Zaomma astera Hayat

Hayat, Mohammad, Ahmad, Zubair & Khan, Farmanur Rehman, 2014, Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Zootaxa 3793 (1), pp. 1-59 : 53-55

Zaomma astera Hayat , sp. nov.

( Figs 133–137 )

Female. Holotype, Length, mesosoma + metasoma, 0.86 mm [Colour and relative measurements were not noted from carded specimen. Hence, the description of colour and relative measurements are from slide-mounted specimen.] Head dark brown. Antenna ( Fig. 133 ) with radicle and scape, except white apical third, dark brown; pedicel dark brown with apex white; F1–F6 appear white, but could have been yellow; clava yellow, basal segment dark brown becoming yellow distally. Mesosoma dark brown. Wings hyaline. Fore leg, including coxa, white; femur with a pale brown sub-apical patch; tibia with a pale brown sub-basal band. Mid leg, including coxa, white; femur with a sub-apical dark brown band; tibia with a sub-basal dark brown band. Hind leg with coxa and largely femur dark brown; tibia dark brown, white in basal fifth or so, and in apical third; tarsus white. Metasoma dark brown, apex of TVII white; third valvula dark brown.

Head ( Fig. 134 ), in frontal view, 1.4× as broad as high; frontovertex width 0.3× head width; ocelli in about a right angle; posterior ocellus nearly touching margin of eye; scrobes inverted U-shaped with margins rounded; eye height 1.5× malar space; vertex with raised reticulate sculpture; frons with fine, reticulate sculpture, the cells transversely elongate; space between scrobe and eye margin on face with obliquely elongate cells; malar space with lineolate reticulate sculpture; setae on head silvery white; eye apparently bare. Mandible with two teeth and a truncation ( Fig. 135 ). Antenna ( Fig. 133 ) with scape 3.66× as long as broad, and longer than frontovertex width (14:11); pedicel slightly longer than F1–F3 combined; F1–F4 each transverse, 1.23× (F1), 1.5× (F2), 1.4× (F3), and 1.48× (F4), as broad as long; F5 longer than F4, and 1.17× as broad as long; F6 1.15× as long as broad; clava broader than F6, and longer than funicle. Relative measurements (holotype, slide)—head frontal width, 36.5; frontovertex width, 11; head frontal height, 26; eye height, 18; malar space, 12; antennal scape length, 14.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 136 ). Mesoscutum largely with lineolate reticulate sculpture, posterior fourth with slightly elongate to irregular polygonal reticulate sculpture; scutellum with lineolate reticulate sculpture, polygonally reticulate along base; mesoscutum with silvery white setae, except a line of six (6) long brown setae along posterior margin; scutellum with all setae (6 + 6, in middle third) detached, but possibly brown in colour; propodeum distal to spiracle with long, silvery white setae. Fore wing 2.6× as long as broad; marginal vein 2.14× as long as postmarginal vein, and 1.3× as long as stigmal vein ( Fig. 137 ); discal setae proximal to linea calva hyaline, and basal triangle bare. Relative measurements (holotype, slide)—mesosoma length, 34.5; mesoscutum (slightly tilted anteriorly) length (width), 15 (35); scutellum length (width), 16 (21); fore wing length (width), 70.5 (27); mid tibia length, 27.5; mid basitarsus length, 11; mid tibial spur length, 11.

Metasoma (on slide) about 1.5× as long as mesosoma; TI and TV with characteristic glandular areas; ovipositor, as seen through the derm, extends from base of TII of gaster, and exserted to 0.14× gaster length. Relative measurements (holotype, slide)—TVII length, 28; ovipositor length, 49; third valvula length, 10.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ( ZDAMU, registration No. HYM. CH.693), ♀ (on slide under 3 coverslips, slide No. EH.1592), labelled “ KSA: AL-BAHA: Qunfudah, vi.2012, (MT), Coll. Z. Ahmad”.

Distribution. Saudi Arabia : Al-Baha.

Etymology. The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters, and may be taken as a noun in apposition.

Comments. The absence of a brush of setae on apical third of the scutellum, and the presence of a dark brown, sub-basal band or ring on mid tibia, exclude this new species from the species included in the keys given by Gordh & Trjapitzin (1979) and Trjapitzin (1989). In the key to the Afrotropical species by Prinsloo (1979b), the new species runs to couplet number 2 ( Z. carinae Prinsloo , Z. xhosa Prinsloo ), and appears similar to Z. carinae , but differs as follows: antenna with F1–F4 subequal in length, F5 larger and longer than F4; F5 and F6 with longitudinal sensilla present; head, in frontal view, almost rectangular in outline; scutellum with lineolate reticulate sculpture, but anteriorly with polygonal reticulate sculpture (as in Z. xhosa ); ovipositor stylets [but only the second valvula] 1.67× as long as mid tibia length. In Z. carinae : antenna with F1–F5 subequal in length; only F6 with longitudinal sensilla present; head, in frontal view, almost circular in outline; scutellum completely with lineolate reticulate sculpture; ovipositor stylets about 1.5× as long as mid tibia length. The new species is also similar to Z. xhosa in having F5 larger than F4, and in the sculpture of the scutellum, but differs as follows: mandible with a large dorsal truncation; presence of a distinct dark brown patch on mid femur; ovipositor extending from TII of gaster; ovipositor stylets 1.67× as long as mid tibia, and third valvula slightly shorter than mid tibial spur. In Z. xhosa : mandible with a large pointed tooth, and two blunt teeth ( Prinsloo 1979b: fig. 17); mid femur usually with a small dark brown to pale brown spot distally; ovipositor extending almost from base of gaster; ovipositor stylets 1.8–2.0× as long as mid tibia; and third valvula 1.3× as long as mid tibial spur.

Figures

FIGURES 133 – 137. Zaomma astera Hayat, sp. nov. Female: 133, antenna; 134, head, frontal view; 135, mandible; 136, mesosoma; 137, fore wing venation.