Hedychrum oxente Lucena & Zanella, 2022

Lucena, Daercio A. A., Santos-Neto, Pedro E., Zanella, Fernando C. V. & Almeida, Eduardo A. B., 2022, Taxonomic review of the elampine cuckoo wasps from northeastern Brazil (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), with the description of three new species, Zootaxa 5213 (3), pp. 201-235 : 212-216

Hedychrum oxente Lucena & Zanella sp. nov.

( Figs 6 , 7 , 8A–C )

Diagnosis. This species resembles Hedychrum neotropicum Mocsáry but can be distinguished from H. neotropicum based on the following combination of characters: mesotibial fovea height 1.4× breadth, metatibial fovea height 1.3× breadth (height 1.7× and 2.2× breadth in H. neotropicum , respectively); vertex and dorsum of meso- and metasoma with distinctive purplish-blue bands (faintly spotted in H. neotropicum ); and T2 with large dark purplishblue spot (T2 with discrete bluish highlight in H. neotropicum ).

Description. Holotype, female ( Fig. 6 ). Body length: 6.4 mm.

Head. Breadth 1.2× high; least distance between antennal rims 0.7× MOD; scape 2.8× longer than its maximum width; F1 length 1.8× breadth, 1.6× F2, F2 slightly longer than F3; F3–F10 subequal in size; F11 slightly longer than F10; lower medial margin of clypeus straight; subantennal distance 0.5× MOD; malar space shorter than 0.2× MOD; gena progressively narrowed on half lower portion; POL 2× OL; 0.7× OOL; LID 1.7× scape length; eye height 1.3× breadth.

Mesosoma. Anterolateral corner of pronotum bordered with discrete carina; lateral pronotal depression striate, with distinct lower pit; notaulus and parapsidal signum faintly marked; R1 2 v very short, barely visible; 2r-rs 2 v 1.9× longer than cu-a 2 v; mesotibial fovea height 1.4× breadth; metatibial fovea height 1.3× breadth; outer apical margin of tibiae with short, even, spines; meso- and metabasitarsomere with crown of short, evenly-sized, spines; venter of tarsomeres with apical, irregularly-sized, spines.

Coloration. Head mostly metallic green, with purplish blue tints on vertex; base of mandible green; discrete golden highlights on frons and scapal basin; scape metallic green; pedicel and base of stipe bluish green; apex of clypeus, half distal portion of mandible and flagellomeres brown; mesosoma mainly metallic green, with medial purplish-blue bands on pronotum, scutum, scutellum; posterior declivity of metapectal-propodeal complex with purplish blue tints; bluish highlights on lateral procoxa, pronotum, and metapleuron-propodeum; tegula brown, with greenish highlight anteriorly; wing membrane light fuscous with brown veins; legs mostly metallic green, with discrete golden highlights on tibiae; basitarsomeres greenish brown, distal tarsomeres light brown; dorsum of metasoma mainly metallic green; T1 with posterior transverse bluish purple band; T2 with wide, dark, bluish purple spot occupying much of disc; T3 with T-like, anteromedial bluish purple band; T3 distal rim hyaline basolaterally; S1, S3, and laterotergites dark brown; S2 mostly dark brown, with metallic green band occupying half posterior portion.

Sculpture. Vertex and frons densely foveate-punctate, except discrete impunctate polished area beside each lateral ocellus; lower gena longitudinally striate; scapal basin densely cross-ridged, upper border with impunctate, polished, transverse stripe; lower face punctulate-striate; clypeus punctulate-striate marginally, becoming sparser and non-striate on disc; scape punctulate; dorsum of mesosoma and mesopleuron densely foveate, larger and deeper on metanotum; scutellum with tiny punctures inserted on interspaces among larger foveae; lateral pronotum, posterior mesopleuron and half lower portion of metapleuron-propodeum transversely striate; upper half portion of metapleuron-propodeum distinctively polished; ventral surface of femora punctulate, distinctively denser on metafemora; metasomal terga densely sculptured becoming finer medially, particularly on T1 and T2; T3 slightly rugulose marginally; sterna punctulate, denser on laterotergites.

Vestiture. Head with short, sparse, castaneous setae on vertex, becoming paler, sparser and longer on gena and occiput; clypeus with sparse, pale setae marginally; labrum with relatively long, castaneous, setae; outer surface of mandible with short, pale setae; scape with short, suberect, pale setae; flagellomeres with short, suberect, pale setae; eye glabrous (magnification above 100×); dorsum of mesosoma with short, erect, sparse, castaneous setae, denser on pronotum; propleuron with long, sparse, pale setae; wing membrane entirely setose; legs with abundant setae, femora and tibiae with some outstanding, long, yellowish pale setae; venter of tarsomeres with dense, evenly-sized, spine-like setae; dorsum of metasoma with abundant, suberect, yellowish pale setae, denser and longer on T3; S2 and S3 with long, dense, yellowish pale setae, denser and longer distally on S3.

Male ( Fig. 7 ). Same as female, except: scape 3.3× longer than its maximum width; POL 2.3× OL; eye height 1.4× breadth; 2r-rs 2 v just slightly longer than cu-a 2 v; outer apical margin of tibiae with short, irregularly-sized, spines; mesobasitarsomere lacking crown of spines; pre-apical swelling of T3 discernible only laterally; fainter bluish-purple bands on vertex, dorsum of mesosoma, and T3; metathorax bluer; sterna mostly dark brown, with metallic green band on disc of S2–S3; sculpturing of metasomal terga slightly coarser.

Variation. Specimens vary from 5.8 to 6.6 mm in total body length.

Material examined. Holotype ♀. BRAZIL, Paraíba: Prata, PA Zé Marcolino/ Anselmo , 07°38′3.74″S 37°1′24.98″W, 17.ix.2010, A. Silva ( UFMG 1201713 ) . Allotype ♂: Ceará: Ubajara , 03°50′50″S 40°53′23″W, 22.x.2011, F. C. V. Zanella ( CEDU-UNILA: 1♂). Other paratypes: Baturité, 04°20′09″S 38°52′19″W, 30.iv.2014, Almeida, Lucena & Tavares ( RPSP: 1♂). Baturité, 25.vii.1908, A. Ducke ( MPEG: 1♀); 13.vii.1908 ( MPEG 03006013 : 1♂) .

Distribution. BRAZIL (Ceará, Paraíba) ( Fig. 9 ).

Host. Unknown.

Remarks. The coarsely contiguous sculptured integument of H. oxente sp. nov., particularly on pronotum and metasoma, readily distinguish this species from H. neotropicum (see Fig. 8 ). The distinctive purplish-blue tints on vertex and dorsum of meso- and metasoma, and the large dark purplish-blue spot on T2 are also diagnostics for this species. The holotype and the allotype were collected in September and October, the peak of the dry season in the region. Coloration and vestiture of two paratypes from Baturité-CE in the MPEG are severely altered. We could assign them to H. oxente sp. nov. based on the shape of the metatibial fovea, the coarse and contiguous sculpturing on pronotum, and the large dark purplish-blue spot on T2. Three male specimens from Codó (Maranhão state, 17.vi.1907, A. Ducke, MPEG) previously recorded for northeastern Brazil as H. neotropicum ( Ducke 1907, 1913) may represent a distinct species (see the Discussion section below). Because the coloration and vestiture of these male specimens are poorly preserved, we could not confidently assign them to H. oxente sp. nov., H. neotropicum , or interpret them as another new species. These three male specimens from Codó are therefore left unidentified until a confident conclusion can be drawn from their morphology.

Etymology. “ oxente ” is a neutral interjection word. This is an expression spoken in northeastern Brazil to state admiration, astonishment, surprise.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Hedychrum oxente Lucena & Zanella sp. nov., holotype female [UFMG]. A. Habitus, lateral left view; B. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; C. Head, frontal view; D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. T3, dorsal view; F. Head and mesosoma, lateral left view; G. Metasoma, dorso-lateral right view; H. Metasoma, dorsal view; I. T1–T2, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (C, E, I), 1 mm (A, B, D, F, G, H).

FIGURE 7. Hedychrum oxente Lucena & Zanella sp. nov., allotype male [CEDU-UNILA]. A. Habitus, lateral left view; B. Head and pronotum, dorsal view; C. Head, frontal view; D. Habitus, dorsal view; E. T3, dorsal view; F. Head and mesosoma, lateral left view; G. Metasoma, dorso-lateral right view; H. Metasoma, dorsal view; I. T1–T2, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (B, C, E, I), 1 mm (A, D, F, G, H).

FIGURE 8. Comparative images of two South American Hedychrum (females). A–C: H. oxente Lucena & Zanella sp. nov. D–F: H. neotropicum Mocsáry. A, D: Pronotum, dorsal view; B, E: Fovea of mesotibia; C, F: Fovea of metatibia. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 9. Geographical records of two South American Hedychrum (left); individual records for each species shown on the maps on the right.