Lissopsius pacificus Zaldivar-Riveron , Martinez , Ceccarelli & Shaw

Zaldivar-Riveron, Alejandro, Martinez, Juan Jose, Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara & Shaw, Scott R., 2012, Five new species of the genera Heerz Marsh, Lissopsius Marsh and Ondigus Braet, Barbalho and van Achterberg (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from the Chamela-Cuixmala biosphere reserve in Jalisco, Mexico, ZooKeys 164, pp. 1-23 : 11-14

Lissopsius pacificus Zaldivar-Riveron, Martinez, Ceccarelli & Shaw sp. n. Figs 4 A–H

Diagnosis.

This new species distinguishes from Lissopsius jaliscoensis sp. n.and Lissopsius flavus in having a second metasomal tergite mostly smooth, only slightly costate basally (Fig. 4E) [distinctly costate basally, remaining area smooth in Lissopsius flavus ; distinctly costate basomedially, remaining area smooth in Lissopsius jaliscoensis sp. n.(Fig. 5F)]; ventral part of mesopleuron, precoxal sulcus and venter of mesosoma darker that the rest of the body (Fig. 4A) [mesosoma completely yellow in Lissopsius flavus and Lissopsius jaliscoensis (Figs 5A,B)]; and notauli ending before first half of mesoscutum (Fig. 4B) [ending after first half of mesoscutum in Lissopsius flavus and Lissopsius jaliscoensis sp. n. (Figs 5B, D)]. Lissospius pacificus also distinguishes from Lissopsius flavus in having a very short ovipositor, about 0.25 times as long as metasoma ( Fig. 4A,G) [ovipositor as long as metasoma in Lissopsius flavus (Fig. 5A)]; a triangular, longitudinally rugose area in the posteromedian area of mesoscutum (Fig. 4B) [smooth in Lissopsius flavus (Fig. 5B)]; and smooth third metasomal tergite (Fig. 4E) (third metasomal tergite smooth with weak transverse scrobiculate groove apically in Lissopsius flavus ).

Description.

Female. Colour: head yellow, ventral part of mesopleuron, precoxal sulcus and venter of mesosoma light brown, remainder part of mesosoma yellow; metasoma yellow with some areas light brown; pedicel and flagellum yellow to light brown; legs yellow, hind tarsi light brown; wings hyaline, veins and pterostigma brown, tegula yellow. Body length: 3.4 mm. Head: entirely smooth, vertex and temple pilose, face strongly pilose; eyes large, malar space about 0.2 times eye height; ocello-ocular distance about 1.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; eye 1.2 times higher than wide (lateral view); antennae broken, with at least 20 flagellomeres; scape with the same length as first flagellomere; first flagellomere longer than second. Mesosoma: length of mesosoma 1.7 times its maximum height; pronotum smooth dorsally, slightly rugose ventrally, pronotal groove slightly scrobiculate; mesoscutal lobes smooth, sparsely pilose medially, with a triangular longitudinal rugose area in the posteromedian area of mesoscutum; notauli deep and scrobiculate, not joining, ending before anterior half of mesoscutum; posterolateral sides of scutellum rugose, remaining areas smooth; scutellar sulcus deep and scrobiculate, with five longitudinal carinae; mesopleuron smooth, posterior mesopleural sulcus distinct and scrobiculate, subalar groove puctate; precoxal sulcus shallow and smooth, ending on anterior half of mesopleuron; metapleuron smooth, propodeum smooth on basal half, slightly rugose on apical half, with a median longitudinal carina followed by a distinct pentagonal areola. Legs: hind coxa smooth, protruding forward in ventro-anterior corner, about 1.4 times longer than its maximum width. Wings: Fore wing length 3.2 times its maximum width, length of pterostigma 2.9 times its maximum width, vein m-cu clearly antefurcal to vein 2RS, vein 1cu-a clearly postfurcal to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU 1.4 times longer than vein 1M; vein cu-a curved at apex toward wing tip. Metasoma: first metasomal tergite short, about 0.8 times as long as its apical width, medially smooth, laterally slightly costate-punctate; second metasomal tergite slightly costate basally, remaining area smooth; suture between second and third metasomal tergites poorly defined; remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor very short, about 0.3 times length of metasoma.

Male. Similar to female; body length 2.3-2.8 mm.

Variation. Females: body length 3.0-4.5 mm; eyes 1.1-1.3 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.1-0.2 times eye height (lateral view); ocello-ocular distance 1.4-1.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; antennae with 22-26 flagellomeres; fore wing length 2.9-3.2 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 2.9-3.5 times its maximum width; hind wing vein M+CU 1.4-1.8 times longer than vein 1M.

Holotype. IB-UNAM CNIN. Female. Mexico, Jalisco, Estación de Biología de Chamela, UNAM, camino Búho, 19.49 N, -105.04 E, 65 msnm, 26-27 June 2009, light trap, tropical dry forest, H. Clebsch, A. Zaldívar-Riverón, A. Polaszek col., DNA voucher no. CNIN740, GenBank accession no. JQ268738 (IB-UNAM CNIN).

Paratypes. IB-UNAM CNIN, MACN, UWIM. One hundred and thirteen specimens. Twenty three females, same data as holotype; 37 females, two males, Mexico, Jalisco, Estación de Biológica de Chamela UNAM, camino Búho, 19.49N, -105.04E, 95 msnm, 24-26 June 2009, light trap, tropical dry forest, H. Clebsch, A. Zaldívar, A. Polaszek col.; 49 females, Mexico, Jalisco, Estación Biológica de Chamela, UNAM, cerca del laboratorio, 19.49N, -105.04E, 95 msnm, 23-25 June 2009, light trap, tropical dry forest, H. Clebsch, A. Zaldívar, A.Polaszek col.; four females, Mexico, Jalisco, Estación de Biológica de Chamela, UNAM, camino Chachalaca, 19.49N, -105.03E, 56 msnm, 25 June 2009, light trap, tropical dry forest, H. Clebsch, A. Zaldívar, A. Polaszek col.; one female, Mexico, Jalisco, Estación de Biológica de Chamela, UNAM, near lab, 19.49N, -105.04E, 99 msnm, 5 May 2011, light trap, tropical dry forest, H. Clebsch, A. Zaldívar, A. Polaszek col. DNA voucher nos CNIN739, 740, 742, 743, GenBank accession nos JQ268737, JQ268739-40, JQ268747 (IB-UNAM CNIN). Additional material: About three hundred of specimens preserved in 100% ethanol and kept at -20°C.

Biology.

The two new species of Lissopsius described in this study apparently have nocturnal habits, since all their specimens were only collected with light traps. These species appear to be generalist parasitoids of various species of lepidopterans according to an ongoing study ( Zaldívar-Riverón et al. in prep.) that is being carried out based on molecular analyses of parasitoid linkages (MAPL; Rougerie et al. 2010).

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the area where the species was collected, which is situated near the Mexican Pacific coast.