Helava acutiventris Masner & Talamas, 2016

Talamas, Elijah J. & Masner, Lubomir, 2016, Revision of New World Helava Masner & Huggert (Platygastridae, Sceliotrachelinae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 53, pp. 1-24 : 4-5

Helava acutiventris Masner & Talamas sp. n.

Figures 4-8

Description.

Female body length: 0.99-1.03 mm (n=10). Male body length: 0.90-0.85 mm (n=20). Male antenna: filiform. Number of female clavomeres: 3. Setation of frons anterior to ocellar triangle: present. Setation of vertex posterior to lateral ocellus: dense. Hyperoccipital carina: absent. Pronotum in dorsal view: present mostly as lateral shoulders. Dorsoventral band of dense setation on posterior part of lateral pronotum: absent. Setation of pronotal cervical sulcus: sparse to absent. Width of dorsal mesopleuron in lateral view: about equal ventrally and dorsally to 1.5 times as wide ventrally. Longitudinal striation on dorsal mesopleuron: absent. Transepisternal line: absent. Mesofurcal pit: present. Notaulus: absent. Rs+M in fore wing: nebulous. Wings: macropterous. Rs+M in hind wing: nebulous. Color of legs: yellow. Foamy structures of lateral propodeum: smaller than hairy metapleuron. Median tubercule on T2: absent. Setation of anterior T2: continuous across tergal midline. Lateral patch on T2: present. Foamy structures on S1: present at lateral margin of sternite. Transverse felt field on anterior S2: present as transverse strip. Shape of S2 in lateral view: distinctly bulging medially.

Diagnosis.

The ventral protrusion of S2 in H. acutiventris separates this species from all other species in Helava . In addition to the shape S2, the absence of a transepisternal line on the mesopleuron is shared only with H. reducta , which is a starkly different species that can be separated by the absence of ocelli and a scutoscutellar sulcus.

Etymology.

The epithet " Helava acutiventris " is given to this species in reference to the sharp projection on S2 in both sexes.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=354388

Material examined.

Holotype, female: CHILE: Bío-Bío Reg., Ñuble Prov., Termas Rd. , 60km SE Chillán, 1300m, 7.XII-19.XI.1985, flight intercept trap, S. Peck & J. Peck, USNMENT00989201 (deposited in CNCI) . Paratypes: CHILE: 12 females, 25 males, CNC424698-424733, USNMENT00989202 (CNCI) .

Comments.

The diagnostic shape of S2 is found in both males and females, leading us to believe that this is not an adaptation for housing the retracted ovipositor system, as can be found in some species of Synopeas Förster and Platygaster Latreille.

Figures

Figures 4 - 8. Helava acutiventris 4 female holotype (USNMENT 00989201), head, mesosoma, metasoma, lateral view 5 female holotype (USNMENT 00989201), head and mesosoma, dorsal view 6 male paratype (USNMENT 00989201), metasoma, dorsal view 7 female holotype (USNMENT 00989201), head, anterior view 8 male paratype (USNMENT 00989202), antenna, ventral view. Scale bars in millimeters.