Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu Triapitsyn

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Huber, John T., Logarzo, Guillermo A., Berezovskiy, Vladimir V. & Aquino, Daniel A., 2010, Review of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in the Neotropical region, with description of eleven new species, Zootaxa 2456, pp. 1-243 : 114-116

Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu Triapitsyn , sp. n.

( Figs 211–214 )

Gonatocerus sp. (ater species group): Rakitov & Godoy 2005: 456 (apparent host information).

Type material. Holotype female [ UCRC ENT 014815] on slide: COSTA RICA. CARTAGO, Parque Nacional Tapantí, 9°44.22’N 83°46.82’W, 1290 m, 27.vi.2003, R.A. Rakitov (collected while antennating an intact egg mass of Quichira parallela Rakitov & Godoy on a Pennisetum purpureum leaf, grassy roadside). The holotype lacks one hind wing and one foreleg.

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Head and mesosoma mostly dark brown except pronotum light brown to brown, mesosomal sternum with distinct, well-developed yellow streak between pro- and mesocoxae; most of gaster except apex brown; scape, petiole distally and apex of gaster light brown; pedicel and flagellum brown; legs mostly light brown except bases of meso- and metacoxa, metatibia, and distal tarsomeres brown.

Antenna ( Fig. 211 ) with radicle 0.26x total length of scape, rest of scape 3.6x as long as wide; pedicel much shorter than F1; F1–F4 subequal in length and longer than following funicle segments, F5–F8 each a little shorter than preceding funicle segment; F1–F8 each with 2 mps; clava with 8 mps, very long (4.9x as long as wide), a little shorter than combined length of F5–F8.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 212 ). Mesoscutum and scutellum with inconspicuous sculpture. Propodeum ( Fig. 213 ) with well-developed submedian carinae extending to and connecting to each other at anterior margin of propodeum, and with several transverse (at least 1 conspicuous and several inconspicuous) rugae lateral to submedian carinae in posterior half only (the oval area between submedian carinae smooth). Forewing ( Fig.

214) 3.2x as long as wide; longest marginal seta 0.16–0.17x maximum wing width; disc with a brownish tinge throughout, bare behind submarginal vein, cubital row of setae complete, extending to base of marginal vein, and with numerous unevenly distributed setae between marginal vein and cubital row. Hind wing about 18x as long as wide; disc with a row of setae along each margin and additional setae basally and apically, and with a slight, uniform brownish tinge; longest marginal seta 1.6x maximum wing width.

Gaster longer than mesosoma. Petiole 1.1x as long as wide, a little narrower basally than apically. Ovipositor 0.6x length of gaster, barely exserted beyond its apex; ovipositor length: mesotibia length ratio about 0.9:1.

Measurements (µm) of the holotype. Body (taken from dry specimen) 1880; head (taken from dry specimen) 283; mesosoma 806; petiole 90; gaster 984; ovipositor 584. Antenna: radicle 97; rest of scape 272; pedicel 85; F1 133; F2 136; F3 131; F4 130; F5 118; F6 112; F7 106; F8 88; clava 415. Forewing 2177:677; longest marginal seta 112. Hind wing 1588:87; longest marginal seta 142.

MALE. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu sp. n. is a tentative member of the morrilli subgroup of the ater species group, mainly because of the presence of several transverse rugae on the propodeum. Otherwise, it is quite similar to G. (Cosmocomoidea) uat Triapitsyn and G. (Cosmocomoidea) ashmeadi Girault , both of the ater subgroup of the ater species group. Gonatocerus blefuscu is a large species recognizable by the following unique combination: female antenna ( Fig. 211 ) with flagellum brown, F1–F8 each with 2 mps; forewing ( Fig. 214 ) with cubital row of setae complete, extending to the base of marginal vein, and with numerous setae between the marginal vein and the cubital row of setae. It differs from G. uat , which has just a few setae between the marginal vein and the cubital row of setae ( Fig. 488 ), by the relatively longer funicle segments of the female antenna and by the propodeum having several (at least 1 conspicuous and several inconspicuous) transverse rugae lateral to the submedian carinae in its posterior half ( Fig. 213 ). The propodeum of G. uat is almost smooth between the submedian and lateral carinae except for a few inconspicuous wrinkles in its posterior half ( Fig. 486 ).

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition (for explanation see Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift).

Host.? Quichira parallela Rakitov & Godoy (Cicadellidae) ; both G. (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu and G. (Cosmocomoidea) rakitovi sp. n. were captured while antennating the same, intact, egg mass of this sharpshooter ( Rakitov & Godoy 2005).

Figures

FIGURES 211 – 214. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) blefuscu ♀ (holotype): 211, antenna; 212, mesosoma and metasoma; 213, dorsellum and propodeum; 214, forewing.

FIGURES 485 – 488. Gonatocerus (Cosmocomoidea) uat ♀ (485, 488 – Santa Clara, Jujuy, Argentina; 486, 487 – Fundo farm, Genova, Chanchamayo, Junín, Peru): 485, antenna; 486, dorsellum and propodeum; 487, mesosoma and metasoma; 488, forewing.