Eupelmus (Eupelmus) nitifrons, Gibson, CNC, 2011

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2011, 2951, Zootaxa 2951, pp. 1-97 : 65-66

10. Eupelmus (Eupelmus) nitifrons n. sp.

Figs 23, 26; Map 11

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, CNC no. 23947). [ CANADA], PQ [Québec], Luskville Falls , 3-10.VI.1986, Denis & Dumouchel, pan trap, 300m / CNC Photo 2010-12 / Holotype Eupelmus (Eupelmus) nitifrons Gibson, CNC Type no. 23947. [Condition: point-mounted; entire].

PARATYPES (3♀). USA. COLORADO: Huerfano Co., 7.0 mi. N. La Veta Pass, Pass Creek Road, 8000', 17- 18.VI.82, G. Gibson (1♀) . GEORGIA: Monroe Co., Forsyth , 11-21.VII.71, F.T. Naumann (1♀) . TEXAS: Uvalde Co., Garner State Park , 16.IV.89, J. Heraty (1♀ UCRC) .

Etymology. A combination of the Latin words niteo (shine, glitter) and frons (forehead) in reference to the smooth and shiny frons.

Description. FEMALE ( Fig. 23). Length about 2.0– 2.3 mm. Head ( Fig. 26) dark, shiny with variable metallic lusters under different angles of light, the frontovertex usually mostly violaceous to purple except variably extensively green or bluish-green along inner orbit dorsally to oblique boundary between anterior and posterior ocellus, and scrobal depression and lower face often more distinctly green to bluish-green; maxillary and labial palpi brown. Antenna dark brown, the scape and pedicel at most with very slight bluish luster. Mesosoma with tegula dark brown; mesoscutum with convex anterior part of median lobe at least slightly greenish to bluish-green, the remainder of mesoscutum brown or with similar metallic lusters as frontovertex under some angles of light, and lateral lobes sometimes dark with very slight greenish luster; scutellar-axillar complex similar in color to convex portion of medial lobe or axillae more purple; laterally mesosoma brown with at most slight metallic lusters under some angles of light. Forewing with extreme base of costal and basal cells at least slightly brownish with brown setae, otherwise hyaline with white setae basally to about level of base of parastigma, the disc otherwise with brown setae and with dark brown infuscation between anterior and posterior margins from level of base of parastigma to about midway between apex of pmv and wing margin. Legs with trochantelli white, otherwise similarly brown as mesosoma laterally except metatarsus and sometimes protarsus brownish-white, and sometimes mesofemur lighter yellowish-brown to brownish-white. Gaster dark brown except basal tergum sometimes with metallic green to blue luster anteriorly, and with comparatively inconspicuous hairlike setae similar in color to cuticle. Ovipositor sheaths distinctly banded, the mesal light region abruptly delineated from very short dark region basally and variably long apical dark region.

Head ( Fig. 26) with frons smooth and shiny with at most virtually effaced meshlike sculpture between scrobal depression and ocelli except laterally near inner orbit with fine but more distinct meshlike sculpture, the interocellar triangle also quite shiny but usually with fine meshlike sculpture, and indistinguishably merged into parascrobal region; vertex somewhat more distinctly, transversely coriaceous-alutaceous and scrobal depression reticulate-rugulose. Head with IOD = 0.46× head width; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD about 1.3: 3.5: 2.2: 1.0. Antenna with combined length of pedicel + flagellum about 1.2× head width; scape about 4× as long as maximum width, in outer view outer margin almost evenly curved, with at most very slender, almost linear flange along about apical twothirds; pedicel in lateral view about 1.8–2.0× as long as wide; fl1 quadrate to slightly transverse, ringlike; fl2 about 1.1–1.2× as long as wide and about 2× as long as fl1; subsequent funiculars increasing in width to slightly transverse fl8; clava about 1.9–2.5× as long as wide and about 0.44–0.5× as long as funicle. Mesoscutum with convex anterior portion of medial lobe transversely reticulate-imbricate anteriorly to reticulate posteriorly, but posterior concave portion of medial lobe and inner inclined surface of lateral lobe much more finely sculptured, reticulatecoriaceous anteriorly to variably extensively shiny and smooth or with almost effaced meshlike sculpture posteriorly, and inclined out surface of lateral lobe finely meshlike coriaceous. Scutellar-axillar complex with axilla and scutellum similarly reticulate-punctate. Prepectus bare or at most with single seta. Acropleuron finely meshlike coriaceous to slightly reticulate-coriaceous anterior of medial microsculptured region, the sculpture posterior of microsculptured region similar but cells somewhat larger or at least longitudinally aligned. Forewing setose except for linea calva; costal cell ventrally with complete line of setae and dorsally with line of setae only within about apical third or less; cc: mv: pmv: stv = 4.0–4.3: 2.8–3.2: 0.8–1.1: 1.0. Mesotibia with apical row of 3–6 black pegs; mesotarsus ventrally with black pegs on basal four tarsomeres, the basitarsus with 9 or 10 pegs arranged distally in irregular or more distinct double row on either side, second tarsomere with 3 or 4 pegs and third tarsomere with 2 or 3 pegs in row along either side, and fourth tarsomere with single peg apically on either side. Propodeum with Ushaped plical depression extending to propodeal foramen; callus with dense white setae essentially obscuring cuticle. Gaster with inner plate of ovipositor not extending beyond apex; ovipositor sheaths about 0.75–0.8× length of marginal vein and about 0.54–0.65× length of metatibia.

MALE. Unknown.

Distribution. Although very rare, apparently widely distributed throughout North America at least east of the Rocky Mountains (Map 11). The distribution suggests the species is native to North America rather than being an unrecognized, accidentally introduced species from elsewhere (see further under “Remarks”).

Biology. Host unknown, but possibly a parasitoid in some gall based on presumed close relationship with E. cynipidis .

Remarks. Within North America , females of E. nitifrons most closely resemble the usually much larger females of E. cynipidis except for having much shorter ovipositor sheaths (cf. Figs 21–23) and a uniformly setose basal cell. Both E. cynipidis and E. conigerae are included in the urozonus -group because of structure and color pattern of their males even though their females are very different from other, typical urozonus -group females. Because females of E. nitifrons and E. cynipidis are at least superficially similar it is possible that males of E. nitifrons also resemble urozonus -group males. If so, E. nitifrons likely is closely related to E. cynipidis .

Based on the key, description, and images given in Kalina (1988, plate III, figs 1, 2, 6, 8) for E. claviger Nikol’skaya, which Kalina stated is very similar to E. tryapitzini Kalina , it is very likely that females of E. nitifrons also closely resemble females of the Palaearctic species E. tryapitzini . The basal cell of E. claviger was shown to be extensively bare basally ( Kalina 1988, plate III, fig. 6), rather than uniformly setose as in E. nitifrons , and the flagellum also appears to be shorter, the pedicel + flagellum being described as slightly shorter than the width of the head, and with the basal three funiculars all about the same length and transverse ( Kalina 1988, fig. 19). Furthermore, Kalina (1988, p. 12) stated that the head of E. claviger has the “frons including scrobes raised reticulate, sculpture in ocellar area obliterated”, whereas females of E. nitifrons have the upper face almost smooth above the reticulate-rugulose scrobal depression.