Psomizopelma metallicum, Gibson, 2018

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2018, The species of Psomizopelma Gibson (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Zootaxa 4444 (1), pp. 73-91 : 89-91

Psomizopelma metallicum n. sp.

Figs 54–62

Type material. Holotype ♀ (UCFC). USA, FL, Seminole Co. | Oviedo, Malaise Trap | B. Gouchnour IX-25-2011 / 28°37'18"N 81°10'19"W | Red Maple & Cypress | Bayhead Transition/ UCFC 0 491 0 93 / HOLOTYPE ♀ | Psomizopelma | metallicum Gibson. Holotype point-mounted on top of point by left acropleuron so that in lateral view head faced right ( Fig. 55 , image reversed so head faced left); entire; uncontorted.

Paratypes. USA. Florida. Indian River Co., Vero Beach, FMEL, XII.1987, Gupta & Nayer , T-13, DNA Voucher , CNCHYM 0 15339, DNA Barcode Failed (1♀ CNC). Seminole Co., same data as holotype except collected 25.IX.2011 (1♀ UCFC 0491099 ) , 2.X.2011 (1♀ UCFC 0491156), 23.X.2011 (1♀ UCFC 0518702).

Etymology. Derived from the Greek word metallon, “mine” or “metal”, in reference to the metallic luster that in part uniquely differentiates females from those of other species.

Description. FEMALE (habitus: Figs 54, 55 ). Length about 2.8–3.2 mm. Head ( Figs 54–57 ) mostly with distinct green to bluish-green luster except clypeus and lower face lateral to clypeus brownish-yellow and remainder of lower face and interantennal prominence darker brown ( Fig. 57 ), with gena and occiput variably brownish to similarly metallic as face under different angles of light or sometimes vertex posteriorly, occiput and temples with more reddish-violaceous luster. Labiomaxillary complex with palps dark brown. Antenna ( Figs 54, 55, 59 ) with scape and one or more of basal five funiculars variably distinctly paler at least dorsally, more brownish-yellow than remaining dark brown flagellum, but flagellum always brown ventrally. Mesosoma ( Figs 54, 55, 58 ) with pronotum dorsally and mesonotum distinctly green to blue or purple and often with some reddishviolaceous lusters, but otherwise dark brown except for following: pronotal panel with ventral and posterolateral margins whitish and also paler anterolaterally, usually as a longitudinal brownish-yellow to orangish band not extending to posterior margin, and mesopectus anterior to mesocoxae and acropleuron posterolaterally above mesocoxa somewhat paler, brownish-orange ( Fig. 58 ), than remainder of acropleuron. Legs ( Fig. 55 ) similarly dark as mesosoma except meso- and metafemora basally obviously paler, more yellowish than remaining leg. Gaster ( Fig. 62 ) dark brown with variably distinct blue to reddish-violaceous lusters under different angles of light except Gt1 often variably extensively and distinctly paler apically, Gt1–Gt3 laterally and all sternites except for hypopygium white, and ovipositor sheaths yellowish.

Head with face ( Fig. 56 ) meshlike reticulate, though comparatively shallowly on frontovertex, and often with some tiny areas more finely, minutely meshlike coriaceous; eyes with white to slightly brownish setae and face with white hairlike setae or at most very slender, elongate-lanceolate setae except for brownish hairlike setae on clypeus and lower face lateral of clypeus; scrobal depression comparatively shallow and small, delimiting broad parascrobal region ( Figs 56, 57 ), minimum width of parascrobal region between torulus and lower inner orbit at least as wide as torulus and about 0.4–0.5× distance between toruli; malar space about 0.33× eye height; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 40: 24: 15: 9; interorbital distance about 0.5× head width. Antenna ( Fig. 59 ) with scape comparatively slender, about 5× as long as greatest width, with ventral margin almost straight so subequal in width over most of length though slightly narrower basally; clava about at long as combined length of apical 6 funiculars.

Brachypterous ( Figs 54, 61 ); fore wing ( Fig. 61 ) about 5× as long as maximum width and extending only to about base of gaster, at most slightly beyond level of petiole; brownish-infuscate with dense dark brown to orangish-brown lanceolate setae over membrane and venation except membrane somewhat paler in band near middle of setose region. Mesonotum with mesoscutum punctate-reticulate, the reticulations obviously deeper than on frontovertex, and scutellar-axillar complex with at least axillae and scutellum partly meshlike reticulate, though scutellum variably more finely sculptured, more meshlike coriaceous, mesally to some extent ( Fig. 61 ); scutellum conspicuously elongate-slender, about twice as long as wide and about 1.3–1.5× as long as maximum width of scutellar-axillar complex. Prepectus bare ( Fig. 58 ). Acropleuron ( Fig. 58 ) often almost entirely meshlike coriaceous but sometimes shallowly meshlike reticulate anteriorly to about level of base of tegula, with smaller sculpture mesally just beyond setation. Metapleuron bare dorsal to transverse carina delimiting setose metasternum ( Figs 55 : insert, 58). Front leg ( Fig. 55 ) with femur strongly expanded over about apical half such that ventral margin conspicuously sinuate and dorsal length at most about 3× maximum width; tibia also conspicuously compressed such that at most about 4× as long as maximum width at midlength. Hind leg ( Fig. 60 ) with coxa setose dorsobasally and ventrolongitudinally as well as across outer surface over almost apical half; femur quite obviously expanded apically, the enlarged region delimited basally by distinct notch on dorsal margin; tibia conspicuously compressed and with distinct notch near midlength so dorsal margin convex basally and apically; basitarsomere very slightly, inconspicuously compressed. Propodeum with foramen sinuately incurved to anterior margin.

Metasoma with petiole obviously transverse, lunate. Gaster dorsally ( Figs 54, 62 ) more or less uniformly meshlike reticulate though Gt5 and Gt6 mostly more finely sculptured, more meshlike coriaceous-imbricate; Gt1 mostly bare dorsally, but Gt2 and subsequent tergites densely setose with posteriorly directed setae, the setae dark dorsally but paler, more whitish laterally.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. USA (Florida).

Remarks. Psomizopelma metallicum forms a trio of species along with P. fuscum and P. brachypterum , as discussed under the latter species. Although P. metallicum and P. brachypterum are both recorded from Florida, they appear to have allopatric distributions. At least females also differ by colour and sculptural details. As the name implies, at least females of P. metallicum have the head ( Figs 54–56 ), mesosoma dorsally ( Figs 54, 61 ) and usually the gaster dorsally ( Fig. 62 ) distinctly green to blue or purplish rather than dark brown. Also, at least the posterior half of the acropleuron is finely meshlike coriaceous ( Fig. 58 ) rather than reticulate ( Figs 21, 22 ), the scutellum is more finely sculptured in part ( Fig. 61 ) rather than uniformly punctate-reticulate ( Fig. 23 ), and Gt5 and Gt6 are somewhat more finely sculptured for P. metallicum ( Fig. 62 ) than for P. brachypterum ( Fig. 24 ) females. However, the latter two differential features are less distinctive than the difference in acropleural sculpture. The frontovertex is also more shallowly meshlike reticulate than for P. brachypterum or P. fuscum females, or even coriaceous in tiny, inconspicuous areas. Males of P. metallicum possibly differ from those of P. brachypterum by also having distinct metallic luster on the head and mesosoma, and a somewhat different scutellar sculpture pattern.

Figures

FIGURES 54–62. Psomizopelma metallicum n. sp., ♀: 54, dorsal habitus; 55, lateral habitus (insert: enlargement of metapleuron/metasternum) (2017-15); 56, head, frontal (2017-16); 57, lower part of head (2017-16); 58, mesosoma, lateral (2017-15); 59, antenna, ventrolateral (2017-16); 60, metatibia (2017-16); 61, scutellar-axillar complex and fore wings; 62, gaster, dorsolateral.

FIGURES 17–24. Psomizopelma brachypterum Gibson, ♀: 17, dorsal habitus; 18, lateral habitus; 19, head, frontal (2017-20); 20, lower part of head (2017-20); 21, mesosoma, lateral; 22, metapleuron (pl 3 = metapleuron, st 3 = metasternum); 23, scutellaraxillar complex and fore wings; 24; gaster, dorsolateral (2017-21).