Hebynthus solex, Noyes, 2023

Noyes, John Stuart, 2023, ENCYRTIDAE OF COSTA RICA (HYMENOPTERA: CHALCIDOIDEA), 4 Subfamily Encyrtinae: tribes Arrhenophagini, Habrolepidini, Cerapterocerini, Cheiloneurini, Trechnitini, Cercobelini, Polaszekiini, Protyndarichoidini, Gahaniellini and Syrphophagini (part), mainly primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids of Coccoidea and Psylloidea (Hemiptera), Taxonomic Monographs on Neotropical Hymenoptera (Oxford, England) 2 (11), pp. 1-921 : 692-694

Hebynthus solex sp.nov.

(Figs 1900-1908; Hab. E 281, G 282)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.1-1.5mm): antenna (Fig. 1903) with scape dark brown, apex largely orange; flagellum dark brown; coxae dark brown; fore and mid femora brown with some orange; hind tibia dark brown; fore wing (Fig. 1907) weakly infuscate below marginal vein (Fig. 1906); head (Fig. 1905) about 3.4X as wide as frontovertex; malar sulcus present; antenna (Fig. 1903) with scape about 4X as long as broad; pedicel about as long as F1-F3 combined; funicle with F2-F3 transverse; linear sensilla on F4-F6; sensory part of clava extending a little more than 0.5X along ventral surface; fore wing (Fig. 1907) about 2.3X as long as broad; ventral surface of costal cell with only a single complete line of setae; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; ovipositor slightly exserted with exserted part about 0.3X as long as mid tibial spur; gonostylus about 0.9X as long as mid tibial spur. Male (length about 0.9-1.2mm): antenna (Fig. 1908) with scape about 2.6X as long as broad; funicle segments subequal in size and slightly longer than broad, aedeagus (Fig. 1901) about half as long as mid tibia.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 1.35mm; excluding ovipositor, 1.30mm ( CPD) .

Head mainly black; frontovertex with a weak dark blue and purple sheen; area immediately below eye with a relatively strong green and coppery sheen; temple and gena with a weak coppery sheen; scrobal area with a weak purple sheen and a narrow, metallic blue line across top of scrobes; setae on frontovertex, interantennal prominence and gena dark brown; antenna (Fig. 1903) with radicle and scape dark brown, apical one-quarter of scape ventrally pale orange to slightly dusky orange; pedicel and flagellum dark brown; maxillary palpus white; pronotum black with a weak coppery sheen; propleuron and prosternum black; mesoscutum with dark brown setae and shining, metallic blue-green and green with posterior margin dark brown with a weak coppery purple sheen; tegula dark brown; axilla black with a weak coppery and brassy sheen; scutellum with dark brown setae, less shiny than mesoscutum with metallic dark blue and scattered coppery reflections, vertical apex and side very shiny with a mixed green, blue-green, dark blue and coppery sheen; metanotum dark brown; mesopleuron dark brown with a moderate, mixed coppery, purple and blue sheen; mesosternum dark brown; fore coxa dark brown; fore femur dark brown, orange at apices, tibia dark brown, extreme base and apical 0.25X orange, tarsus orange, apical tarsomere brown; mid coxa dark brown; mid femur with proximal 0.4X pale orange to orange, apex dark brown, tibia dark brown in proximal 0.5X, apex orange, spur orange, tarsus slightly dusky orange, apical tarsomere brown; hind coxa, femur and tibia dark brown, hind tarsus brown; wings mostly hyaline, but weakly infuscate below marginal vein (Fig. 1906), submarginal vein pale orange, remainder of venation pale orange-brown; propodeum dark purple-brown, side metallic green, a group of about 15 conspicuous silvery setae outside spiracle; gaster dark brown, dorsally mainly with a coppery and brassy sheen, Gt1 with a strong metallic blue sheen, Gt2 with a partial, weak blue sheen, syntergum mixed dull green, sides of tergites generally with a mixed blue, coppery and brassy sheen, sternites generally with a weaker coppery and brassy sheen, outer plates of ovipositor with a weak blue sheen; gonostylus dark brown.

Head (Fig. 1905) submenisciform, about 3.4X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 2X as high as deep, evenly curved from occipital margin to top of scrobes and then forming a slight angle towards mouth margin, with interantennal prominence clearly protuberant; occipital margin sharp, carinate; ocelli forming an angle of about 80°; frontovertex slightly shiny, with fairly regular, moderately deep, polygonally reticulate sculpture of mesh size slightly smaller than eye facet; frontovertex with a pair of setae in front of anterior ocellus, a line of sparse setae along inner eye margin continued along lower eye margin; temple and gena more shiny than frontovertex, with shallower, longitudinally elongate, strigose to striate-reticulate sculpture; eye reaching occipital margin, naked, separated from scrobe by a little less than 1.5X diameter of ocellus; scrobes shallow, narrowly ∩-shaped, hardly meeting, dorsally very smooth, weakly margined dorsally and laterally; interantennal prominence weak, rounded dorsally, with shallow, regular, polygonally reticulate sculpture; antenna as in Fig. 1903; scape slightly broadened and flattened, widest above middle, about 4X as long as broad; funicle segments subquadrate, F2-F3 smallest, transverse, segments larger and broader distad; clava slightly broadened, only slightly shorter than funicle, sensory area slightly enlarged, extending ventrally about 0.6X length of clava, apex strongly obliquely truncate; malar sulcus present, indistinct; clypeal margin weakly emarginate medially; mandible with two acute teeth and a broadly truncate upper tooth. Relative measurements: HW 74, HH 71, FV 22, POL 11.5, OOL 1, OCL 3.5, AOL 8.5, EL 45, EW 33, MS 30, SL 36, SW 9.

Thorax (Fig. 1904) in dorsal view with pronotum short, mostly hidden by head; pronotum dorsally with moderately deep, imbricate-reticulate to polygonally reticulate sculpture that is about as deep as sculpture on frontovertex; mesoscutum with mainly polygonally reticulate sculpture that is perhaps very slightly shallower than that on pronotum; axilla with similar sculpture to mesoscutum; scutellum dorsally with much deeper, polygonally reticulate to striate-reticulate sculpture, vertical side and apex completely smooth and shiny, vertical apex virtually forming a right angle of about 90° with dorsal flat part; visible part of mesoscutum about 2.1X as broad as long; scutellum hardly broader than long; fore wing with venation and distribution of setae as in Figs 1906, 1907, ventral surface of costal cell with only a single complete line of setae; mid tibial spur about as long as basitarsus; propodeum (Fig. 1904) medially about 0.1X as long as scutellum, with conspicuous, irregular, reticulate sculpture. Relative measurements: FWL 81, FWW 36; HWL 60, HWW 18.

Gaster with hypopygium reaching about 0.7X to apex; syntergum about 0.7X as long as mid tibia, with apex narrowly truncate; ovipositor slightly exserted, the exserted part about one-third as long as mid tibial spur or 0.14X mid tibia.

Paratype. Funicle with linear sensilla present only on F4-F6; gonostylus about 0.9X as long as mid tibial spur; hypopygium Fig. 1900; ovipositor Fig. 1902. Relative measurements: OL 73.5, GL 22 [MT 69.5].

Variation. Females vary in overall length from 1.06-1.48mm, very little variation observed in material available although the mesoscutum normally varies from metallic blue to green, whereas in the paratype from Bosque Diría the anterior part of the mesoscutum relatively dull and coppery.

Male: length 0.87-1.21mm.

Generally very similar to female but for structure of head, antenna and genitalia; head about 2.4X as wide as frontovertex, ocelli forming a slightly obtuse angle with posterior ocelli about equidistant from eye and occipital margins; occipital margin strongly carinate; antenna (Fig. 1908) with scape about 2.6X as long as broad; funicle segments subequal in size and slightly longer than broad, clothed in setae that are about as long as diameter of segments; genitalia (Fig. 1901) with a single apical hook on digitus, aedeagus slender with acute apex. Relative measurements: HW 71, FV 29, POL 15, OOL 2.5, OCL 2.5, AOL 8.5, EL 39, EW 29.5, MS 25, SL 23, SW 9; AL 29, MT 58.5.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Cartago, La Cangreja, 9°48’N 83°58’W, 1950m, iii-v.1992 (P. Hanson, C. Godoy). Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, Bosq. Nac. Diriá, LN 239700 361800, 160m, #66713, 18.xi.2001 (Y. Cardenas); 1E, Heredia, 9km NE Vara Blanca, 10°14’N 84°06’W, 1450- 1550m, 15/M/TN, ii-iv.2005 ( INBio / OET-ALAS): 1E, Heredia, 6km NE Vara Blanca, 10°11’N 84°07’W, 20/M/NOTN, iv.2002 (INBio-OET-ALAS); 1E, Heredia, Vara Blanca, i-ii.1990 (P. Hanson); 1E, San José, Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, i.1996 (P. Hanson); 20E, San José, Zurqui de Moravia. 1600m, various dates vii.1990 - v.1996 (P. Hanson); 1E, Heredia (error for San José), Zurqui de Moravia, 1600m, 3-4.iv.1996 (L. Masner); 1E, San José, San Gerardo de Dota, El Manantial, 9°34’N 83°48’W, 2250m, 18-20.ii.2010 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Cartago, PN Tapanti-Macizo de la Muerte, Torre ICE #31, LN 561800 188500, 1800m, #61067, 9.vii-10.viii.2000 ( D. Rubí ); 1E, Cartago, PN Tapanti, Queb. Segunda, Send. Torre ICE #28, LN 192650 560500, 1500m, #52273, iv.1999 (I. Jiménez); 16E, 12G, Cartago, PN Tapanti, 1200-1500m, 9°45’N 83°47’W, 1200-1500m, 20.iii-10.iv.2000 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 16E, Cartago, La Cangreja, 9°48’N 83°58’W, 1950m, various dates x.1991 - xii.1992 (P. Hanson, C. Godoy); 1G, Cartago, Genesis II, 4km NE Cañon, 2350m, ii.1995 (P. Hanson); 2E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Cerro Quemado, LS 336200 575560, 2279m, 16.vii-16.viii.2001 and 16.viii-16.ix.2001 ( D. Rubí ); 5E, 2G, Puntarenas, Est.Altamira, Send. a Casa Coca, LS 332800 574250, 1900m, 12.i-12.ii 2001, 12.vii-12.viii.2001 and 12.viii-12.ix.2001 ( D. Rubí ); 1G, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. a Casa Coca, LS 575500 331750, 1700m, #61090, 13.i.2001 D. Rubí ); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Cerro Biolley, LS 332400 572200, 1760m, #62335, 9.iv-9.v.2001 ( D. Rubí ); 2E, 1G, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, Send. los Gigantes, LS 331700 5722000, 1450m, #54808, ii.2000 ( D. Rubí ); 4E, Puntarenas, Est.Altamira, Send. los Gigantes, LS 331800 572100, 1460m, ii.2002 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 1E, Puntarenas, Est. Altamira, 9°03’N 83°00’W, 1450m, ii.2002 (C. Hansson, D. Rubí ); 1G, Puntarenas, San Vito, Las Cruces, Wilson Bot. Gdns, 8°46’N 82°57’W, 1300m, 15-16.ii.2006 (J.S. Noyes); 3E, Limón, P.I.L.A., Valle del Silencio, Alred. d. Refugio, LS 340258 577465, 2480m, #75066, 20-26.ix.2003 ( D. Rubí ). Holotype in MZUCR, paratypes in NHMUK, MZUCR and USNM.

COMMENTS. Hebynthus solex is probably quite close to both cleon and phyrra . All three species have dark legs, the head about 3X as broad as the frontovertex, relatively short funicle segments with at least F1 and F2 transverse and devoid of linear sensilla and relatively broad fore wings. The three species can be separated using the characters given in the key.