Erythmelus (Erythmelus) nanus Dozier, 1937

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Berezovskiy, Vladimir V., Hoddle, Mark S. & Morse, Joseph G., 2007, A review of the Nearctic species of Erythmelus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with a key and new additions to the New World fauna, Zootaxa 1641 (1), pp. 1-64 : 40-42

Erythmelus (Erythmelus) nanus Dozier, 1937

( Figs 55, 56 )

Erythmelus nanus Dozier 1937: 134 (holotype female on slide [USNM], labeled: 1. “ Erythmelus nanus Dozier female Sweeping vege-tation along banks of rocky river. Las Vegas, P.R. Jan. 6–1936 H.L. Dozier”; 2. [red] “ Erythmelus nanus Dozier Paratype female Type No. U.S. N.M.”, examined. The holotype, mounted more or less dorsoventrally, is in good condition, complete. Type locality: Las Vegas, Puerto Rico [ USA]); De Santis 1979: 369 (catalog).

Material examined. TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. Trinidad Island , St. Augustine, vii.1976, F.D. Bennett [1 female, CNCI] . USA. FLORIDA: Broward Co., Ft. Lauderdale, Tradewind Park, 19.iv.1992, L. Masner [1 female, CNCI]. Dade Co. , Homestead, 7–20.iii.1987, V . Gupta [1 female, CNCI] .

Redescription. FEMALE (holotype, paratypes, and non-type specimens). Body length 738–860 µm. Body mostly dark brown except base of gaster yellow to light brown, midlobe of mesoscutum with a slightly lighter (brown) transverse submedian stripe, and borders of axilla light brown. Appendages light brown to brown.

Vertex transversely striate, with a few short setae.

Antenna ( Fig. 55 ) with short setae. Scape 4.8–5.3 x as long as wide; pedicel much longer than F1; all funicular segments at least a little longer than wide except F5 about as long as wide; F1 the shortest funicular segment, F2, F3 and F5 subequal in length (F3 often a little longer) and each shorter than F4 or F6, F4 a little narrower and about as long as or often slightly longer than F6; F1–F3 and F5 without longitudinal sensilla, F4 and F6 each with 2 longitudinal sensilla; clava 2.5–3.2 x as long as wide, with 5 longitudinal sensilla.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum wider than long, its midlobe finely longitudinally striate and with 1 pair of strong setae. Axillar seta extending to past 1/3 length of scutellum. Scutellum a little longer than mesoscutum, posterior scutellum finely longitudinally striate. Dorsellum narrowly angulate posteriorly.

Wings. Forewing ( Fig. 56 ) 4.0–4.4 x as long as wide; blade slightly infumate throughout, with setae mostly along margins in the distal 1/4; longest marginal cilia about 1.2 x greatest width of wing. Hind wing 16–17 x as long as wide, almost as long as forewing; blade notably infumate; longest marginal cilia about 4.0 x greatest wing width.

Metasoma. Petiole wider than long. Gaster usually shorter than mesosoma; ovipositor 3/5–7/10 length of gaster, barely exserted beyond apical gastral tergum and not exserted beyond apex of hypopygium, 1.2–1.4 x length of metatibia.

Measurements of holotype (in µm). Body 738; mesosoma 289; gaster 277; ovipositor 246. Antenna: scape (including radicle) 120; pedicel 45; F1 21; F2 24; F3 30; F4 42; F5 24; F6 40; clava 120. Forewing 530:120; longest marginal cilia 145. Hind wing 500: 30; longest marginal cilia 120.

MALE. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Member of the flavovarius species group. Among the species with 2 longitudinal sensilla on F4, E. (E.) nanus is characterized by having setae mostly along margins on the apical 1/4 of the forewing blade (which is slightly infumate throughout) and by a relatively short ovipositor (ovipositor 1.2–1.4 x length of metatibia).

The male of E. (E.) nanus is unknown, although a single male on a slide in the USNM, labeled “ Erythmelus male Sweeping vegeta-tion along bank of rocky river. Las Vegas, P.R. Jan. 6–1936 H.L. Dozier” may (or may not) belong to this species as it was collected at the same locality and time as the holotype female of E. (E.) nanus . However, as the forewings of E. ( Erythmelus ) spp. are usually sexually dimorphic, it is impossible to determine if this male, which has a more setose forewing than that of the female of E. (E.) nanus , is conspecific with the female described as E. (E.) nanus from the same location by Dozier (1937). Obviously, H.L. Dozier himself had strong doubts about that and refrained from associating this male with E. (E.) nanus . Indeed, the likelihood of occurrence of several species of Erythmelus in the same location in Puerto Rico is very high. Only careful rearing of both sexes of Erythmelus species from the same host can help in associating males with the identifiable females in this genus.

Distribution. Puerto Rico ( USA), Trinidad and Tobago (new record), and USA (Florida, new record).

Hosts. Unknown.

Comments. According to Dozier (1937), this species was described from the holotype female (collected on 6 January 1936 by sweeping low vegetation along banks of a rocky river at Las Vegas , Puerto Rico, at 650 ft. elevation in the mountains) and two paratype females (both collected on 11 September 1935 by sweeping low grass and weeds in a pasture at Guanajibo, Puerto Rico). However, apparently by mistake, the holotype specimen was labeled in USNM as a “ Paratype ” and given no USNM type number whereas one of the two paratype females (mounted on separate slides), collected at Guanajibo, Puerto Rico, was labeled as follows: 1. “ Erythmelus nanus Dozier Sweeping in pasture. Guanajibo, P. R. Sept. 11–1935 H.L. Dozier ”; 2. [red] “ Erythmelus nanus Dozier Type female Type No. 51683 U.S.N.M.”. The other paratype is labeled identically except for the correct “ Paratype female” inscription (it also lacks the USNM type number). Appropriate notes regarding the correct type status of these specimens were made by the senior author on the mislabeled holotype and paratype slides .

Figures

FIGURES 55, 56. Erythmelus (E.) nanus (female). 55. Antenna (paratype). 56. Forewing (holotype). Scale bars = 0.1 mm.