Orasema psarops, Baker & Heraty, 2020

Baker, Austin J. & Heraty, John M., 2020, The New World ant parasitoid genus Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), Zootaxa 4888 (1), pp. 1-84 : 78-80

Orasema psarops n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1BA0B3C7-5600-448B-AC4E-BECF1E80FC4F

( Fig. 43 )

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other Orasema by the following combination of characters: antenna with 8 funiculars ( Fig. 43D ), labrum with 4 digits ( Fig. 43B ), dorsal mesosoma entirely rugose-reticulate ( Fig. 43F ), legs beyond coxae entirely yellow ( Fig. 43A ), body size large (females 4.2–4.6 mm), basal third of fore wing entirely bare except

for a single posterior line of setae, stigmal vein angled toward wing base ( Fig. 43A inset), and lower face with scattered minute punctures ( Fig. 43B ).

Description. Female. Length 4.2–4.6 mm ( Fig. 43A ). Color. Head and mesosoma iridescent green-blue. Scape yellow; pedicel brown; anellus yellow; flagellum dark brown. Mandible yellow with teeth black at apex; maxilla and labium yellow. Coxae dark brown with green iridescence; femora and tibiae yellow ( Fig. 43E ). Fore wing hyaline; venation brown. Petiole same as mesosoma; gaster dark brown with iridescence. Head ( Fig. 43B ). Head in frontal view subtriangular; HW:HH = 1.2–1.3; face reticulate with small scattered impressions; scrobal depression shallow, laterally rounded, with transverse striae; dorsal scrobal depressions absent; longitudinal groove between eye and torulus absent; eyes sparsely setose, IOD:EH = 1.6–1.7; MS:EH = 0.8–1.0; malar depression weakly impressed adjacent to mouth; supraclypeal area longer than broad, shorter than clypeus, weakly reticulate; clypeus smooth; epistomal sulcus distinct and sharply defined; anterior tentorial pit strongly impressed; anteclypeus distinct, broadly rounded. Labrum with 4 digits. Mandibular formula 3:2; palpal formula 3:3. Occiput imbricate, emarginate in dorsal view, dorsal margin evenly rounded; temples present, rounded. Scape not reaching median ocellus. Pedicel small and globose. Flagellum with 8 funiculars; FL:HH = 1.2–1.3; anellus disc-shaped; F2L:F2W = 1.2–1.3, F2L:F3L = 0.8–1.0; following funiculars subequal in width, successively shorter; clava subconical ( Fig. 43D ). Mesosoma ( Fig. 43C, F ). ML:MH = 1.1–1.3. Mesoscutal midlobe rugose-reticulate, sparsely setose; lateral lobe rugose-reticulate; notauli deep. Axilla rugose-reticulate, dorsally flat, on same plane as mesoscutellum; scutoscutellar sulcus broad, irregularly foveate, broadly separated from transscutal articulation; mesoscutellar disc as long as broad, rugose-reticulate; frenal line foveate; frenum areolate-reticulate; axillular sulcus vaguely indicated by carina; axillula areolate-reticulate. Propodeal disc flat, areolate-reticulate, without depression or carina ( Fig. 43G ); callus reticulate, with a few small setae. Propleuron convex, reticulate. Prepectus triangular dorsally, strongly narrowed ventrally, sculpture areolate-reticulate. Mesepisternum strigate-reticulate laterally, areolate-reticulate anteriorly, broadly rounded anterior to mid coxa; postpectal carina weak. Upper mesepimeron smooth; lower mesepimeron rugose-reticulate; transepimeral sulcus distinct. Metepisternum laterally reticulate. HCL:HCW = 1.5, reticulate dorsally, smooth ventrally; HFL:HFW = 5.8–6.3, evenly covered with short, dense setae. FWL:FWW = 2.5–2.8, FWL: ML = 2.5–2.6; basal area and speculum bare, costal cell and wing disc densely setose; marginal fringe minute; submarginal vein with several long setae; marginal vein setose; stigmal vein slightly longer than broad, slightly angled toward base of wing; postmarginal vein longer than stigmal vein. Hind wing costal cell with a few setae apically.

Metasoma. Petiole cylindrical, linear in profile, PTL:PTW = 2.5, PTL:HCL = 1.4, areolate-reticulate, lateral margin rounded, ventral sulcus present with margins broadly separated. Antecostal sulcus foveate; acrosternite posteriorly rounded; apical setae of hypopygium with one pair of setae much longer than the others. Ovipositor not visible.

Male. Unknown.

Hosts. Unknown.

Plant associates. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 38 ). Venezuela: TA. Collected in July (2 specimens).

Material examined. Holotype. VENEZUELA. Tchira : Pregonero, Camp. Siberia, Hospital, 1280m, 8 ° 00’56”N, 71 ° 45’48”W, 10-31.vii.1989, S. & J. Peck [♀, deposited in UCRC: UCRCENT00434755] . Paratype. VENEZUELA. Tchira: Pregonero, Camp. Siberia, Hospital , 1280m, 8 ° 00’56”N, 71 ° 45’48”W, 10-31.vii.1989, S. & J. Peck [1♀, UCRC: UCRCENT00434753] .

Etymology. From Greek psaro meaning “speckled” and ops meaning “face in reference to the small punctures scattered across the face.

Discussion. This species has some similarities to another Venezuelan species, O. chunpi Burks, Heraty & Dominguez ( stramineipes species group); however, it is distinctly larger and its antennae do not closely resemble other stramineipes -group species. The large body size and sculpture may suggest and affiliation with the tolteca species group, but it lacks the distinctively broad face, dark femora, and bare anterior edge of the fore wing costal cell.

Figures

FIGURE 38. Distribution map of unplaced Orasema species.

FIGURE 43. Orasema psarops. Holotype female (UCRCENT00434755): A, habitus, lateral (inset: stigmal vein, wing apex to the right); B, head, anterior; C, mesosoma, lateral; D, antenna; E, metatibia and tarsus; F, mesosoma, dorsal; G, propodeum, posterior.