Conostigmus washburni Trietsch, 2020

Trietsch, Carolyn, Mikó, István, Ezray, Briana & Deans, Andrew R., 2020, A Taxonomic Revision of Nearctic Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae), Zootaxa 4792 (1), pp. 1-155 : 142-146

Conostigmus washburni Trietsch sp. nov.

Figs. 81 , 82 , 83

Diagnosis. This Nearctic species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: facial pit present; occipital carina not complete; median process on the intertorular carina absent; postocellar carina absent; preoccipital lunula present; preoccipital furrow present and crenulate; sternaulus absent; wings present and macropterous; crenulae width of the notaulus increasing more than 2× anteriorly; medioventral conjunctiva of the gonostyle–vol-sella complex present (parossiculi independent); and proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gono-style–volsella complex shape acute.

The female of this species is unknown.

C. washburni has similar male genitalia to C. erythrothorax and C. michaeli , but this species can be differentiated from the others by the presence of the preoccipital lunula (absent in C. michaeli and C. erythrothorax ), and the presence and sculpturing of the preoccipital furrow. The preoccipital furrow is always present and has crenulate sculpturing in C. washburni . In C. michaeli and C. erythrothorax , the preoccipital furrow can be present or absent, but if present, it appears only as a faint impression and is never crenulate.

This species can also resemble C. muratorei due to the width of the crenulae of the notauli increasing more than 2× anteriorly, as well as the absence of the postocellar carina and sternaulus, but they are easily distinguished by the presence of the mesopostscutellum (present in C. muratorei and absent in C. washburni ), the presence and shape of the median process on the intertorular carina (absent in C. washburni , present and acute in C. muratorei ), and the male genitalia. Conostigmus muratorei has the dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex present and bilobed, while C. washburni does not have the dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex.

Variability. There are variations in color, with some specimens being darker (PSUC_FEM 34197, PSUC_FEM 33185) than others (PSUC_FEM 34114, PSUC_FEM 34135), and some specimens having lighter coloration ventral to the site of the sternaulus (PSUC_FEM 34135, PSUC_FEM 34048) while others do not (PSUC_FEM 34142, PSUC_FEM 34240). The facial pit is always present, but it can be difficult to see on darker specimens (PSUC_FEM 34197, PSUC_FEM 33185).

Description. Body length: 1.125 –1.725 mm. Color hue pattern in male: cranium, mesosoma and metasoma brown to black; mandible and legs ochre to light brown; pedicel, scape, F1–F9 brown to dark brown; mesosoma sometimes with lighter coloration ventral to site of sternaulus. Color intensity pattern in male: mandible lighter than cranium; area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus on some specimens. Color intensity dorsal and ventral to the site of the sternaulus: area ventral to the site of the sternaulus lighter than the area dorsal to the site of the sternaulus. Color intensity pattern of syntergite: petiole neck and anterior region of syntergite concolorus with the posterior region of the syntergite. Foveolate sculpture on body count: absent. Rugose sculpturing count: absent. Rugose region on upper face count: absent.

Antennae: Male scape length vs. pedicel length: 2.6–4.5. Male scape length vs. F1 length: 1.3–1.5. Male F1 length vs. pedicel length: 1.8–3.4. Male F1 length vs. male F2 length: 1.1–1.2. Longest male flagellomere: F1. Length of setae on male flagellomere vs. male flagellomere width: setae as long as or shorter than width of flagellomeres. Sensillar patch of the male flagellomere pattern: F6–F9.

Head: Head width, dorsal view: equal to or only slightly wider than mesosoma (less than 1.3× wider than mesosoma). Head height (HH, lateral view) vs. eye height (EHf, anterior view): HH:EHf=1.3–1.7. Head height (HH) vs. head length (HL): HH:HL=1.1–1.4. Head width (HW) vs. interorbital space (IOS): HW:IOS=1.6–2.1. Head width (HW) vs. head height (HH): HW:HH=1.2–1.5. Cephalic size (csb): Mean: 265–420 μm. Maximum eye diameter vs. minimum eye diameter: 1.2–1.4. POL:OOL: POL equal to or shorter than OOL and ocellar triangle with short base. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. lateral ocellar line (LOL): OOL:LOL=1.5–1.8. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. posterior ocellar line (POL): OOL:POL=0.8–1.0. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL): posterior ocellar line (POL): lateral ocellar line (LOL): 1.5–1.8:1.5–1.8:1.0. Head shape (anterior view): circular or triangular. Preoccipital lunula count: present. Preoccipital carina count: absent. Occipital carina structure: occipital carina not complete. Occipital carina sculpture: crenulate. Preoccipital furrow count: present. Preoccipital furrow anterior end: preoccipital furrow ends inside ocellar triangle, but ends posterior to the anterior ocellus; preoccipital furrow ends at site of postocellar carina. Preoccipital furrow sculpture: crenulate. Postocellar carina count: absent. Dorsal margin of occipital carina vs. dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view: occipital carina ventral to lateral ocellus in lateral view. Transverse scutes on upper face count: absent. Transverse frontal carina count: absent. Randomly sized areolae around setal pits on upper face count: absent. Setal pit on vertex size: smaller than diameter of scutes. Ventromedian setiferous patch and ventrolateral setiferous patch count: absent. White, thick setae on upper face count: absent. Antennal scrobe count: absent. Facial structure count: facial pit present, but can be difficult to see on darker specimens. Facial pit count: present but can be difficult to see on darker specimens. Facial sulcus count: absent. Median facial keel count: absent. Supraclypeal depression count: present. Supraclypeal depression structure: absent medially, represented by two grooves laterally of facial pit. Intertorular area count: present. Intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina count: absent. Median region of intertorular area shape: flat. Ventral margin of antennal rim vs. dorsal margin of clypeus: not adjacent. Torulo–clypeal carina count: present. Subtorular carina count: absent. Mandibular tooth count: 2. Mandibular lancea count: absent.

Mesosoma: Weber length: WL=400–600 μm. Anterior mesoscutal width (AscW) vs. posterior mesoscutal width (PscW): AscW/PscW=0.6–0.8. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. anterior mesoscutal width (AscW): MscL/ AscW=1.2–1.9. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. mesoscutellar length (MscIL): MscL:MscIL= 0.9–1.1. Wing count: present. Fore wing size: wings present and macropterous with apex extending past petiole. Pronotum median length: less than longest median anatomical line of the mesoscutum. Notaulus count: present. Crenulae of notaulus width: width of the crenulae increases more than 2× anteriorly. Notaulus posterior end location: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Median mesoscutal sulcus count: present. Median mesoscutal sulcus posterior end: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Scutoscutellar sulcus vs. transscutal articulation location: adjacent. Axillular carinae count: absent. Speculum ventral limit: not extending ventrally of pleural pit line. Metapleural sulcus shape: straight. Mesometapleural sulcus count: present. Ventrolateral invagination of the pronotum count: present. Sternaulus count: absent. Sternaulus length: sternaulus absent. Epicnemial carina count: complete. Epicnemium posterior margin shape: anterior discrimenal pit present; epicnemial carina curved. Transverse striations on the ventral metapleural area count: absent. Scutes on posterior region of mesoscutum and dorsal region of mesoscutellum convexity: flat. Ventral projection of the metapleural carina count: present. Lateral propodeal carina count: present. Lateral propodeal carina shape: inverted “Y” (left and right lateral propodeal are adjacent medially posterior to antecostal sulcus of the first abdominal tergum, and connected to the antecostal sulcus by a median carina representing the median branch of the inverted “Y”). Mesopostscutellum count: absent (scutellum flat). Anteromedian projection of the metanoto–pro-podeo–metapecto–mesopectal complex count: absent. Posterior margin of nucha in dorsal view shape: concave.

Metasoma: Transverse carina on petiole shape: straight. Paired blue iridescent ovoid patches on the syntergite count: absent. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. syntergal translucent patch maximum width: 1.8–3.0. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: 2.1–2.6. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.2–1.7. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.4– 2.0. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal setiferous patch shape: linear, with a patch of setae lateral or posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch structure: comprised of a single or double row of setae anterior and lateral to the synsternal translucent patch, with a patch of setae posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch anterior end: synsternal setiferous patch begins anterior to the synsternal translucent patch anterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch posterior end: synsternal setiferous patch ends posterior to the synsternal translucent patch posterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch length vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: synsternal setiferous patch at least 2× as long as the maximum width of the synsternal translucent patch. S1 length vs. shortest width: S1 wider than long.

Male Genitalia: Distal margin of male S9 shape: straight. Proximolateral corner of male S9 shape: blunt. Male S9 distal setal line/setal patch count: distal setae composing transverse setiferous line or lines. Male S9 distal setal line / setal patch structure: single or double transverse row of distal setae. Distomedian hairless area interrupting transverse row of setae or patch on male S9 count: absent with distal setiferous patch/line continuous medially. Submedial projections on proximal margin of S9 count: absent. Cupula length vs. gonostyle–volsella complex length: cupula less than 1/2 the length of gonostyle–volsella complex in lateral view. Proximodorsal notch of cupula count: present. Proximodorsal notch of cupula shape: arched (inverted U-shape). Proximodorsal notch of cupula width vs length: wider than long. Proximolateral projection of the cupula shape: blunt. Gonocondyle count: present. Gonocondyle shape: acute. Distodorsal margin of cupula shape: concave. Distoventral submedian corner of the cupula count: absent. Dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: absent. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: present. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex length relative to length of gonostyle–volsella complex: dorsomedian conjunctiva extending greater than 1/3 of length of gonostyle–volsella complex in dorsal view. Dorsomedial margin of gonostyle–volsella complex shape: V-shaped. Proximal end of dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape: acute or V-shaped. Parossiculus count or parossiculus and gonostipes fusion: present and parossiculi not fused with the gonostipes. Medioventral conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count or fusion of parossiculi: medioventral conjunctiva present and parossiculi independent or fused proximally. Apical parossicular setae count: one. Distal projection of the parossiculus count: absent. Distal projection of the penisvalva count: absent. Gonossiculus spine count: 3. Gonossiculus spine length: one spine not more than 2× as long as the other(s) (spines of similar lengths). Harpe length: harpe shorter than gonostipes in lateral view. Harpe shape: simple and not bilobed. Harpe orientation: medial. Lateral margin of harpe shape: widest point of harpe is at its articulation site with gonostyle–volsella complex. Distal margin of harpe in lateral view: acute or pointed. Lateral setae of harpe count: present. Lateral setae of harpe orientation: oriented distally. Lateral setae on harpe density: setae sparse. Dense patch of setae on the distoventral edge of the harpe count: absent. Distal setae on harpe length: setae not of equal length, longer setae present on distoventral edge of harpe. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe length vs. harpe width in lateral view: setae longer than harpe width. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe orientation: distomedially. Sensillar ring area of harpe orientation: distomedially. Sensillar ring shape: circular. Distoventral margin of harpe in lateral view: convex.

Distribution. Nearctic.

Etymology. This species is named washburni in memory of Major Kent G. Washburn: a veteran who served an extended tour of duty in Vietnam plus two combat tours in Korea; an officer who served for more than 20 years in the US Army Medical Service Corps; a lifelong student who earned Master’s degrees in education, hospital administration and military science following his military career; and a close family friend of the first author who passed away suddenly during the course of this research.

Material Examined. Holotype male: USA: Arizona: PSUC _FEM 34274, UCFC 207381 ( UCFC) . Paratypes (21 males): USA: Arizona : 21 males. PSUC _FEM 32265, 36073 ( PSUC); PSUC _ FEM 4278 , 33147 , 33185 , 33195 , 34048 , 34081 , 34086 , 34114 , 34117 , 34120 , 34135 , 34142 , 34197 , 34201 , 34220 , 34240 , 34280 ( UCFC); UCFC 207086 , 208184 ( UNHC) .

Figures

FIGURE 81. Conostigmus washburni Trietsch sp. nov., male holotype (UCFC 207381).

FIGURE 82. Conostigmus washburni Trietsch sp. nov., paratype males. A. Lateral view (PSUC_FEM 34114). B. Dorsal view (PSUC_FEM 36073).

FIGURE 83. Conostigmus washburni Trietsch sp. nov., paratype male genitalia. A. Ventral (PSUC_FEM 34135). B. Lateral (PSUC_FEM 34220). C. Dorsal (PSUC_FEM 34135).