Signiphora lutea Rust, 1913

Woolley, J. B. & Dal Molin, A., 2017, Taxonomic revision of the flavopalliata species group of Signiphora (Hymenoptera: Signiphoridae), Zootaxa 4315 (1), pp. 1-150 : 74-76

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4315.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B923D2F-4D36-4AA1-BAC9-C9F1CE20E87B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6038133
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8E21B933-FFC6-7C7B-FF64-75D7FE6228EB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Signiphora lutea Rust, 1913
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Signiphora lutea Rust, 1913 View in CoL

Figures 261–272 View FIGURES 261 – 264 View FIGURES 265 – 268 View FIGURES 269 – 272

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Signiphora lutea Rust, 1913: 163 View in CoL . Female.

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Diagnosis. Fore wing marginal vein without seta M1; Mt1 bilobed with medial portion rounded; length Mt1:length Mt2 1.00; scutellum with 4 setae; Mt8 with anterior margin with broadly rounded medial incision; antennal clava short (clava length:scape length 1.64–1.95) and with apical 1/3 slightly dusky; mesofemur with elongate apical spine on posteroapical margin 1/4–2/3 length of proximal spine. The elongate apical spine on posteroapical margin of mesofemur (from 1/4–2/3× length of proximal spine) is not known for other species in the flavopalliata group.

Signiphora lutea is most similar to S. aspidioti and S. borinquensis . In most specimens of S. apidioti and all specimens of S. borinquensis, Mt 1 is strongly bilobed with medial portion transverse. The anterior margin of Mt 8 in S. borinquensis is transverse (with rounded medial incision in S. lutea ).

Description. Female. Length, anterior margin of pronotum to epiproct apex, 0.35–0.48 mm (n=7). Vertex and frons pale yellow, occiput with brown band at occipital margin. Antenna slightly dusky in anterior third, pronotum and anterior 1/2 mesoscutum pale brown, remainder of mesosoma and Mt1 pale yellow, Mt2 brown in medial 1/3 or entirely brown, Mt3 through Mt4 or Mt5 light brown, remainder of metasoma pale yellow, Mt8 and ovipositor sheaths dusky. Mesoscutum transversely imbricate, other sculpture not discernible in specimens examined. Fore wing infuscated to apex of stigmal vein, with the two hyaline areas behind submarginal vein and in basal areas almost confluent with each other.

Head. Mandible with two teeth, mandibular ducts enlarged apically. Pedicel length:scape length 0.64–0.74; 3 anelli, the second 1.5–2.0× length of the first, the third 2.5–3.0× length of the first, clava length:scape length 1.64– 1.95. Sculpture and punctation on vertex and frons not discernable in specimens examined.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum transversely imbricate, remainder of sculpture on available specimens not discernible. Scutellum with 4 setae and 2 campaniform sensilla; medial propodeal sclerite rounded, process on medial sclerite rounded to narrowly rounded. Fore wing without discal seta, length:width 3.1–3.5; fore wing LMS:fore wing width 1.2–1.7; marginal vein length:stigmal vein length 2.0–2.8; marginal vein with 5 dorsal setae, seta M1 absent, rarely present or marginal vein with an extra seta (see discussion); seta M3 length:marginal vein length 0.44–0.75; marginal vein without ventral setae, apical end of costal cell at seta M2. Hind wing with subparallel margins, length:width 7.4–9.3; hind wing width:fore wing width 0.33–0.42, hind wing LMS:hind wing width 3.00–4.67. Mesofemur with 1 spine (sometimes 0) on posteroapical margin (see discussion); mesotibial spur with 5 or 6 teeth, mesotibial spur length:basitarsus length 0.82–1.11; basitarsus length:mesotibia length 0.49–0.61.

Metasoma. Mt1 bilobed with medial portion rounded, Mt1 length:Mt2 length 1.0; ovipositor with anteriormost margin lying under propodeum to Mt2; ovipositor length:metasoma length 0.76–0.88; ovipositor sheath length:ovipositor length 0.20–0.24; Ms3–Ms6 with anterior projections not visible in specimens examined; Ms 6 in posterior 1/4 of metasoma and with 8 setae; Mt8 with anterodorsal margin with a broadly rounded, medial incision.

Male. Unknown.

Discussion. The apical spine on the posteroapical surface of the mesofemur of the lectotype is 1/3× length of the proximal spine. In other specimens the apical spine is 1/4–2/3× length of proximal spine. All but one specimens examined are without seta M1 from the fore wing marginal vein. In one specimen (USNM ENT 00763066); one marginal vein has six setae and the other, seven.

Type material. Signiphora lutea Rust—LECTOTYPE ♀ [here designated]: PERU, [PIURA], Saman, coll. Rust, 22-XII-1912, ex Pseudaonidia articulata [now Selenaspidus articulatus (Morgan) ] A. 163o3a, in balsam (USNM Type 19064). PARALECTOTYPES: data as lectotype, 7 ♀ in balsam (USNM Type 19064). The lectotype and paralectotypes are on one slide, USNM Type 19064. The right-most female in the upper row of four females (slide oriented with red USNM type label to right) is designated lectotype and the slide has been labeled accordingly. The lectotype specimen is in fair condition and is entire except that the apex of the metasoma is missing. The paralectotypes are in poor to fair condition and most are broken or partially dissected.

Other material examined. PERU: Piura: 3 ♀ in balsam, USNM ENT 0 0 763066.

Biology. Rust (1913) stated that he described this species from many male and female specimens reared during 1910–1912 from Hemichionaspis minor [now Serenaspis minima (Maskell) ] and Pseudaonidia sp. on various hosts, principally cotton and citrus, from Lima and Department of Piura, Peru. However, many of the specimens determined as S. lutea by Rust are, in fact, S. flavella . The host record for the type specimens of S. lutea , Selenaspidus articulatus (Diaspididae) ; is the only bona fide host record known for this species and Piura, Peru is the only known locality.