Signiphora brachyptera Woolley & Dal Molin, 2017

Woolley, J. B. & Dal Molin, A., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the flavopalliata species group of Signiphora (Hymenoptera: Signiphoridae), Zootaxa 4315 (1), pp. 1-150 : 29-32

Signiphora brachyptera Woolley & Dal Molin , n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1CE3F5CF-F695-4C99-8CA3-FD50A0696945 Figures 77–92

Diagnosis. The following combination of features is diagnostic for females: fore wing without discal seta; fore wing marginal vein without seta M1 and without ventral seta; Mt1 strongly bilobed with medial portion transverse; body entirely brown except for lighter metanotum. Males of this species can be easily recognized by the reduced fore and hind wings.

This species is most similar to S. bennetti , but can easily be distinguished from the latter by the shape of Mt1 and the lack of the ventral seta on the fore wing marginal vein ( S. bennetti has one ventral seta on the fore wing marginal vein).

Description. Female. Length, anterior margin of pronotum to epiproct apex, 0.63–0.77 mm (n=3). Vertex, frons, face, and gena brown antenna uniformly light brown pronotum, mesoscutum, and scutellum brown, metanotum light brown, propodeum including medial sclerite and metasoma brown, fore wing infuscated from base to distal end stigmal vein with usual hyaline areas at wing base.

Head. Mandible with two teeth, mandibular ducts enlarged apically. Pedicel length:scape length 0.68–0.82; 3 anelli, the second 1.5–2.0×length of the first, the third 2.5× length of the first, clava length:scape length 1.70–1.89, vertex and frons finely and transversely striate, with 4 longitudinal rows minute punctations.

Mesosoma. Pronotum and mesoscutum transversely imbricate, scutellum and metanotum weakly imbricate, medial sclerite of propodeum imbricate. Scutellum with 6 setae and 1 or no campaniform sensilla, medial propodeal sclerite rounded, process on medial sclerite rounded apically. Fore wing without discal seta, length:width 3.2; fore wing LMS:fore wing width 1.3–1.5; marginal vein length:stigmal vein length 2.2–2.3; marginal vein with 5 dorsal setae and no ventral setae; seta M1 absent; seta M3 length:marginal vein length 0.35–0.37; apical end of costal cell at seta M2–M3; hind wing with subparallel margins; length:width 7.4–10.0; hind wing width:fore wing width 0.32–0.40; hind wing LMS:hind wing width 3.00–4.14. Mesofemur with one long spine on posteroapical margin; mesotibial spur with 5 teeth; mesotibial spur length:basitarsus length 0.69–0.75; basitarsus length:mesotibia length 0.50–0.53.

Metasoma. Mt1 strongly bilobed with medial portion transverse, Mt1 length:Mt2 length 1.0; ovipositor with anterior-most margin lying under Mt3–Mt4; ovipositor length:metasoma length 0.47–0.55; ovipositor sheath length:ovipositor length 0.20–0.23; Ms3–Ms6 with anterior projections short; Ms 6 in posterior 1/4 of metasoma and with 6–8 setae; Mt8 with anterodorsal margin transverse, without a medial incision.

Male. Length, anterior margin of pronotum to epiproct apex, 0.80 mm (n=1). As described for female except clava length:scape length 1.36, fore wing brachypterous, length:width 2.4. Genitalia normal for flavopalliata group, digitus with one denticle at apex; digitus with apical 1/4 and entire medial surface appearing sclerotized, the remaining portions appearing almost membranous; digitus length approximately 3× its width; Ms8 weakly crescent-shaped, about 6× as wide as long.

Discussion. This species is the first case of brachyptery reported in Signiphoridae .

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♀: in balsam ( BMNH (E) 990226); PERU, Cuzco, Urubamba , 2900 m, coll. C. and M. Vardy, 9.viii.1971, BM 1971-345, bred August from Baccharis with Coccids . Holotype deposited in BMNH. PARATYPES: 3 ♀, 1 ♂ in balsam (BMNH(E) 990313, BMNH(E) 990223–990225, 5 ♀, 3 ♂ pointmounted (BMNH(E) 1038778–1038785); data as holotype. Paratypes deposited in CNC, BMNH, TAMU, with permission of BMNH(E).

Other material examined. URUGUAY: USNM ENT 763124 (1 ♀, USNM).

Biology. Nothing is known of the biology of this species beyond the data on the type specimens, which indicate that the specimens were reared from an unidentified Coccidae (Hemiptera) .

Etymology. The species name refers to the brachypterous wings in the male. It is an adjective.

Figures

FIGURES 77 – 80. Signiphora brachyptera n. sp.: 77, head (BMNH (E) 990226); 78, female antenna (BMNH (E) 990226); 79, mandibles (BMNH (E) 990226); 80, male antenna (BMNH (E) 990223).

FIGURES 81 – 86. Signiphora brachyptera n. sp.: 81, fore wing, female (USNM ENT 763124); 82, venation of fore wing (USNM ENT 763124); 83, hind wing, female (USNM ENT 763124); 84, venation of hind wing (USNM ENT 763124); 85, middle leg, female (BMNH (E) 990223); 86, Mt 8 of metasoma, female (BMNH (E) 990226).

FIGURES 87 – 92. Signiphora brachyptera n. sp.: 87, female habitus (BMNH (E) 990226); 88, mesosoma of female (BMNH (E) 990226); 89, metasoma of female (BMNH (E) 990226); 90, male habitus (BMNH (E) 990223); 91, male genitalia (BMNH (E) 990223); 92, Ms 8 of metasoma, male (BMNH (E) 990223); (Ms 8 = eighth metasomal sternum, male).