Microdonophagus levis, Hansson, Christer, 2009

Hansson, Christer, 2009, The genus Microdonophagus Schauff (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 2200, pp. 54-60 : 56-58

Microdonophagus levis sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 3 , 5, 7, 9 , 11 )

Diagnosis. Differs from M. woodleyi in several characters, but the most distinctive feature is females have the head and mesosoma smooth and shiny ( Figs 7, 9 , 11 ), wheras those of M. woodleyi have the head and mesosoma strongly reticulate ( Figs 8, 10 , 12 ); also the strongly enlarged lower mesepimeron is a very distinct feature of M. levis ( Fig. 11 ).

Description. Female. Length 1.4 mm.

Scape yellowish-brown, pedicel and flagellum pale brown. Head and body including gaster dark brown and shiny. Coxae pale brown; femora, tibiae and tarsi yellowish-brown. Wings hyaline.

Flagellum without anelli, with three funicular segments and a two-segmented clava (the claval segments are partly to completely fused) ( Figs 1 , 5 ). Frons smooth and shiny ( Fig. 7 ), without antennal scrobes and frontal suture, with a narrow and sharp process (interantennal crest) between toruli. Vertex smooth and shiny. Occipital margin sharp. Eyes with scattered short hairs. Ratios of height of eye/length of malar space/width of mouth 1.6/1.0/1.0; distances between posterior ocelli/between posterior ocelli and eyes/between posterior ocelli and occipital margin 5.1/3.3/1.0; width of head/width of thorax 1.3.

Mesoscutum smooth and shiny ( Fig. 9 ); midlobe with two pairs of setae; notauli as wide grooves in posterior half, not visible in anterior half. Scutellum smooth and shiny ( Fig. 9 ); with one pair of setae; with a distinct groove in anteromedian one-fifth; with sublateral grooves in posterior half. Propodeum with a wide and flat median carina that has anterior part pointed ( Fig. 9 ); with wide sublateral grooves; lateral to grooves with two complete longitudinal carinae, one inside and one outside the spiracle; propodeal callus with six setae; propodeal surface smooth. Forewing with 2–3 setae on dorsal surface of submarginal vein; costal cell bare; speculum closed below; postmarginal vein not visible. Ratios of length of wing/length of marginal vein/ height of wing 1.8/1.0/1.0.

Petiole as long as wide, dorsal surface with strong sculpture. Gaster circular; gastral tergites smooth and slightly shrivelled. Ratio of length of mesosoma/length of gaster 1.3.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype female COSTA RICA, Heredia, La Selva Biological Research Station, 1026'N, 8401'W, 75 m, 27–28.ii.2003, J.S. Noyes, in the Natural History Museum, London. Paratype: A female from same locality as holotype but collected 23–24.ii.2004, in Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad in Costa Rica.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Costa Rica.

Etymology. Named for the smooth and shiny head and body: levis, Latin for smooth.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Microdonophagus spp. 1. M. levis, antenna, female. 2. M. woodleyi, antenna, female. 3. M. levis, second funicular segment, female. 4. M. woodleyi, second funicular segment, female. Abbreviation: sen = longitudinal sensillum.

FIGURES 5 – 10. Microdonophagus spp. 5. M. levis, antennal clava, female. 6. M. woodleyi, antennal clava, female. 7. M. levis, head frontal, female. 8. M. woodleyi, head frontal, female. 9. M. levis, thoracic dorsum, female. 10. M. woodleyi, thoracic dorsum, female. Abbreviation: isp = interantennal crest.

FIGURES 11 – 12. Microdonophagus spp. 11. M. levis, mesosoma lateral, female. 12. M. woodleyi, mesosoma lateral, female. Abbreviations: lme = lower mesepimeron; pst = prosternum.