Orasema monstrosa, Baker & Heraty, 2020

Baker, Austin J. & Heraty, John M., 2020, The New World ant parasitoid genus Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), Zootaxa 4888 (1), pp. 1-84 : 75-76

Orasema monstrosa n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:80F94F4E-0E37-48D2-9448-FD9E8D4CE21B

( Fig. 41 )

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other Orasema by the following combination of characters: mandibles small with 2:2 mandibular formula ( Fig. 41B ), labrum greatly reduced in size ( Fig. 41B ), head and mesosoma densely setose ( Fig. 41B, C ), antenna with 7 funiculars ( Fig. 41D ), mesoscutal midlobe coarsely areolate ( Fig. 41E ), and male body size large (female unknown).

Description. Male. Length 3.8 mm ( Fig. 41A ). Color. Head and mesosoma dark green with iridescence. Scape pale brown; pedicel, anellus, and flagellum brown. Mandible, maxilla, and labium brown. Coxae brown with strong iridescence; femora brown; tibiae yellow. Wing venation yellowish. Gaster brown. Head ( Fig. 41B ). Head in frontal view subtriangular, densely setose; HW:HH = 1.3; face rugose; scrobal depression shallow, laterally rounded, areolate; longitudinal groove between eye and torulus absent; eyes densely setose, IOD:EH = 1.5; MS:EH = 0.7; malar depression absent; supraclypeal area longer than broad, convex, with scattered punctations; clypeus smooth; epistomal sulcus distinct and sharply defined; anterior tentorial pit shallow; anteclypeus distinct, broadly rounded. Labrum with 4 digits, very minute. Mandibular formula 2:2; palpal formula 3:2. Occiput imbricate, shallowly emarginate in dorsal view, dorsal margin abrupt; temples present, rounded. Scape not reaching median ocellus. Pedicel globose. Flagellum with 7 funiculars, FL:HH = 2.0; anellus minute, difficult to distinguish; F2L:F2W = 1.6, F2L: F3L = 1.1; following funiculars subequal in length, equal in width; clava subcylindrical ( Fig. 41D ). Mesosoma ( Fig. 41C, E ). ML:MH = 1.5. Mesosoma densely setose. Mesoscutal midlobe rugose; lateral lobe finely rugose; notauli deep. Axilla weakly sculptured, dorsally rounded, on roughly same plane as mesoscutellum; scutoscutellar sulcus broad, irregularly foveate, broadly separated from transscutal articulation; mesoscutellar disc slightly longer than broad, areolate; frenal line as strong carina; frenum areolate; axillular sulcus absent; axillula rugose-areolate. Propodeal disc broadly rounded, without depression or carina, rugose ( Fig. 41F ); callus rugose, densely setose. Propleuron convex, weakly sculptured. Prepectus areolate. Mesepisternum areolate-reticulate, broadly rounded anterior to mid coxa; postpectal carina prominent. Upper mesepimeron smooth; lower mesepimeron smooth to reticulate; transepimeral sulcus weakly defined. HCL:HCW = 2.2, with weak dorsolateral sculpture; HFL:HFW = 6.5, evenly covered with elongate, semi-erect setae. FWL:FWW = 2.5, FWL:ML = 2.2; basal area and speculum sparsely setose, wing disc densely setose; marginal fringe relatively long; submarginal vein with several long setae; marginal vein setose; stigmal vein as long as broad, slightly angled toward wing apex; postmarginal vein 3.2 as long as stigmal vein. Hind wing costal cell entirely setose. Metasoma. Petiole cylindrical, linear in profile, PTL:PTW = 6.2, PTL:HCL = 1.8, areolate, lateral margin rounded, ventral sulcus absent. Antecostal sulcus foveate to smooth posteriorly; acrosternite posteriorly angulate.

Female. Unknown.

Hosts. Unknown.

Plant associates. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 38 ). Venezuela: BO. Collected in April (one specimen).

Material Examined. Holotype. VENEZUELA. Bolívar: Auyan Tepuy Camp , 2075m, 54°6’7”N, 62°31’56”W, 19-25.iv.1994, L. Masner & J.L. Garcia, malaise trap [³, deposited in UCRC: UCRCENT00434585].

Etymology. From Latin monstrum meaning “monstrosity” and -osus meaning “full of” in reference to the large size and hairiness.

Phylogenetics. Orasema monstrosa , referred to as Orasema _nsp_”IS1”_ VEN _D4228” by Baker et al. (2020), is the only molecularly sampled unplaced taxon. It is sister to the sixaolae group ( Baker et al. 2020), but these two groups share very few morphological characters in common, therefore, this species was not included in the sixaolae group.

Figures

FIGURE 38. Distribution map of unplaced Orasema species.

FIGURE 41. Orasema monstrosa. Holotype male (UCRCENT00434585): A, habitus, lateral; B, head, anterior; C, mesosoma, lateral; D, antenna; E, mesosoma, dorsal; F, propodeum, posterior.