Dipara (BOUCEK, 1988) WALKER, 1833

László, Z. & P. O, 2005, Description Of A New Species Of Dipara Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) From Hungary, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (3), pp. 215-220 : 217-219

Dipara alata sp. n.

( Figs 1–5 )

Description – Female: Colour – Body yellowish to light brown, with dark areas. Scape yellow, dorsal part of pedicel and all funicle segments black. Clava black, with third segment partially yellowish. Area around ocelli, the crest of the protuberance between antennal toruli, and eyes black. Hind margin of pronotum, hind margins of middle lobes of mesoscutum, apex of scutellum and metanotum dark brown to black. Area around proximal part of median carina of the propodeum and area around spiracles dark brown to black. Proximal and distal parts of the first metasomal tergite, dorsal bands of tergites 2–6, distal part of the last tergite and the whole ovipositor shields dark brown to black. Fore- and midcoxae reddish, hind ones whitish. Rest of legs yellowish-reddish, except black apical tarsal segments., Wings with two fuscous clouds, one below middle of marginal vein, second below postmarginal vein, through the stigma.

Head – Head ( Figs 1–3 ) as broad as thorax (74:68). Head twice as broad as long (74:33), finely reticulate. Eye ovate, with fine whitish hair cover. Length of malar space more than half of eye length (18:28). Antennae inserted on a level of ventral margin of eyes ( Fig. 3 ). Apex of scape reaching ventral edge of front ocellus. Annellus very small. Antennal formula 11173 ( Fig. 4 ), length of antennal segments 35:15:0.5:11:9:9:8:8:8:8:10:7:7. Protuberance (callus) between toruli prominent, tapering towards vertex. Scrobes deep with transversal rugosity. Vertex narrowing in antero-posterior direction. Ocelli forming an obtuse angle. POL:OOL=13:12. Vertex with three pairs of setae, one pair behind posterior ocelli and two pairs near eyes. Ventral edge of clypeus straight ( Fig. 3 ).

Mesosoma – Wings fully developed ( Fig. 1 ). Pronotum narrower than thorax (46:64), convex, with 6 setae on the distal margin, in a 3-3 combination ( Fig. 1 ). Notaulices complete. Distal part of the mid lobe of mesoscutum with two strong setae. Frenum well defined with longitudinal striae. Four setae located antero-medially to frenum and two stronger setae located on lateral margins. Median carina reaching back as far as two thirds of propodeum ( Fig. 5 ). Plicae present, a longitudinally carinulate median carina present between plicae. Forewing veins ( Fig. 1 ) with altogether 28 setae, from which 5 setae on the submarginal, 8 on the marginal vein and 15 on the outer margins of marginal and postmarginal veins. Basal cell and speculum bare. Basal fold with 5 setae. Stigma well defined, rectangular with developed uncus, with width larger than height (8:2), middle area above apex hyaline. Ratios of veins: marginal 58; postmarginal 35; stigmal 17. Fore and hind wings with well defined marginal fringe.

Metasoma – Petiole almost as wide as long (17:15), with longitudinal carinulae. Ratio of the length and width of the metasoma 213:63. Metasoma ( Figs 1, 2 ) with an elongate conical shape. Ratio of the length of metasomal tergites 57:15:12:12:13:18:59. Length of ovipositor shields 24.

Male – Unknown.

Host – Unknown.

Habitat – Collected in oak forest disturbed by human interference.

Material examined – Holotype female: Hungary, Hajdú-Bihar County, Nagyerdő forest , Debrecen, N47° 33’, E21° 37’, 109 m, leg. LÁSZLÓ, Z., 07.08.2004, deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum ( HNHM), Budapest, Hungary. The specimen was collected by sweeping.

Etymology – The species is named after the fully winged female, the first macropterous species of Dipara in the Western Palaearctic.

Diagnosis – The new species resembles Dipara hyalinipennis ( GIRAULT, 1915) and D. miniae NARENDRAN et SURESHAN, 2001 by fully winged female and longitudinally striate area behind the frenum. Dipara alata sp. n. differs from D. hyalinipennis by the median carina which reaches as far back as two thirds of the propodeum, fore wings with two dark infuscations, and petiole almost as wide as long (in D. hyalinipennis median carina short, wings without infuscations and petiole clearly longer than its width). Dipara alata sp. n. differs from D. miniae by the presence of median carina on the propodeum, having incomplete sublateral carina, petiole almost as wide as long, and by the mesoscutum with a pair of strong bristles beyond the middle of the scutum (in D. miniae propodeum without median carina, with complete sublateral carina, petiole longer than its width and the pair of strong bristles nearer to the middle of mesoscutum). It is known that in D. hyalinipennis females the wing size varies, and thus there is a possibility that D. alata could be only a fully winged form of D. petiolata . However, differences between D. petiolata and D. alata underline the species status of D. alata. The entire habitus of D. alata resembles more that of the Indo-Australian species than that of D. petiolata . Also, the propodeum of D. alata differs in having median and sublateral carina, whereas in D. petiolata the propodeum is punctured and the median and/or sublateral carina are absent.

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Acknowledgements – I would thank Dr. GEORGE MELIKA for his encouragement and the valuable comments on the manuscript.

Figures

Figs 1-5. Dipara alata, female:1 = dorsal view, 2 = lateral view, 3 = head, frontal view, 4 = antenna, 5 = propodeum