Electrocerus Simutnik, 2023

Simutnik, Serguei A., Pankowski, Madeline V. & Perkovsky, Evgeny E., 2023, A new genus and species of Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) with a four-segmented funicle from late Eocene Baltic amber, Zootaxa 5389 (1), pp. 119-127 : 121

Electrocerus Simutnik , gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F217BC42-BB75-4790-99A9-C95933A76A1A

Type species. Electrocerus brevifuniculatus Simutnik , sp. nov.

Species composition. Monotypic.

Etymology. The name of the genus is a combination of the words “electrum” (Latin: electrum = amber) and “cerus,” which comes from the Greek κερκίς, or tail, but often means “antenna” in entomological names. The antennal funicle in the holotype of Electrocerus consists of only four segments but otherwise may be a “teratoid,” or the seasonal form of a species, with a normal, six-segmented funicle. The genus name is a masculine noun.

Diagnosis. Female. Body slightly elongated, not flattened; antenna clavate; scape much more than 3× as long as broad; funicle four-segmented; F1 broader than long; antennal toruli located close to mouth margin ( Fig. 2 ); notauli very short, subtle, located anteriorly ( Fig. 3B : arrow); forewing slightly infuscated, with small, slightly darkened areas below marginal vein and parastigma; filum spinosum and row of covering setae on basal margin of linea calva well developed; postmarginal vein shorter than marginal vein; cerci located in apical third of metasoma; apex of hypopygium not reaching apex of last gastral tergum.

Male. Unknown.

Remarks. The placement of Electrocerus in Encyrtinae is supported by the presence of a filum spinosum on the linea calva ( Fig. 4 ), and the apex of the hypopygium not reaching the gastral apex ( Fig. 1 ).

With its very long stigmal vein, the new taxon is distinctly different from known extant genera that possess a four-segmented funicle in the tribes Arrhenophagini Ashmead, 1900 and Habrolepidini Hoffer, 1955 (see Noyes 2023). Compared with the genus Cercobelus Walker, 1842 , the new taxon differs, in particular, by its long marginal vein, the presence of a malar sulcus, and the hypopygium not reaching the apex of the gaster (see Noyes 2023).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Electrocerus brevifuniculatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype female, lateral view (fs—filum spinosum, hyp— hypopygium). Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 2. Electrocerus brevifuniculatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype female. A body, anteroventrolateral view (cers—cercal seta, hyp—hypopygium). Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

FIGURE 3. Electrocerus brevifuniculatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype female. A body, dorsolateral view; B head, antennae, mandible, mesosoma, lateral view (not—notaulus). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A); 0.2 mm (B).

FIGURE 4. Electrocerus brevifuniculatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype female.Wings A right forewing in focus (pst—parastigma); B all wings in focus; C left forewing and hind wing in focus (fs—filum spinosum). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.