Spalangia nigroides, Gibson, 2009

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2009, 2259, Zootaxa 2259, pp. 1-159 : 128-130

23. Spalangia nigroides n. sp.

(Figs 345, 366–373)

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, CNC no. 23889). “ CANADA: PQ, James Bay Hwy , VI.1985, H. Goulet / CNCI, LB-specm 2007-128”. Condition: point-mounted, entire.

PARATYPE (♀, CNC). Nearctic. CANADA: Ontario, Lanark Co., Middleville, White Lake Road , 13.V.1986, S. Peck and H. Goulet .

Etymology. A combination of the species name nigra and the suffix oides, meaning “like”, in reference to the similarity among females of the two species.

Description. Female. Length = 2.1–2.4 mm. Legs dark except tarsi variably yellowish, at least basal segment yellow and apical segment brown but other segments yellowish to brown. Head in anterior view about 1.2x as high as wide; in dorsal view (Fig. 368) about 2.0–2.1x as wide as long; in lateral view (Fig. 367) with malar space about 0.91–0.97x eye height and about 1.3–1.4x eye width. Head capsule (Figs 366–368) smooth and shiny except for setiferous punctures as follows: with complete median sulcus extending ventrally to elongate-triangular scrobal depression, otherwise upper face with circular punctures separated by interstices mostly equal to or slightly greater than own diameter medially, but even more crowded on parascrobal region where mostly separated by ridges (Fig. 366); scrobal depression with ventrally striate-crenulate to dorsally punctate-crenulate scrobes on either side of smooth and shiny interantennal region, the sculpture extending onto inclined lateral surface of depression above torulus where somewhat obliquely punctate-strigose; gena with crowded punctures and sometimes with malar sulcus (Fig. 367); temple punctate similar to upper face. Antenna (Fig. 371) with scape about 6.2–6.6x as long as wide, shiny, the outer surface (Fig. 373) uniformly setose and irregularly strigose with obscure setiferous punctures but inner surface (Fig. 372) bare mediolongitudinally and more distinctly longitudinally striate; pedicel about 2.1–2.2x as long as apical width and about 1.4–1.5x as long as fu 1; funicle with fu 1 about 1.4–1.8x as long as wide and fu 2 and subsequent segments slightly longer than wide; clava about 2.7–2.9x as long as wide.

Pronotal collar in lateral view (Fig. 367) only low convex behind neck and anterolaterally with short smooth bar interrupting circumpronotal furrow, but anteriorly smoothly rounded to neck; more or less uniformly punctate anterior to smooth band along posterior margin, without distinctly differentiated cross-line posteriorly, the circular punctures mostly separated by about own diameter dorsomedially but more crowded anteriorly and laterally where more or less distinctly punctate-rugose, and laterally sculpture smoothly rounded to circumpronotal furrow above lateral panel. Mesoscutal median lobe (Fig. 369) with anterior convex region mostly smooth and shiny but finely coriaceous posteriorly; internotaular region with circular setiferous punctures separated by flat interstices lateral to median punctate-rugulose band (Fig. 369). Axillae (Fig. 369) shiny with a few pinprick-like setiferous punctures. Scutellum (Fig. 369) shiny with a few pinprick-like or very shallow setiferous punctures laterally; frenum (Fig. 369) differentiated by complete crenulate frenal line. Mesopleuron (Fig. 370) smooth and shiny except as follows: pectal region bare except for 1 posteroventral seta; acropleuron longitudinally carinate, the carinae extending posteriorly onto alar shelf and dorsally or completely over upper mesepimeron; subalar scrobe a large, reticulate-rugose region extending posteroventrally along transepisternal line; episternal scrobe a lunate to obliquely oval reticulate-rugose depression connected to subalar scrobe by distinct crenulate-reticulate line and to precoxal scrobe by variably distinct punctate line; upper and lower mesepisternum differentiated by carinate transepisternal line over at least anterior half and by complete line of adjacent setae (Fig. 370). Fore wing hyaline except basal cell with variably distinct brownish tinge; basal cell extensively setose over at least distal two-thirds. Propodeum with crenulate postspiracular sulcus differentiated from callus; callus completely punctate-rugose; plical region with subparallel or only narrowly V- like paramedian crenulate furrows delineating median carina, and with anterior-most cell larger but not conspicuously differentiated from more posterior cells; supracoxal band contiguous with paramedian crenulate furrows; propodeal panels smooth and shiny.

Figs 366–373. Spalangia nigroides Gibson ♀. 366–368, head: 366, frontolateral view, 367, lateral view, 368, dorsal view; 369, thorax, dorsolateral view; 370, mesopleuron; 371, antenna; 372 & 373, scape: 372, inner view; 373, outer view.

Petiole about 2x as long as medial width; transversely carinate to minutely reticulate between longitudinal carinae; with several setae laterally. Gaster with tergites smooth and shiny or with only extremely obscure coriaceous sculpture.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from eastern Canada (Fig. 345).

Biology. Unknown.

Recognition. I include S. nigroides as one of six species in the nigra species group as discussed under S. nigra . The two known females are most similar to those of S. nigra , but are differentiated by those features given in the key and discussed under S. nigra . Females might be mistaken for S. nigroaenea because of their relatively sparsely punctate and flat pronotal collar, but the fore wings of S. nigroaenea do not have setae on the mediocubital fold.