Neanaperiallus masneri Gibson, 2009

Gibson, Gary, 2009, Description of three new genera and four new species of Neanastatinae (Hymenoptera, Eupelmidae) from Baltic amber, with discussion of their relationships to extant taxa, ZooKeys 20 (20), pp. 175-214 : 200-203

Neanaperiallus masneri Gibson , sp. n.

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Figs 57–65

Etymology. The genus name is formed from the first part of the subfamily name, Neanastatinae , and the Greek word periallos, meaning “before all others”, in reference to the postulated relationships of this genus to other genera classified in the subfamily. The species name is in honour of Dr. Lubomír Masner, who also is “before all others” in his enthusiasm for entomology and life, his unparalleled efforts in collection development, and his contributions to the systematics and understanding of parasitic wasps.

Type material. Holotype (Fig. 57): ♀, AMNH, labelled “ BALTIC AMBER: Eocene (Lutetian), purchased (2007) from Jens-Wilhelm Janzen AMNH B-JWJ-265 ” / “ HOLOTYPE Neanaperiallus masneri Gibson ”. The unique female is in a flat piece of Baltic amber having a circumference formed of five sides of different lengths. The specimen is entire, but its right side is completely obscured by a white milky substance, a large bubble obscures most of the frontal surface of its head (Figs 57, 58), the right wings obscure most of metanotum, propodeum and gaster dorsally, and minute air bubbles reduce clarity of observation.

Description. Length = 3.3 mm including ovipositor sheaths. Body superficially yellow, but probably uniformly brown based on acropleuron and part of first two gastral tergites. Head in dorsolateral view ovoid with vertex and temple rounded into occiput; dimensions not measurable but certainly wider than high and torulus apparently conspicuously below lower occular line; occiput with ∩ -shaped occipital carina (Fig. 59: oc); face not clearly visible, but apparently with shallow, unmargined scrobal depression; length of gena ventrally posterior to eye less than malar space (Fig. 60). Eye at least superficially bare. Antenna (Fig. 58) 13-segmented, scape foreshortened but approximate ratio of segments from pedicel = 4.2: 1.1: 2.4: 2.0: 2.0: 1.8: 1.7: 1.7: 1.7: 5.0; scape compressed, elongate-rectangular for most of length; funicle with 8 segments, fu 1 (Fig. 58: fu 1) differentiated from remaining segments as slightly transverse ring-segment, fl 2 longer than wide and the longest segment, and subsequent segments slightly longer than wide basally to slightly wider than long apically; clava compact 3-segmented with transverse sutures and apparently with only small micropilose sensory region apically on terminal segment. Pronotum in dorsal view (Fig. 59: no 1) about one-third length of mesoscutum with surface sloping from posterior margin, uniformly setose and punctate-reticulate; in lateral view (Fig. 60: no 1) almost vertical with dorsal half only slightly convex. Mesoscutum (Fig. 59) not distinctly shoulder-like posterior to pronotum, about 1.35× wider than long; uniformly convex, setose and punctate-reticulate, without evident parapsidal lines or distinct notauli except apparently for very short furrow (Fig. 60: fur) anteriorly at level of lateral margin of pronotum mesal to spiracle (Fig. 60: sp). Scutellar-axillar complex with convergent but anteriorly separated, sulcate scutoscutellar sutures (Fig. 59: sss) differentiating low convex axillae and scutellum; sculpture not clearly visible but uniformly setose, including scutellum to posterior margin; axillae equilateral to slightly elongate-triangular with inner angles separated by about 0.5 anterior width of axilla; scutellum not carinate laterally, with distinct frenal arm (Fig. 59: far) but without evident frenum or marginal rim. Metanotum differentiated into median, apparently more or less semicircular dorsellum (Figs 59, 60: dor) and anteriorly crenulate lateral panel; in lateral view obliquely angled dorsellum forming continuous surface with scutellar apex and propodeum (Fig. 60: dor), but in dorsal view scutellar apex and dorsellum separated slightly (Fig. 59). Propodeum without differentiated plical and callar regions, setose lateral to spiracle and with crenulate band along anterior margin posterior to lateral panel of metanotum (Fig. 59); propodeal foramen strongly convergent anteriorly such that propodeum apparently less than half as long medially as laterally and with a median carina; spiracle adjacent to anterior margin laterally (Fig. 59: sp). Prepectus (Fig. 60: pre) triangular with rounded anterior angle projecting anterodorsally in oblique plane relative to mesonotum and extending under spiracle very slightly over extreme posterolateral margin of pronotum to level of anterior margin of spiracle (Fig. 60: sp); dorsal margin extending distinctly posterior to base of tegula and forming almost right angle with posterior margin (Fig. 60). Mesopleuron with uniformly convex acropleuron extending posteriorly to metapleuron (Fig. 60: pl 3) and anterodorsal margin of mesocoxa, at least externally separating linear mesepimeral band (Fig. 60: uep) along posterodorsal margin of acropleuron from flat, triangular, lower mesepimeron between acropleuron and base of mesocoxa (Fig. 60: lep); acropleuron differentiated by crenulate acropleural sulcus (Fig. 60: acs) directed obliquely from above mesocoxa to apex of prepectus, bare, and apparently smooth and shiny; mesepisternum setose ventral to acropleural sulcus (Fig. 60: mes). Metapleuron (Fig. 60: pl 3) superficially a setose triangular region between posterodorsal margin of acropleuron and dorsal margin of metacoxa, but strongly tapered ventrally so as to extend as almost linear, bare strip between acropleuron to anteroventral angle of metacoxa. Mesosternum with sulcate discrimen (Fig. 61: dsc), without transepisternal sulcus, and with straight-transverse posterior margin abutting mesocoxae (Fig. 61: msr). Presence or absence of protibial spicule not visible. Middle leg not conspicuously lengthened, at most about as long as hind leg (Fig. 57); mesocoxa with large basolateral cavity opposite angle formed between acropleuron and mesepisternum (Fig. 61: mcc); mesotibia with strong setae apically, but without differentiated rows of spines (Fig. 64), and with mesotibial spur only about 1.5× as long as apical width of tibia; mesotarsus robust and slightly tapered apically (Fig. 64), the basitarsus only about 3× as long as wide and about as long as remaining segments, the mesotarsal peg pattern not clearly visible but apparently with dense row of spines or pegs along both anterior and posterior ventral margins (Figs 64, 65). Hind leg with tibia and tarsus slender. Fore wing (Fig. 57) hyaline; costal cell setose only along leading margin; basal cell and disc uniformly setose except for elongate, broad bare band (Fig. 62: spc) behind base of marginal vein and parastigma, bare band separated from venation and basal fold by region of setae about equal to width of bare band; cc: mv: pmv: stv = 5.5: 3.5: 3.0: 1.3; stigmal vein apically curved into distinct uncus. Gaster very broadly sessile, in lateral view (Fig. 63) high with strongly convex dorsal surface, but this an artifact of preservation (tergites and sternites separated, probably due to gas formed during decomposition); with seven visible, uniformly setose gastral tergites; terminal tergite apparently composed of fused Gt 7 and Gt 8, with cercus (Fig. 63: cer) closer to anterior than posterior margin and possibly with suture across tergite anterior to cercus dorsally,

Figures 57–62. Neanaperiallus masneri sp. n. (♀ holotype): 57 lateral habitus 58 antenna 59 posterodorsal head and dorsal mesosoma 60 lateral head and mesosoma 6Ι ventral mesosternum and mesocoxae 62 base of fore wing.

but at least with deep furrow behind cercus; bare structure (Fig. 63: bs) over ovipositor sheaths posterior to syntergum likely membranous and either extruded anal plate or part of anal filament; hypopygium extending about half length of gaster (Fig. 63: hyp). Ovipositor sheaths projecting, but by distance only about equal to length of basitarsus of middle leg (Fig. 63).

Biology. Unknown, but its short ovipositor sheaths indicate the species parasitized exposed hosts or those comparatively near the surface.

Remarks. Neanaperiallus masneri is characterized by most of its setae appearing to be slightly lanceolate or spatulate (Figs 59, 63), but this likely is an artifact resulting from the setae being surrounded by a thin layer of air because in lateral view the pronotal and mesoscutal setae appear more normal (Fig. 60).

In dorsal (Fig. 59) or lateral view (Fig. 60), N. masneri has an unusually short and stocky mesosoma compared to the more elongate-fusiform mesosoma that characterizes other Neanastatinae (Figs 1–4, 27, 39, 49) and most other Eupelmidae . Dorsally, this is largely because it has a strongly transverse pronotum and slightly transverse mesoscutum (Fig. 59). In lateral view its enlarged acropleuron also appears to comprise less of the mesosoma than for other Neanastatinae (cf. Fig. 60 with Figs 19, 21, 22, 24, 41, 51) and the ventral surface of the mesosoma is obliquely angled toward the pronotum (Fig. 60) rather than being parallel with the mesonotum as in other eupelmids with a large acropleuron (Figs 19, 21, 22). Likely correlated with its short mesosoma are its relatively short middle legs (Fig. 63), which include a short mesotibial spur and short, robust mesotarsal segments (Figs 64, 65). The middle legs also appear to lack differentiated mesotibial apical pegs and may have more or less uniformly developed spines or pegs along both ventral margins of the mesotarsal segments, though this needs to be confirmed with better preserved specimens. Neanaperiallus masneri also has comparatively short antennae (Fig. 58), including a more ring-like first funicular segment (Fig. 58: fu 1). Most Neanastatinae have the first funicular segment elongate, including Aspidopleura (Fig. 47: fu 1), though it is quadrate in a few species of Metapelma and is conspicuously short and ring-like in Neanastatus .

Figures 63–65. Neanaperiallus masneri sp. n. (♀ holotype): 63 lateral gaster 64 apex of mesotibia and mesotarsus, lateral view 65 apex of mesotibia and mesotarsus, ventral view.