Inti Hansson

Hansson, Christer, 2010, Inti (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) a peculiar new genus from tropical America, Zootaxa 2729, pp. 58-64 : 58-59

Inti Hansson gen. nov.

Type species: Inti levis sp. nov., designated here.

Etymology. Named after Inti , the Inca deity of the sun. Name referring to the circular, and thus sun-shaped, female gaster. The gender is masculine.

Diagnosis. Head and body smooth and shiny, without reticulation ( Figs 2, 4–6 , 8–10 ); frons with upper part of interscrobal surface protruding up and over frontal suture ( Fig. 2 ); frontal suture smoothly arcuate ( Fig. 2 ); vertex and upper frons close to eye margin with a groove ( Figs 2, 4 ); antennal scrobes as narrow and distinct grooves ( Fig. 2 ); scape and pedicel compressed and wide, and pedicel with a dorsal edge ( Figs 2, 3 ); flagellomeres with upper surface of longitudinal sensilla (= multiporous plate sensilla) concave ( Fig. 3 ); pronotum reduced and hardly visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 6 ); pair of setae on midlobe of mesoscutum and scutellum stout ( Fig. 6 ); midlobe of mesoscutum with one pair of setae ( Fig. 6 ); notauli as deep and narrow grooves in posterior 2/3, terminating just before transscutal articulation and with a fovea in very anterior part ( Fig. 6 ); sidelobe of mesoscutum with a small hole centrally ( Fig. 6 ) and with margin between dorsal and lateral parts as a sharp carina ( Fig. 5 ); anterior part of mesepisternum protruding into posterior part of prepectus ( Fig. 5 ); border between upper and lower mesepisternum developed as a sharp carina ( Fig. 5 ); propodeum with callus posterior to spiracle drawn out to a sharp point ( Fig. 6 ); propodeum with wide median carina ( Fig. 6 ); forewing with basal ½ bare ( Fig. 1 ); gaster subsessile, round ( Figs 1 , 8 ).

Description. Head smooth and shiny ( Figs 2, 4 ). Female flagellum ( Fig. 3 ) with a 3-segmented clava; sensilla ampullacea short and asymmetric (type II sensu Hansson (1990)), present on all flagellomeres, and with prominent elongate sensilla on each flagellomere; with two very small anelli. Scape distinctly compressed in female ( Fig. 3 ), reaching above frontal suture; pedicel with a sharp edge along dorsal margin. Mandible with two large teeth apically and with a row of small teeth above large teeth. Clypeus not delimited ( Fig. 2 ). Tentorial pits not visible ( Fig. 2 ). Malar sulcus present ( Fig. 2 ). Frons ( Fig. 2 ) with interscrobal area protruding upwards and covering median part of frontal suture; frontal suture smoothly curved, close to eyes strongly curved upwards. Upper frons with a groove close to eye margin that continues dorsally on vertex ( Figs 2, 4 ). Border between vertex and occiput with a sharp margin ( Fig. 4 ); occiput without a median groove or fold between occipital margin and occipital foramen.

Mesosoma smooth and shiny ( Fig. 6 ). Pronotum reduced, visible as a narrow strip in dorsal view ( Fig. 6 ). Sidelobe of mesoscutum with margin between dorsal and ventral parts as a sharp carina ( Figs 5, 6 ). Notauli ( Fig. 6 ) starting with a small round fovea anteriorly, as deep and narrow grooves in posterior 2/3, and terminating just before transscutal articulation. Midlobe of mesoscutum with one pair of setae; scutellum with one pair of setae situated in posterior half of scutellum ( Fig. 6 ). Axillae with anterior ½ strongly convex ( Figs 1 , 6 ). Dorsellum short and wide, with a deep groove interrupted by longitudinal carinae in anterior ½ ( Fig. 6 ). Pleurae ( Fig. 5 ) with very weak reticulation; border between upper and lower mesepisternum carinate; anterior part of mesepisternum protruding into posterior part of prepectus; transepimeral sulcus (i.e. sulcus separating upper and lower mesepimeron) a straight and very wide and indistinct groove. Propodeum ( Figs 1 , 6 ) with a wide concave median carina that widens towards posterior part; median area delimited laterally by wide grooves; part behind spiracles drawn out to a posteriorly projecting point; propodeal callus with three setae. Forewing ( Fig. 1 ) with basal ½ bare; costal cell narrow, as wide as submarginal vein; postmarginal vein 0.3X as long as stigmal vein.

Petiole very small, not visible in type specimens. Gaster ( Figs 1 , 7 ) almost circular; first tergite short, covering about 1/8 of gaster.

Identification. In the key to the Nearctic genera of Eulophidae by Schauff et al. (1997) Inti runs to couplet 106, subfamily Entedoninae , and from there females can be separated from those of all other world genera by the four autapomorphies listed in the discussion below. Another option for identification is to use the matrix key to the Neotropical genera of Entedoninae on the website www.neotropicaleulophidae.com.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Inti levis sp. nov., female holotype, body length 1.5 mm.

FIGURES 2 – 7. Inti levis sp. nov., female. 2. Head frontal. 3. Antenna lateral. 4. Head dorsal. 5. Head and mesosoma lateral. 6. Mesosoma dorsal. 7. Gaster dorsal.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Inti levis sp. nov., female. 8. Body dorsal. 9. Head frontal. 10. Mesosoma dorsal.