Vitreostigmus kangarooislandi Boehmova & Jansta, 2022

Boehmova, Julie, Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Taylor, Gary S. & Jansta, Petr, 2022, Description of two new Australian genera of Megastigmidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) with notes on the biology of the genus Bortesia, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90, pp. 75-99 : 75

Vitreostigmus kangarooislandi Boehmova & Jansta sp. nov.

Figs 3A-G , 4A-D , 5A-I

Material examined.

Holotype: Australia • ♀; South Australia, Kangaroo Island, Flinders Chase NP, Gosse lands; 35.93325°S, 136.9326°E; 16 Jan. 2019; P. Janšta, J. Böhmová leg., sweeping Allocasuarina sp.; deposited in SAMA (JBOH0037_0101); NCBI accession number ON007288 . Paratypes: Australia • 3 ♀♀; same collection data as holotype; CUPC (JBOH0035_0101 (CUPC000156), CUPC000157 (NCBI accession number ON007286 ), CUPC000162) • 1 ♀; same collection data as holotype; SAMA (CUPC000159) • 2 ♀♀; same collection data as holotype; SAMA (CUPC000159, CUPC000161) • 1 ♂; same collection data as holotype; SAMA (CUPC000158); NCBI accession number ON007287 • 1 ♂; Kangaroo Island , near Seal Bay turning; 35.93253°S, 137.26188°E; 12 Jan. 2019; P. Janšta, J. Böhmová leg.; sweeping; CUPC (JBOH00013_0101 (CUPC000163)) .

Diagnosis.

Head slightly transverse frontally; lower face with long white setae, but setation not as dense as in V. maculatus (Fig. 3B ); antenna with scape reaching dorsal margin of anterior ocellus, relatively longer, 5.71-5.86 × as long as broad; anellus longer than broad; at most F1 about 2.50 × a long as broad, other funiculars shorter (Fig. 3F ); mesoscutellum 1.28-1.41 × and propodeum 1.71-1.93 × as broad as long (Fig. 3D, E ); propodeum between spiracles with two smooth fovea anteriosubmedially delimited by striae on its each side, otherwise longitudinally striate (Fig. 3D ); fore wing slightly obscured, with stronger infumation ventrad to parastigma and clear brown macula surrounding stigmal vein; stigma elongated, not broadening posteriorly, about 2.78-5.00 × as long as broad (Fig. 3G ); OI 1.25-1.34.

Description.

Female. Body length excluding ovipositor 2.12-2.66 mm [holotype = 2.33 mm]; length of ovipositor 0.78-0.96 mm [0.78 mm] (Fig. 3A ). Most of vertex, upper face including area lateral to supraclypeal area and clypeus, most of mesoscutal midlobe, axilla, mesoscutellum, and callus posterior to spiracle violet. Metapleuron and anterior 0.66 × of propodeum blue violet. Temple, lateral panel of pronotum, pronotal collar, mesoscutal lateral lobe, hind coxa dorsally and metasomal tergites with violet tint. Fore wing slightly obscured with stronger infumation under parastigma and clear brown macula surrounding stigmal vein.

Head. Vertex and upper face reticulate; clypeus and lower part of supraclypeal area smooth. Head slightly transverse, 1.12-1.19 × [1.19] as broad as high (Fig. 3B ); 1.81-1.96 × [1.86] as broad as long; 1.34-1.46 × [1.46] as broad as mesonotum at its widest part in dorsal view. Temple short, converging, 0.23-0.38 × [0.26] as long as eye (Fig. 3C ). Eyes separated by 1.02 × their own height; eye 1.31-1.42 × [1.42] as high as long. Upper face with only two rows of setae along eye and scrobes and few additional setae (2-3) between them. Malar space 0.45-0.50 × [0.50] as long as breadth of oral fossa and 0.37-0.44 × [0.39] as long as eye height. Antenna (Fig. 3F ) with scape 5.71-5.86 × [5.86] and pedicel 1.44-1.85 × [1.50] as long as broad, the former reaching dorsal margin of anterior ocellus. Combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.52-1.76 × [1.75] as long as breadth of head. Anellus longer than broad, its breadth slightly narrower than F1 breadth. Relative length/breadth (ratio) of funiculars as follows: F1 2.06-2.53 × [20/8 (2.50)], F2 2.10-2.38 × [19/8 (2.38)], F3 2.25-2.44 × [19/8 (2.38)], F4 2.10-2.22 × [18/8 (2.25)], F5 2.10-2.2 × [17.5/8.5 (2.06)], F6 1.81-1.82 × [17/9 (1.89)], F7 1.40-1.57 × [15/10 (1.50)]. Clava with relative length/breadth (ratio) 1.77-2.00 × [26/15 (1.73)]. POL 1.31-1.39 × [1.39] as long as OOL, OOL 2.20-2.67 × [2.36] as long as POD. Each mandible with three teeth.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma about 2.20 × as long as broad (Fig. 3E ). Pronotum about 0.80 × as broad as mesoscutum. Pronotum with pronotal collar about 2.90 × as broad as long, with few transverse incomplete striae. Mesoscutellum 1.28-1.31 × [1.41] as long as broad, with two rows of four setae submedially. Propodeum 1.71-1.93 × [1.90] as broad as long (Fig. 3D ). Area between spiracles with two small smooth areas anteriosubmedially delimited by striae on its each side, otherwise longitudinally striate; with few long white setae in proximal half. All legs relatively long and slender. Metacoxa about 2.65 × as long as broad, with long setation dorsally and ventrally; metafemur about 4.75 × as long as broad; metatibia about 7.83 × as long as broad; metatarsus about 0.7 × as long as metatibia. Fore wing 2.63-2.84 × [2.63] as long as wide, slightly infumated, with stronger infumation ventrad to parastigma and clear brown macula surrounding stigmal vein (Fig. 3G ); basal setal line with only three setae dorsally, mediocubital setal line bare dorsally and with about 8 setae ventrally in distal two thirds; marginal vein 0.85-0.92 × [0.86] as long as postmarginal vein and 1.38-1.47 × [1.41] as long as stigmal vein; stigma 2.78-5.00 × [3.20] as long as broad; stigmal vein posteriorly and stigma transparent.

Metasoma. Metasoma about 1.05 × as long as mesosoma. Gaster with very shallow alutaceous sculpture and in holotype female compressed laterally; tip of hypopygium reaching about 0.66-0.72 × [0.67] length of gaster. OI 1.25-1.34 [1.27].

Female variability. Some specimens have vertex, upper face, most of mesoscutal midlobe, part of axilla, mesoscutellum in posterior third, metapleuron and anterior 0.66 × of propodeum green blue; lower face including clypeus, temple, occiput close to occipital foramen and lower mesepimeron in its posterior half brownish with green, blue or violet tint (Fig. 4A-D ). Marginal, postmarginal and stigmal veins after drying with HMDS tend to be bright yellow to white, and hence stigma not transparent.

Male. Length of body 1.40-2.59 mm. Our two males are quite different in metallic coloration The smaller one (CUPC000163) has vertex, mesoscutal midlobe distally, mesoscutellum, and median part of propodeum with a blue violet tint only; stigmal vein light brown, not translucent (Fig. 5A-C ). The larger specimen (CUPC000158) is more intense metallic blue green as in most females having dorsal part of pronotal collar, mesoscutal midlobe, mesoscutellum and propodeum between spiracles largely blue green with violet reflection and stigma brown with brown surrounding infumation; antenna dark brown with slight metallic reflection except scape beneath (Fig. 5E-J ). Other measurements similar to females except as follows: eyes separated by 1.14-1.36 × their own height; eye 1.28-1.32 × as high as long; malar space 0.44-0.48 × as long as eye height; antenna with scape 3.8 × as long as broad, hardly reaching ventral margin of anterior ocellus; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 2.40-2.58 × as long as breadth of head; ocelli small, POL 1.50-1.61 × as long as OOL, OOL 1.68-2.25 × as long as POD; fore wing with marginal vein 0.71-0.87 × as long as postmarginal vein and 1.56-2.15 × as long as stigmal vein; stigma large and broadly ovoid but not elongated, 1.40-1.60 × as long as broad; propodeum with irregular reticulate sculpture (Fig. 5I ); all gastral tergite margins straight, not incised medially. Relative length/breadth of flagellar segments as follows: F1 3.75-4.30 ×, F2 3.33-3.68 ×, F3 3.06-3.33 ×, F4 2.72-3.11 ×, F5 2.66-2.89 ×, F6 2.29-2.50 ×, F7 1.77-2.18 ×, clava 2.50-3.69 ×. Funicular segments of the larger male have three rows of MPS, the smaller specimen has funicular segments only with two rows of MPS.

Etymology.

Named after Kangaroo Island, the place of its discovery.

Biology.

Unknown, probably associated with Casuarinaceae as some specimens were swept solely from Allocasuarina L. A. S. Johnson.

Condition of the holotype.

Holotype mounted on a triangular card with no missing body parts. Metasoma is artificially laterally compressed due prior DNA isolation and subsequent drying using HMDS.

Figures

Figure 3. Vitreostigmus kangarooislandi holotype, female A habitus, lateral view B head, frontal view C head, dorsal view D propodeum, dorsal view E mesosoma, dorsal view F antenna G fore wing, dorsal view. Scale bars: 200 µm.

Figure 4. Vitreostigmus kangarooislandi paratypes females A head and mesosoma, dorsal view B head and mesosoma, dorsal view C head, dorsal view D habitus, lateral view. Scale bars: 200 µm.

Figure 5. Vitreostigmus kangarooislandi paratypes, males A habitus, lateral view (CUPC 000163) B head, dorsal view (CUPC 000163) C fore wing, dorsal view (CUPC 000163) D mesosoma, dorsal view (CUPC 000158) E antenna (CUPC 000158) F habitus, lateral view (CUPC 000158) G head, dorsal view (CUPC 000158) H fore wing, dorsal view (CUPC 000158) I propodeum, dorsal view (CUPC 000158). Scale bars: 200 µm.