Propristocera seediq, Liao & Terayama & Eguchi, 2019

Liao, Hauchuan, Terayama, Mamoru & Eguchi, Katsuyuki, 2019, Revision of Taiwanese and Ryukyuan species of Propristocera (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4668 (4), pp. 451-474 : 457-460

Propristocera seediq sp. nov.

( Figs 7 , 8 ; Table 1 )

Diagnosis. Male. TL = 3.6–5.1 mm. HL/HW × 100 = 104–113. Head with sparse and shallow foveae (ca. 0.02–0.03 mm in diameter) of which intervals are smooth and shining; intervals in vertex and lateral part of frons wider than diameter of foveae; intervals in median part of frons as wide as or narrower than diameter of foveae. Clypeus obtuse-triangular. Mandible with one apical tooth. LP/WP = 1.23–1.30. Metapostnotal median carina incomplete posteriorly. Apical part of hypopygium strongly concave and bilobate, with two large triangular lobes. Apical lobe of aedeagus forming one extremely large apicolateral extension which is largely hooked ventrobasad and reaches the level of ventral valve; outer edge of the extension serrate. Female. Unknown.

Male description. Color. Body black; mandible, antenna and legs brown or light brown; fore and hind wings subhyaline, with veins brown or light brown.

Head longer than broad, with HL/HW × 100 = 104–113 (holotype 104), with posterior margin convex, with posterolateral corner round; occipital carina present. Dorsal face of head shiny and foveolate (ca. 0.02–0.03 mm in diameter); intervals in vertex and lateral part of frons wider than diameter of foveae; intervals in median part of frons as wide as or narrower than diameter of foveae. Compound eye large and convex, with sparse thin erect setae. POL: AOL = 6:5; OOL:WOT = 1.2:1; DAO = 0.07 mm. Mandible with one apical tooth; upper and lower margins diverging in basal two-thirds; apical one-third of upper margin almost straight; outer face with faint and fine longitudinal rugulae. Clypeus imbricate; median portion triangularly produced anterad, with median longitudinal carina, which reaches anterior margin. Antennomere I 2.7 × as long as maximum width; antennomere I:II:III = 16:5: 9 in length; antennomere II 1.5 × as long as wide, narrowed and bent in basal part; antennomere III–XII each 2.3–2.5 × as long as wide, elongatecylindrical; antennomere XIII (terminal) 4.0 × as long as wide, with round apex.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with anterior flange extending anterad beyond anterior margin of propleuron; anterior slope very steep; dorsal area subtrapezoidal, with concave posterior margin, with inconspicuous foveae with intervals wider than diameter of foveae, and smooth and shining; anterior slope and dorsal area not separated by carina; LPD/WPD = 0.44–0.50 (holotype 0.44). Mesoscutum largely smooth and shining; area along notauli foveolate; notaulus distinct, not reaching anterior nor posterior margins of mesoscutum; parapsidal signum short, present on posterior one-third to two-thirds of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum smooth and shining, inconspicuously foveolate. Mesoscutum-mesoscutellar suture deep and slightly convex anterad. Mesopleuron elongate, largely smooth and shining excluding anterior, upper and lower depressions; anterior, upper and lower depressions present, with inconspicuous foveae; mesopleural pit absent. Lateral surface of metapectal-propodeal complex obliquely rugose in marginal area, and imbricate or irregularly rugose in central area. Metapectal-propodeal complex in dorsal view with LP/WP = 1.23–1.30 (holotype 1.29), with lateral margins subparallel but slightly convex; metapostnotal median carina moderately distinct, incomplete posteriorly; submedian rugae distinct irregularly running; sublateral margin moderately distinct; transverse posterior margin moderately distinct, almost straight; dorsomedian face obliquely rugoso-scabrous, with intervals smooth and shining; antero-inner portion of dorsolateral face weakly scabriculous; postero-outer portion of dorsolateral face strongly areolate-rugose, with intervals somewhat imbricate but shining; median portion of propodeal declivity weakly transversely rugoso-scabrous. Forewing with cu-a not meeting directly with Rs+M (arrows in Fig. 7F ).

Metasoma. Hypopygium with median stalk as short as lateral ones; apical part strongly incurved and bilobate, with two large triangular lobes; outer face of apicomedian part with short setae. Basiparamere glabrous. Paramere in ventral view elongate-triangular, slightly curved inward, with blunt apex, entirely covered with setae increasing in length apicad; inner basal portion with concavity which accommodates digitus and cuspis. Cuspis lobate and extending outward; subbasal part facing digitus with short and thin setae. Digitus extending outward, curled; outer face with foveae. Apical lobe of aedeagus forming one extremely large apicolateral extension largely hooked ventrobasad, and reaching level of ventral valve of aedeagus; outer edge of extension serrate.

Measurements. Holotype: HL 0.74 mm; HW 0.71 mm; EL 0.34 mm; WOT 0.18 mm; POL 0.06 mm; AOL 0.05 mm; OOL 0.22 mm; DAO 0.07 mm; LM 1.37 mm; LMT 1.22 mm; LPD 0.4 mm; WPD 0.9 mm; LP 0.79 mm; WP 0.61 mm; TL 3.68 mm. Paratypes (n = 2): HL 0.73, 0.95 mm; HW 0.69, 0.84 mm; EL 0.34, 0.41 mm; WOT 0.18, 0.25 mm; POL 0.07 mm; AOL 0.06, 0.07 mm; OOL 0.25, 0.30 mm; DAO 0.07, 0.09 mm; LM 1.37, 2.13 mm; LMT 1.39, 2.16 mm; LPD 0.28, 0.43 mm; WPD 0.58, 0.93 mm; LP 0.53, 0.75 mm; WP 0.41, 0.61 mm; TL 3.6, 5.1 mm.

Material examined. Holotype. Ƌ, specimen no. TN 160725 _01, depository: NMNS; Taiwan, Nantou County, Huisun experimental forest, N24°05'12", E121°01'56", 779 m alt.; HauChuan Liao leg. (sweeping); 27/VII/2016.

Paratypes. 2 Ƌ (TN 160725 _10, TARI; TN 160725 _12-1, NIAES); Taiwan, Nantou County, Huisun experimental forest, N24°05'12", E121°01'56", 779 m alt.; HauChuan Liao leg. (sweeping); 27/VII/2016 . Non-type specimens examined. 1 Ƌ ( TP 170606 _32); Taiwan, Pingtung County, Mt. Kaoshihfu , N22°07'44", E120°47'55", 315 m alt.; HauChuan Liao leg. (sweeping); 19/V/2017. 2 Ƌ (JI 170808 _24; JI 170808 _25) ; Japan, Okinawa County, Ishigakijima Island, Mt. Yarabu , N24°26'24", E124°05'54", 129 m alt.; HauChuan Liao leg. (sweeping); 13/VIII/2017. 3 Ƌ ( TNT 180706 _02; TNT 180706 _03; TNT 180706 _05) ; Taiwan, New Taipei City, Mt. Tatung , N24°52'54", E121°34'08", 315 m alt.; HauChuan Liao leg. (sweeping); 06/VII/2018 .

Etymology. This species is named after “Seediq”, a Taiwanese aboriginal people who live primarily in Nantou County.

Taxonomic remarks. This species is most similar in general appearance, except the characters mentioned below, to P. pingtungensis among the valid species known from East and Southeast Asia. But they are easily distinguished by the following characters in the male: LP/WP = 1.23–1.30 in P. seediq ( Fig. 7E ), but 0.98–1.10 in P. pingtungensis ( Fig. 15E ); apical part of hypopygium plate bilobate, with two large and triangular lobes in P. seediq ( Fig. 8A ), but trilobate with two large lateral and one small median lobes in P. pingtungensis ( Fig. 18A ); apicolateral extension of apical lobe of aedeagus reaching the level of ventral valve in P. seediq ( Figs 8C, 8D ), but not reaching the level of ventral valve in P. pingtungensis ( Figs 18C, 18D ).

Propristocera seediq was recognized as a strongly supported clade ( Fig. 6 ). The maximum intraspecific distance of P. seediq was distinctly smaller than the minimum interspecific distance among the three Taiwanese species (excluding P. formosimonticola ; Table 2 ).

Both morphological and molecular evidences strongly support the identity of P. seediq as an independent species.

Distribution and habitat. Northern, midland and southern Taiwan; Ishigaki-jima Island of the southern Ryukyus. The species has been collected from evergreen broadleaved forests in lowland and hills.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Bayesian inference tree based on the 28S+CO1 sequence dataset. Bootstrap and posterior probability values are given beside the nodes. The tips are labeled with the specimen IDs. Amami, Amami-Oshima Island; Okinawa, Okinawa- Hontou Island; Ishigaki, Ishigaki-jima Island; N. Taiwan, northern Taiwan; M. Taiwan, midland of Taiwan; S. Taiwan, southern Taiwan.

FIGURE 7. Propristocera seediq sp. nov. A, B, D, E, holotype; C, F, G, paratype, specimen TN160725_10. A, head in dorsal view; B, right antenna; C, mandible; D, mesosoma in lateral view; E, mesosoma in dorsal view; F, forewing; G, hind wing. Scale = 0.5 mm

FIGURE 8. Propristocera seediq sp. nov., specimen TNT180706_05. A, hypopygium; B, C, genitalia in ventral view; D, left apicolateral extension of apical lobe of aedeagus in outer view. Scale = 0.2 mm

FIGURE 15. Propristocera pingtungensis, holotype. A, head in dorsal view; B, antenna (left); C, mandible; D, mesosoma in lateral view; E, forewing; F, mesosoma in dorsal view. Scale = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 18. Propristocera pingtungensis, specimen TN160725_07-3. A, hypopygium; B, C, genitalia in ventral view; D, left apical lobe in outer view. Scale = 0.2mm