Spalangia stictocyla, Gibson, 2009

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2009, 2259, Zootaxa 2259, pp. 1-159 : 146-148

29. Spalangia stictocyla n. sp.

(Figs 345, 429–434)

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, MZCR). “ COSTA RICA: Heredia Pr., La Selva Biol. Sta., 3 km. S Pto. Viejo, 10º26'N 84º01'W / 14.VI.1991, H. A. Hespenheide ”. Condition: point-mounted, entire.

PARATYPE (1♀). Same data as holotype except CNC .

Etymology. A combination of the Greek words stiktos, meaning “punctured” and kylon, meaning “part of the face under the eyes”, in reference to the micropunctate-reticulate lower face of the species.

Description. Female. Length = 1.4–1.7 mm. Legs dark with knees slightly lighter in color and basal 3 or 4 tarsal segments more distinctly yellow. Head in anterior view about 1.2–1.3x as high as wide; in dorsal view about 1.6x as wide as long; in lateral view (Fig. 430) with malar space about 1.0–1.1x eye height and about 1.4–1.6x eye width. Head capsule (Figs 429, 430) partly coriaceous to micropunctate-reticulate as follows: with complete, distinct median sulcus extending ventrally to elongate-triangular scrobal depression; upper face and vertex finely mesh-like coriaceous with scattered pinprick-like setiferous punctures except sometimes with small micropunctate-reticulate region between anterior and posterior ocellus (Fig. 429); parascrobal region micropunctate-reticulate and setose similar to upper face except without distinct pinpricklike punctures; scrobal depression, including interantennal region and lateral inclined surface similarly coriaceous-granular, with scrobes and interantennal region bare; gena with variably distinct, linear malar sulcus, otherwise gena and temple dorsally to posterior margin of head behind eye micropunctate-reticulate except for smoother, coriaceous region behind outer orbit medially (Fig. 430). Antenna (Fig. 434) with scape about 6.9x as long as wide, the inner (Fig. 434) and outer surfaces uniformly setose and reticulate-rugulose; pedicel about 2.7x as long as apical width and about 2.3–3.2x as long as fu 1; funicle with fu 1 at least very slightly and sometimes up to about 1.2x as long as wide, with subsequent segments subquadrate to slightly transverse basally and more distinctly transverse apically; clava about 1.9–2.0x as long as wide.

Figs 429–434. Spalangia stictocyla Gibson ♀. 429 & 430, head: 429, frontolateral view, 430, lateral view; 431, pronotum and mesoscutum, dorsolateral view; 432, pronotum – petiole, posterodorsal view; 433, mesopleuron; 434, antenna.

Pronotal collar in lateral view only very low convex behind neck, without distinct circumpronotal band anterolaterally and anteriorly smoothly rounded to neck; smooth and shiny near posterior margin but otherwise finely mesh-like coriaceous and uniformly setose over sculptured area except mediolongitudinally (Fig. 431). Mesoscutal median lobe (Figs 431, 432) with anterior convex region smooth and shiny anteriorly and finely coriaceous posteriorly; internotaular region also coriaceous laterally but more distinctly punctate-rugulose medially. Axillae (Fig. 432) smooth and shiny except for a few pinprick-like setiferous punctures. Scutellum (Fig. 432) finely mesh-like coriaceous to almost completely smooth and shiny with only slight indication of sculpture, but with scattered pinprick-like setiferous punctures paramedially; frenum (Fig. 432) differentiated by only 1 or 2 shallow punctures laterally and partly coriaceous similar to scutellum. Mesopleuron (Fig. 433) completely sculptured as follows: pectal region coriaceous and bare except for 1 posteroventral seta; acropleuron longitudinally carinate, the carinae extending posteriorly onto alar shelf; subalar scrobe a vertical, longitudinally crenulate furrow; episternal scrobe a shallow depression connected to subalar scrobe by a distinct linear sulcus and to shallow precoxal scrobe by more obscure sulcus; upper and lower mesepimeron variably finely, obliquely alutaceous or sometimes more mesh-like coriaceous on lower mesepimeron; upper and lower mesepisternum differentiated only by line of ventral setae rather than distinct transepisternal line, the upper mesepisternum mesh-like coriaceous or slightly, obliquely alutaceous. Fore wing hyaline; mediocubital fold with 1–4 setae and basal cell/fold with 2–4 setae distally. Propodeum (Fig. 432) with distinct postspiracular sulcus; callus reticulate-rugulose anteriorly and smooth and shiny posteriorly; plical region with only slightly widened paramedian crenulate furrows delimiting median carina, and either with anterior-most cells not differentiated in size from more posterior cells or with irregular sculpture anteriorly (Fig. 432); supracoxal band separated from paramedian crenulate furrows by distinct smooth band at nucha; propodeal panels smooth and shiny.

Petiole (Fig. 432) about 1.8–1.9x as long as propodeum; microreticulate between longitudinal carinae; with or without 1 short seta anterolaterally. Gaster with Gt 1 smooth and shiny and Gt 2 and Gt 3 very finely coriaceous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Costa Rica (Fig. 345).

Biology. Unknown, but based on presumed relationships with S. attae very likely a parasitoid of Diptera associated with ant nests.

Recognition. I include S. stictocyla as one of four species in the attae species group as discussed under S. attae . Because the upper face of S. stictocyla is quite smooth (Fig. 429), females are somewhat similar to S. fallax , which was described by Masi (1917) from Mahé, Seychelles. As illustrated by Masi (1917, fig. 2), S. fallax also has the lower face micropunctate-reticulate lateral to a distinctly sculptured scrobal depression. However, all attae -group species have a median propodeal carina (Figs 43, 405, 426, 432), whereas examination of a syntype (BMNH) of S. fallax shows that females have a distinct, flat, shiny median propodeal band in about the anterior third similar to most drosophilae -group species.