Calexiphyda crocea Smith, 2008

Smith, David R. & Villemant, Claire, 2017, Additions to the xiphydriid woodwasp (Hymenoptera, Xiphydriidae) fauna of New Caledonia, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 61, pp. 65-74 : 67-68

Calexiphyda crocea Smith Figs 7-12

Calexiphyda crocea Smith 2008: 35.

Description.

Female. Length, 7.0 mm. Head black with lower inner orbits narrowly white and two pale orange stripes on vertex (Figs 8 , 10 , 11 ); antenna black with antennomeres 1-3 orange (Figs 8 , 10 , 12 ). Legs with coxae and trochanters white, rest of legs orange (Fig. 7 ). Abdomen black with white spot at base of tergum 1, indistinct white spots laterally on tergites 8 and 9, and apical white spot on 8th tergite. Wings uniformly hyaline, veins and stigma black. Head: Antenna (Fig. 12 ) 2.1 × head width, with 17 antennomeres; lengths of scape, pedicel, and first flagellomere as 1.0: 0.8:1.2; pedicel more than 2 × longer than broad, flagellomeres 2 to apex 2 × or more longer than broad. Frons finely rugose to just above ocelli; vertex and gena shiny. Lower interocular distance 1.1 × eye height; in front view, eyes slightly diverging below (Fig. 10 ). Head, in dorsal view, long and strongly narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 11 ); length behind eyes about half eye length. Genal carina distinct to top of eyes (Fig. 8 ). Labial palpus with 4 palpomeres, maxillary palpus with 7 palpomeres. Thorax: Propleuron shiny, finely rugose anteriorly and dorsally. Pronotum shiny, with central, diagonal groove, finely rugose in groove; posterior lateral corners rounded, without carinae. Anteromedian part of mesonotum shiny, finely rugose at extreme posterior portion; lateral lobes with fine longitudinal carinae on inner third, shiny on outer portions; axillae finely rugose with faint longitudinal carinae; mesoscutellum shiny, finely rugose; metascutellum rugose; notauli deep, broad, with distinct deep pits (Fig. 9 ). Mesepisternum smooth and shiny, mesepimeron with cross carinae; metapleuron shiny with fine microsculpture. Hind tarsal claw with small inner tooth near base, fore and mid tarsal claws with long inner tooth, more than half length of outer tooth, near center. Abdomen: Shiny. Tergum 1 1.3 × length of tergum 2. Length of sheath to basal plates as 1.0:1.8.

Male: Length 6.5 mm. Color and structure similar to female (see Smith 2008).

Specimen examined.

Female, "Nouvelle Calédonie, Province Sud, Thio, Comboui, 1037 m (21.77742S, 166.29495E) NC-COM-YPT-3, 12-18.XI.2016, yellow pan trap, C. Villemant rec."

Remarks.

Although descriptions of unassociated males are discouraged, Smith (2008) described C. crocea because of its unusual shiny appearance and stated that association with the female should not be difficult. The characteristics of this female are so similar to the male described as C. crocea that it must be the female of the species. The shiny appearance, long antennae, rounded pronotum, deep, broad notauli with deep punctures, and the long first tergite, 1.3 × length of the second tergite, are characters common to both sexes.

Figures

Figures 7 - 12. Calexiphyda crocea, female. 7 Lateral 8 Head and thorax, lateral 9 Thorax dorsal 10 Head front 11 Head dorsal 12 Antenna.