Spalangia rugosifrons, Gibson, 2009

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2009, 2259, Zootaxa 2259, pp. 1-159 : 138-140

26. Spalangia rugosifrons n. sp.

(Figs 400–407)

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, CNC no. 23892). “ BRAZIL: Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos State Univ., 6.I.1996, M. Sharkey / LB-specm 2007-037”. Condition: point-mounted, entire.

Etymology. A combination of the Latin words rugosus, meaning “wrinkled”, and frons, meaning “forehead”, in reference to the unique sculpture of the head that differentiates this species from all other New World Spalangia .

Description. Female. Length = 1.8 mm. Legs dark except knees slighter lighter in color and basal 3 or 4 tarsal segments more distinctly yellow. Head in anterior view about 1.3x as high as wide; in dorsal view about 1.7x as wide as long; in lateral view (Fig. 401) with malar space about 1.3x eye height and about 1.6x eye width. Head capsule reticulate-rugose with setae originating from minute bump within each irregularly shaped cell (Figs 400, 401), except as follows: upper face with complete median sulcus extending ventrally to elongate-triangular scrobal depression; scrobal depression mostly coriaceous-granular but smoother and shinier mediolongitudinally except anteriorly between toruli (Fig. 400); gena without malar sulcus. Antenna (Fig. 406) with scape about 6x as long as wide, the inner and outer surfaces uniformly setose and reticulate-rugose; pedicel about 2x as long as apical width or fu 1; funicle with fu 1 about 1.1x as long as wide and subsequent segments all slightly transverse; clava about 2.4x as long as wide.

Pronotal collar in lateral view only very low convex behind neck, without distinct circumpronotal bar anterolaterally and anteriorly smoothly rounded to neck; with smooth posterior margin and very finely coriaceous and bare mediolongitudinally except anteriorly, but otherwise shallowly micropunctate-coriaceous with setae originating from shallow, obscure depressions (Figs 402, 403). Mesoscutal median lobe (Figs 402, 403) with anterior convex region smooth and shiny anteriorly to finely coriaceous posteriorly; internotaular region reticulate-rugose. Axillae (Figs 403, 405) smooth and shiny except for a few pinprick-like setiferous punctures. Scutellum (Figs 403, 405) smooth and shiny except for a few pinprick-like setiferous punctures laterally; frenum (Figs 403, 405) differentiated by oblique puncture laterally and much finer transverse line medially, and very finely and inconspicuously coriaceous adjacent to obscure frenal line. Mesopleuron (Fig. 404) comparatively shiny and finely sculptured as follows: pectal region finely coriaceous anteriorly and smooth and shiny posteriorly, but bare except for 1 posteroventral seta; acropleuron longitudinally carinate, the carinae extending posteriorly onto alar shelf; subalar scrobe a vertical, ventrally widened crenulate-rugose depression; episternal scrobe a shallow depression connected to subalar scrobe by fine linear sulcus and to precoxal scrobe by a fine, obscurely punctate line; upper mesepimeron obliquely alutaceous, more coarsely so adjacent to episternal scrobe, and lower mesepimeron smooth and shiny; upper and lower mesepisternum differentiated by a few setae and fine ridge ventral to seta, the upper mesepisternum mostly smooth and shiny except for slender, longitudinal coriaceous-rugose or roughened band extending posteriorly from subalar scrobe above fine ridge (Fig. 404). Fore wing hyaline; mediocubital fold with 3 setae and basal cell/fold distally with 3–5 setae. Propodeum (Fig. 405) with distinct postspiracular sulcus; callus reticulate-rugulose anteriorly but smoother, coriaceous to shiny posteriorly anterior to metacoxal flange; plical region with very narrowly V- like paramedian crenulate furrows delineating median carina, and with anterior-most cell not distinctly differentiated from more posterior cells; supracoxal band separated from paramedian crenulate furrows by smooth band at nucha; propodeal panels smooth and shiny.

Figs 400–406. Spalangia rugosifrons Gibson ♀. 400 & 401, head: 400, frontolateral view, 401, lateral view; 402, pronotum and mesoscutum, frontolateral view; 403, pronotum and mesonotum, dorsolateral view; 404, mesopleuron; 405, scutellum – petiole, posterodorsal view; 406, antenna.

Petiole (Fig. 405) about 2x as long as medial width; microreticulate between longitudinal carinae; with 1 short seta anterolaterally. Gaster with Gt 1 smooth and shiny, Gt 2 and Gt 3 finely coriaceous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Southeastern Brazil (Fig. 407).

Biology. Unknown.

Recognition. I include S. rugosifrons as one of four species in the attae species group as discussed under S. attae . It is differentiated from all other New World species by its reticulate-rugose head (Figs 400, 401). The fine ridge on the mesepisternum ventral to the slender sculptured band and line of a few setae (Fig. 404) likely is a secondary feature that is not homologous with the transepisternal line. Rather, the dorsal margin of the slender sculptured band and line of setae should indicate the presumptive transepisternal line.

Fig. 407. Distribution of Spalangia rugosifrons Gibson and S. simplex Perkins.