of long hairs apically.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. From Latin noun furcula which means “fork”, referring to the disposition of the scutellar spines.

Material examined. Holotype female: BRAZIL, São Paulo: Ipiranga, [23°35'33"S 46°36'30"W], 26.xi.2006, S. M. Torres, UCR_ENT 0 0 0 36243 (MZSP). Paratypes: S ã o Paulo: Ipiranga, [23°35'33"S 46°36'30"W], 14.i.1907, H. Luederwaldt, UCR_ENT 0 0 0 36254 (1 Ƥ, MZSP); same location, ii.2005, UCR_ENT 0 0 0 36244 (1 Ƥ, MZSP); Campinas, [22°54'17.90"S 47° 3'43.38"W], ii.1924, F.X. Williams, UCRC_ENT 00309442–449 (8 Ƥ, BMNH).

MAP 1. Distribution of the three species of Neolirata gen. nov.