Polynema (Polynema) imperatrix Triapitsyn, 2021

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2021, Taxonomic review of Polynema (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in Australia and New Zealand, with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 4915 (2), pp. 151-200 : 181-187

Polynema (Polynema) imperatrix Triapitsyn , sp. n.

( Figs 83–95)

Type material. Holotype female [ ANIC] on slide ( Fig. 83) labeled: 1. “ 35.22S 148.50E, ACT, Blundells Ck., 850m, 3km E Piccadilly Circus, Mar. 1985 Lawrence , Weir , Johnson , flight intercept / window trough trap ”; 2. “ Mounted at UCR/ERM by V. V. Berezovskiy 2006 in Canada balsam ANIC ”.

Paratype: same data as the holotype [1Ƌ on slide, ANIC]. The type locality is within the Australian Capital Ter- ritory, Australia .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Head and mesosoma dark brown, pronotum and petiole light brown, gaster brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown; legs light brown. Head ( Fig. 85) wider than high, almost smooth. Antenna ( Fig. 84) with scape, including radicle, 4.0× as long as wide, smooth; pedicel smooth, much longer than F1 and 1.8× as long as wide; F1 the shortest and F2 the longest funiculars, F4 and F5 slightly longer than F1, length to width ratios of funiculars: F1—2.0, F2—3.6; F3—3.0; F4—1.7; F5—1.5; F6—2.0, F6 with 1 mps; clava 3.0× as long as wide, about as long as combined length of 4 preceding flagellomeres, with 7 mps. Mesosoma ( Figs 86–87) about 1.7× as long as wide, mostly smooth except mesoscutum anteriorly with fine, inconspicuous, transversely striate sculpture; pronotum entire, quite long and notably narrower than mesoscutum, with 4 pairs of setae at posterior margin; mesoscutum much wider than long, with notaular grooves; scutellum shorter than mesoscutum, wider than long, with campaniform sensilla about midway between anterior and posterior margins, very far apart from each other and almost touching lateral margins of scutellum, and with frenal row of foveae ( Figs 86, 88); propodeum ( Fig. 88) with median carina almost complete but not touching anterior margin. Fore wing moderately reduced ( Fig. 89), 3.9× as long as wide; marginal vein with 1 dorsal macrochaeta; disc infumate, densely setose beyond venation, the discal setae originating behind apex of submarginal vein; marginal fringe of setae shortened, longest marginal seta about 0.25× greatest width of wing, and with setae on about apical half of the wing markedly thickened. Hind wing ( Fig. 90) somewhat reduced, about 24× as long as wide; disc slightly infumate, with a few setae forming an incomplete median row; longest marginal seta about 1.7× greatest width of wing. Metacoxa much shorter than petiole and smooth. Petiole ( Fig. 87) 4.6× as long as wide, with very small, inconspicuous anterolateral “wings” and transverse striations dorsally. Ovipositor occupying 0.85 length of gaster ( Fig. 87), not exserted beyond gastral apex, and a little less than 1.1× length of metatibia.

Measurements of the holotype (µm). Mesosoma: 303; gaster: 312; ovipositor: 270. Scape (excluding radicle): 109; pedicel: 52; F1: 24; F2: 51; F3: 36; F4: 25; F5: 27; F6: 43; clava: 136. Fore wing: 529:136; longest marginal seta: 36. Hind wing: 439:18; longest marginal seta: 30.

MALE (paratype). Body length about 860 µm. Similar to female in color except pedicel and pronotum ( Fig. 92) brown. Antenna ( Fig. 91) with scape, including radicle, 3.1× long as wide and slightly shorter than F1. Fully winged ( Figs 93–94); fore wing ( Fig. 93) narrow, 5.8× as long as wide; fringe setae long and not thickened, longest marginal seta 1.5× greatest width of wing. Genitalia ( Fig. 95) typical for species of P. ( Polynema ) ( Triapitsyn & Fidalgo 2006), 170 µm long; digitus with 2 small hooks apically.

Diagnosis. Polynema imperatrix is one of only two described species in Australia and New Zealand with brachypterous females. The female fore wing has shortened, thickened marginal setae over the apical half ( Fig. 89). The male is macropterous, with normal, long marginal setae on the fore wing ( Fig. 93). Both sexes of P. (Polynema) imperatrix differ from those of P. (Polynema) koroleva , the other brachypterous species, in having much shorter setae on the fore wing disc, and the hind wing with membrane and not as strongly reduced in female.

Etymology. The species name is a noun in apposition; it is an archaic, seldom used word for an empress in Russian.

Remarks. The following specimens likely belong to this species despite having some minor morphological differences as noted below. AUSTRALIA. TASMANIA: Mt. Barrow, 11 km E of Nunamara, 41.23°S 147.25°E, 7.ii.1983, I.D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale (“ex yellow tray”) [1 Ƌ, ANIC]. 10 km ENE of Nunamara, 41.22°S 147.24°E, 12.i–6.ii.1983, I.D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale (“Malaise/ethanol”) [1 ♀, ANIC].

The female ( Figs 96–100), whose antennae ( Fig. 96) are identical to those of P. (Polynema) imperatrix ( Fig. 84), could be an almost macropterous individual whose wings seem to be just slightly reduced. The other main features are also about the same, except for the following minor differences: the scape, including radicle, is 4.4× as long as wide, the clava is 2.9× as long as wide, the pronotum is a little shorter medially, the fore wing ( Fig. 100) is 4.6× as long as wide, with the longest marginal seta 1.2× the greatest width of the wing, and the petiole is 4.1× as long as wide. In the male ( Figs 101–103), the scape, including radicle, is 2.7× long as wide, the fore wing ( Fig. 102) is 6.1× as long as wide, with the longest marginal seta 1.65× the greatest width of the wing.