Pseudoheptascelio rex Johnson & Musetti

Johnson, Norman F. & Musetti, Luciana, 2011, Redescription and revision of the Neotropical genus Pseudoheptascelio Szabo (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae, Scelioninae), parasitoids of eggs of short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae), ZooKeys 136, pp. 93-112 : 101

Pseudoheptascelio rex Johnson & Musetti sp. n. Figures 17-22Morphbank14

Description.

Body length of female: 4.13-5.26 mm (n=20). Body length of male: 4.50-5.16 mm (n=13). Mesosoma color: black; red brown at least dorsally, otherwise dark to brown black. Body microsculpture pattern: smooth.

Rugae on occiput: longitudinal. Microsculpture between occipital rugae: absent. Setae on crests of occipital rugae: present. Shape of female A4: length subequal to width; length distinctly greater than width. Shape of female A5: transverse; subquadrate. Shape of female A6: distinctly transverse; weakly transverse.

Setation of pronotal depression: glabrous or sparsely setose. Setation of netrion: moderately to densely setose. Sculpture of midlobe of mesoscutum: foveate to areolate throughout (Fig. 20). Number of trabecula across transscutal articulation: 7-8, widely spaced. Shape of metascutellum: short, shallowly cleft medially (Fig. 20). Sculpture of mesopleural depression: foveolate anteriorly, transversely rugulose ventrally, with large smooth area dorsally surrounding mesopleural pit.

Sculpture of T2-T3: reticulate, with distinct longitudinal orientation. Length/width of female T5: 0.89-1.72 mm (n=20). Length/width of female T6: 0.81-1.26 mm (n=20). Sculpture of T6: with shallow foveolae impressed on reticulate background microsculpture. Apex of male T7: pointed laterally, shallowly excavate or straight medially.

Diagnosis.

This species shares the short female T6 (Fig. 22) and, in many specimens, the red mesosoma with Pseudoheptascelio tico . It may be distinguished by the short metascutellum (Fig. 20) and the absence of coriaceous microsculpture on the head and mesosoma.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is Latin for king and should be treated as a noun in apposition.

Link to Distribution Map.

15 [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=242983]

Associations.

Data from specimen labels: collected on Trichocentrum panamensis Rolfe: [ Orchidales : Orchidaceae ]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: ECUADOR: Sucumbíos Prov., Sacha Lodge, 00°30'S, 76°30'W, 270m, 27. VIII– 10.IX.1995, malaise trap, P. Hibbs, OSUC 186230 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: (49 females, 14 males) BOLIVIA: 6 females, 1 male, OSUC 186251-186252, 186254-186258 (CNCI). COLOMBIA: 10 females, 2 males, OSUC 287928 (CNCI); OSUC 210338-210341 (FSCA); OSUC 144252-144253, 189092, 191363, 193964, 210336, 224326 (OSUC). COSTA RICA: 2 females, OSUC 186186, 186194 (CNCI). ECUADOR: 19 females, 9 males, OSUC 186203-186207, 186209-186229, 186231 (CNCI); OSUC 58879 (OSUC). FRENCH GUIANA: 2 females, OSUC 186202, 287926 (CNCI). GUYANA: 1 male, OSUC 215795 (BPBM). NICARAGUA: 1 male, OSUC 320737 (TAMU). PANAMA: 9 females, OSUC 186199-186200 (CNCI); OSUC 248311-248317 (USNM). PERU: 1 female, OSUC 186232 (CNCI).