Paridris soucouyant Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2012, Paridris Kieffer of the New World (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 233, pp. 31-90 : 75-79

Paridris soucouyant Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 75-78 Morphbank49

Description.

Female body length: 1.36-1.49 mm (n=5).

Number of basiconic sensilla on A8: 1.

Color of head: reddish brown; yellowish brown. Distal margin of clypeus: serrate. Width of clypeus: equal to or less than width of interantennal process. Lateral corner of clypeus: rounded. Development of interantennal process ventrally: connecting with clypeus. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Length of mediofacial striae: not extending above midpoint of eye. Shape of gena in dorsal view: not receding or slightly bulging directly behind compound eye. Striae on gena: pronounced. Length of striae on gena: extending above ventral margin of eye. Distribution of microsculpture on head: absent. Length of OOL: greater than 2 ocellar diameters; less than 2 ocellar diameters. Occipital carina above foramen magnum: present. Anterior margin of occipital carina: rugose parallel to occipital carina; widely crenulate dorsally, smooth laterally. Setation of postgena: sparse. Ventral extent of occipital carina: extending to base of mandible.

Color of mesosoma: reddish brown; yellowish brown.Dorsal half of pronotal cervical sulcus: present as smooth furrow. Ventral half of pronotal cervical sulcus: present as line of small to minute cells. Transverse pronotal carina: present in posterior half of pronotum. Shape of pronotal shoulder in dorsal view: narrow and striplike. Form of pronotal suprahumeral sulcus: areolate. Macrosculpture of anterior medial mesoscutum: punctate rugose. Density of punctation on anterior medial mesoscutum: dense along mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus, otherwise sparse. Reticulate microfissures on anterior half of medial mesoscutum: absent. Density of punctation on posterior medial mesoscutum: sparse. Notaulus: absent; abbreviate, not reaching mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus. Orientation of notauli: parallel. Shape of notaulus at posterior apex: ovoid. Macrosculpture of mesoscutellum: punctate rugose. Postacetabular sulcus: crenulate. Mesopleural carina: present, complete. Punctures on posterodorsal mesepimeral area: absent. Sculpture of mesopleuron anteroventral to femoral depre ssion: areolate to punctate rugose throughout. Sculpture of posterior mesepimeral area: smooth. Form of metascutellum in female: bispinose. Form of metascutellum in male: bispinose. Paracoxal and metapleural sulci: separate. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex. Setation between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: absent. Sculpture between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: punctate rugose. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Anterior propodeal projection: absent. Setation of metasomal depression: absent. Lateral propodeal area: raised above plical area and indicated by sparser setation. Plical carina: present. Shape of lateral propodeal area: connected to posteromedial corner of prespiracular propodeal area. Sculpture of lateral propodeal area: rugose.

Color of metasoma: yellowish brown; yellow anteriorly, brown posteriorly. Macrosculpture of T1: longitudinally striate. Interstitial sculpture of T1: finely rugulose. Adornment of horn on T1 in female: longitudinal median carina on dorsal surface, forming small point posteriorly. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Microsculpture on T2: absent. Setal patch of lateral T2: present throughout lateral surface of tergite. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: straight. Carina along posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 in female: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Macrosculpture of T3 medially in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T3 laterally in female: longitudinally strigose. Microsculpture on T4: present. Macrosculpture of T4 medially in female: absent; rugulose. Macrosculpture of T4 laterally in female: rugulose; longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent along midline, rugulose laterally. Constriction of apical T6 in female: present. Punctation of T6 in female: densely and finely punctate throughout. Setation of S1: sparsely distributed throughout; absent. Macrosculpture of S2 medially: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of S3: absent.

Wing development: macropterous. Basal vein in hind wing: spectral. Setation of hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of postmarginalis: approximately equal to length of stigmalis. RS+M in fore wing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

Among the species of the New World, Paridris soucouyant is most similar to Paridris gorn , with which it shares coarse punctation of the head and a characteristic shape of the metascutellum. The two are best separated by the presence of a longitudinal carina on the horn of T1 and rugulose sculpture of lateral T4-T5 in Paridris soucouyant . Etymology. This species is named for the soucouyant (pronounced sue-coo-yah) of Trinidadian folklore: a vampiric character that takes the form of a fireball and sucks the blood of its victims. The specific epithet is treated as a noun in apposition.

Link to distribution map.

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Material examined.

Holotype, female: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Tunapuna/Piarco Reg., Trinidad Isl., Santa Margarita Circular Road, Curepe, 13. VII– 31.VIII.1974, E. D. Bennett, OSUC 396058 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: (4 females, 1 male) COLOMBIA: 1 male, OSUC 181401 (IAVH). TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: 3 females, OSUC 396063-396065 (CNCI).VENEZUELA: 1 female, OSUC 181397 (CNCI).