Cheiloneurus onestas, 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 : 259-261

Cheiloneurus onestas sp.nov.

( Figs 644-649; Hab. E 98)

DIAGNOSIS. Female (length about 1.4-1.5mm): body black with a weak to moderate metallic sheen; antenna ( Fig. 647) with scape pale orange, dorsal margin very pale brown and extreme base dark brown; pedicel dark brown with some pale orange; funicle pale orange; clava dark brown; mesoscutum with only dark brown setae; coxae white, mid and hind coxa with some pale yellow; legs mostly white to pale orange with some dark brown areas on mid and hind legs; fore wing ( Fig. 645) hyaline; head ( Fig. 644) about 3.4-3.7X as wide as frontovertex, in facial view clearly broader than long, subrectangular, genae hardly curved, converging; frontovertex naked medially between anterior ocellus and scrobes; eye separated from scrobe by about 0.8-0.9X diameter of anterior ocellus, area between eye and scrobe with shallow sculpture; scrobes moderately deep, not sharply margined, interantennal prominence with about 10 inconspicuous setae, dorsally rounded, without a median ridge; mandible tridentate; antenna ( Fig. 647) with scape about 3.7-4.1X as long as broad; funicle with all segments transverse; clava 3-segmented, hardly longer than F2-F6 combined; sensory area enlarged, extending ventrally about 0.4X length of clava, apex obliquely truncate; head width slightly greater than length of pedicel and flagellum combined; mesoscutum ( Fig. 648) with fairly regular, polygonally reticulate sculpture, but anterior half laterally with fine, striate-reticulate sculpture; scutellum without a distinct, subapical tuft of setae; wings fully developed, fore wing ( Fig. 645) about 2.3-2.4X as long as broad; parastigma not downcurved; costal cell dorsally with 5-9 apical setae, ventrally with a complete line of setae; area below proximal part of parastigma with a group of about 17-25 uniform setae more or less connecting to a line of 3 or 4 setae along cubital vein track; apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins ( Fig. 649) not connected by a naked hyaline area; apical bristle of postmarginal vein about 0.4X as long as marginal vein; mid tibial spur slightly longer than basitarsus; propodeum with about 10 inconspicuous setae adjacent to spiracle, side naked; syntergum about 1.1X as long as mid tibia, apex acute; ovipositor ( Fig. 646) about 4.6-5.0X gonostylus or about 1.7-1.8X as long as mid tibia; gonostylus about as long as long mid tibial spur; exserted part of ovipositor about 0.5X as long as mid tibial spur. Male: unknown.

Female (holotype): length, including ovipositor, 1.46mm; excluding ovipositor, 1.38mm (CPD).

Head black with a fairly dull, violet sheen frontovertex, area around anterior ocellus with a very weak metallic dark blue sheen; area between scrobe and eye with a dull violet sheen; scrobal area shiny with a strong metallic blue-green sheen; mouth margin dark brown with a weak violet sheen; frontovertex with inconspicuous dark brown setae; posterior part of temple and posterior part of gena both with a moderate coppery sheen, area behind and below eye with a moderate blue-green sheen with some slightly brassy and violet reflections, lower part of posterior gena coppery, anterior part of gena with a moderate metallic dark blue-green sheen with some weak violet reflections; antenna ( Fig. 645) with radicle orange-brown, apex narrowly dark brown; scape mostly pale orange with dorsal margin very pale brown in basal two-thirds and extreme base narrowly dark brown; pedicel dorsally brown with extreme apex and venter pale orange; funicle pale orange; clava dark brown; thorax mostly dark brown to black; pronotum with a dull coppery-purple sheen; mesoscutum clothed with fairly conspicuous dark brown setae and with a moderate, metallic dark blue-green sheen with some coppery reflections, posterior margin coppery; tegula dark brown with a slight coppery sheen; scutellum clothed with dark brown setae, mostly with a slightly silky, moderate dark blue sheen, ridges of sculpture purple, midline appearing slightly darker, extreme apex and side with a strong mixed metallic dark green, dark blue, coppery and brassy sheen; metanotum with slight coppery purple sheen; mesopleuron anteriorly with a moderate metallic dark blue sheen, ridges of reticulate sculpture purple, dark blue becoming progressively less distinct posteriorly, posterior two-fifths with a moderate coppery sheen mixed brassy; fore coxa and femur white, apex of femur pale orange, tibia pale orange with a small, faint brown subbasal spot externally, tarsus pale orange, apical tarsomere slightly dusky; mid coxa largely very pale yellow or white, but mixed brown proximally and mostly dark brown ventrally, femur white with a narrow, dark brown, subapical band; mid tibia white to pale orange with a narrow, dark brown, subbasal band, spur and tarsus pale orange; hind coxa white, very pale orange anteriorly, femur white to very pale orange in proximal half, apex dark brown, tibia dirty white at extreme base otherwise dark brown in proximal two-fifths, apex pale orange, tarsus pale orange, apical tarsomere orange-brown; fore wing ( Fig. 645) completely hyaline, venation orange-brown; propodeum dark purple-brown with a slight coppery sheen; sides metallic dark blue-green and coppery, spiracular area with a few fairly conspicuous silvery setae; gaster dark brown with a moderate coppery sheen, Gt1 distinctly metallic blue-green with some violet; side and venter of gaster with metallic dark blue, dark green, brassy and coppery reflections, lateral extensions of apical tergites largely metallic blue-green; outer plates of ovipositor with a moderate metallic dark blue sheen; gonostylus dark brown, extreme apex orange-brown.

Head ( Fig. 644) about 3.5X as wide as frontovertex, in profile about 1.55X as high as deep; occipital margin sharp and without a median groove to foramen; ocelli forming an angle of about 70°; frontovertex very slightly shiny, with conspicuous reticulate sculpture of mesh size generally subequal to diameter of eye facet; scrobes, interantennal prominence and mouth margin with shallow sculpture, scrobes almost smooth; temple and posterior gena with shallow, but distinct, sculpture adjacent to eye becoming progressively deeper, longitudinally elongate polygonally reticulate posteriorly; eye separated from scrobe by about 0.9X diameter of anterior ocellus, area between eye and scrobe with distinct sculpture; scrobes moderately deep, meeting dorsally, dorsal and lateral margins weakly rounded, interantennal prominence dorsally rounded; antenna as in Fig. 647; scape hardly broadened and flattened about 4.1X as long as broad; funicle with F1-F3 subequal, transverse but F1 slightly longest and subquadrate, F4-F6 larger, transverse, becoming progressively wider and larger distad; clava hardly longer than F2-F6 combined, both sutures slightly oblique, sensory area extending ventrally about 0.4X along clava; eye reaching occipital margin and clothed with inconspicuous setae that are each less than 0.5X as long as diameter of facet; malar sulcus absent; mandible with 2 long, acute lower teeth and very short upper, tooth. Relative measurements: HW 103.5, HH 92, FVL 60, FV 30, POL 15, OOL 1.5, OCL 5, AOL 14, EL 63.5, EW 56, MS 31, SL 41, SW 10.

Thorax ( Fig. 648) with shallow, irregular, polygonally reticulate sculpture on pronotum, of mesh size a little smaller than diameter of facet; mesoscutum mostly with regular polygonally reticulate sculpture that is slightly shallower than that on frontovertex, anterior half laterally with conspicuous, fine, striate-reticulate sculpture; sculpture on axilla slightly coarser and reticulate; scutellum hardly convex, with relatively deep, longitudinally elongate, striate-reticulate sculpture, somewhat arranged in whorls, extreme apex and sides completely smooth; visible part of mesoscutum about 1.8X as broad as long; scutellum about as long as broad, subapical tuft absent; hind femur about 3.6X as long as broad; fore wing with venation and setation as in Figs 645, 649; costal cell with 6 setae dorsally at apex; no naked streak present between apices of postmarginal and stigmal veins; propodeum ( Fig. 648) with about 10 setae in spiracular area, side naked, medially slightly less than 0.1X as long as scutellum and medially quite smooth. Relative measurements: FWL 93.5, FWW 39; HWL 71, HWW 19.

Gaster with hypopygium reaching a little more than one-third to apex; syntergum about 1.1X as long as mid tibia, apex acute; ovipositor slightly exserted, the exserted part about one-half as long as mid tibial spur.

Paratype. Funicle with linear sensilla only on F4-F6; gaster without “gland-like” structures on Gt1 or Gt5; ovipositor as in Fig. 646, gonostylus about as long as mid tibial spur. Relative measurements: OL 58, GL 12.5 [MT 33.5].

Variation. Females vary in overall length from 1.36-1.51mm, the head varies from 3.4-3.7X as wide as the frontovertex, the scape varies from 3.7-4.1X as long as broad and the ovipositor varies from about 4.6-5.0X as long as the gonostylus.

Male. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. Costa Rica.

HOSTS. Unknown.

MATERIAL EXAMINED.

Type material. Holotype E: COSTA RICA, Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen, 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 23-24.ii.2007 (J.S. Noyes) . Paratypes: COSTA RICA, 1E, Guanacaste, PN Bosque Diría, 10°10’N 85°34’W, 200m, 14-15.ii.2011 (J.S. Noyes); 1E , Alajuela, PN Arenal, Sendero Mena , LN 454170 271800, 600m, 17.iv-19.v.2001 (G. Carballo); 1E , Heredia, OTS La Selva, 10°26’N 84°01’W, 100m, vii.1995 ( ALAS project); 1E , Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen , 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 11-21.ii.2005 (C. Hansson); 1E, Puntarenas, Res. Priv. Karen Mogensen, 9°52’N 85°03’W, 305m, 23-24.ii.2013 (J.S. Noyes); 2E, Puntarenas, Reserva Absoluta Cabo Blanco, 9°35’N 85°06’W, 30m, 16-17.ii.2009 (J.S. Noyes); 1E, Puntarenas, Manuel Antonio NP, iii.1986 (L. Masner) . Holotype in MZUCR, paratypes in NHMUK .

COMMENTS. In many respects Cheiloneurus onestas is very similar in habitus to hamadryas . Cheiloneurus onestas can be distinguished by having shallow but distinct sculpture adjacent to eye on temple and posterior part of gena (in hamadryas completely smooth adjacent to eye on temple and posterior part of gena), and the ovipositor more than 4.5X as long as the gonostylus (in hamadryas not more than 4X as long as the gonostylus). There also appears to be differences in colour, i.e. onestas has a violet sheen on the frontovertex (in hamadryas dull dark metallic green), the mesoscutum clothed with dark brown setae (in hamadryas pale, translucent setae) and the scutellum has a moderate dark blue sheen (in hamadryas coppery purple).

See also comments under extillus (p. 271).