Zubairia Hayat

Hayat, Mohammad, 2014, Eutrichosomellini (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae) from India, with description of two new genera, Zootaxa 3821 (4), pp. 425-442 : 438-439

Zubairia Hayat , gen. nov.

( Figs 36–42 , 45 )

Type species Zubairia mirifica Hayat , sp. nov.

Female. Head dorsally with vertex behind anterior ocellus declivous; frontovertex broad, nearly 0.4× head width; head, in frontal view, transversely elongate oval ( Fig. 37 ); frons with a groove in front of anterior ocellus; scrobes inverted U-shaped, with lateral margins sharp; torulus with upper margin in line with lower margin of eye, and removed from mouth margin by a distance less than torulus height; mouth fossa less than half width of frontovertex; malar space strongly converging towards mouth margin; frontovertex with dark brown, bristle-like setae, with 2 pairs of long setae on occipital margin ( Figs 37, 38 ); eye densely setose. Mandible rudimentary, lobelike with apices of the two mandibles widely separated ( Fig. 37 ). Maxillary palp 2-segmented, labial palp unsegmented. Antennal formula 1131 ( Fig. 36 ); scape flattened and expanded beneath, less than 2× as long as broad; pedicel nearly as long as ventral lengths of F1–3 combined; funicle segments broader than long; F1 trapezoidal, ventral side longer than dorsal side; F2 and F3 with dorsal sides longer than ventral sides; clava slightly flattened, with apex transversely truncate.

Mesosoma ( Figs 39, 40 ). Pronotum medially membranous, thus consisting of two plates; mesoscutum with notaular lines slightly curved and reaching posterior margin of mesoscutum; axilla large, its anterior width equal to width of anterior margin of scutellum; scutellum broader than long, with posterior margin rounded; median length of metanotum less than median length of propodeum; mesopleuron a large undivided plate; each axilla with 1 bristle-like seta, and scutellum with 4 bristle-like setae; distance between posterior pair of scutellar setae about 3× distance between anterior pair of setae. [Mesofurca ( Fig. 45 ) with anterior interfurcal arms absent, and with lateral arms bent backwards, lyre-shaped.] Fore wing ( Fig. 41 ) with costal cell subequal in length to marginal vein; costal cell without setae on dorsal surface, but with a line of setae on ventral surface; postmarginal vein nearly absent; stigmal vein short, with 4 circular sensilla; parastigma short, its ventral margin curved below; disc below submarginal vein bare; linea calva proximally bordered by 4 or 5 lines of setae, and open posteriorly. Legs with tarsal formula, 5–5–5; fore tibial spur curved and bifid at apex.

Metasoma. Gaster apically rounded; cercal plates near apex of gaster, each plate with 1 short and 3 long setae; ovipositor not exserted; hypopygium extending nearly to apex of gaster.

Male. Unknown.

Comments. This genus is similar to Samariola Hayat (1983) in having the mandibles rudimentary, small, lobelike, and in having flattened antennal scape, but differs in the following characters: frontovertex and occiput above with long, bristle-like setae; frons with a distinct groove extending anteriorly from anterior ocellus; malar space 0.62× eye height; axilla large, its width equal to width of anterior margin of scutellum; median length of propodeum 1.33× as long as median length of metanotum; fore wing proximal to linea calva with about 5 lines of setae. [Mesofurca without anterior interfurcal arms, and with lateral arms strongly bent backwards, lyre-shaped, Fig. 45 ] In Samariola frontovertex and occiput above with setae short and not bristle-like; frons without such a groove extending from anterior ocellus; malar space 0.36× eye height; axilla small, its width about one-third width of anterior margin of scutellum; median length of propodeum equal to the median length of metanotum; fore wing proximal to linea calva with one complete and 1–2 incomplete lines of setae. [Mesofurca ( Kim & Heraty 2012: fig. 19) with anterior interfurcal arms present, and with lateral arms obliquely bent backwards.] The differences between the new genus, Mashimaro Kim & Heraty (2012) and Saengella Kim & Heraty (2012) are given in the key to genera. Both these genera differ from the new genus in having well-developed mandibles with teeth, and in the structure of the mesofurca, in addition to other characters.

Etymology. The genus is named after my younger son, Mohammad Zubair.

Figures

FIGURES 36 – 42. Zubairia mirifica Hayat, gen. et sp. nov. Female: 36, antenna; 37, head, frontal view, with mandible enlarged; 38, head, upper part of occiput; 39, pronotum and mesoscutum; 40, mesosoma distal to mesoscutum; 41, fore wing; 42, fore wing, distal venation.

FIGURES 43 – 45. Mesofurca, females: 43, Eutrichosomella veenakumariae Hayat, sp. nov.; 44, Umairia laiba Hayat, gen. et sp. nov.; 45, Zubairia mirifica Hayat, gen. et sp. nov.