Wilkinsonellus fijiensis Arias-Penna, Zhang & Whitfield

Arias-Penna, Diana Carolina, Zhang, Yali & Whitfield, James B., 2014, First record of the genus Wilkinsonellus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Fiji with description of three new species, ZooKeys 397, pp. 25-47 : 36-40

Wilkinsonellus fijiensis Arias-Penna, Zhang & Whitfield sp. n. Figs 4 A–K

Female.

Body length 2.63 mm, antennae length 3.33 mm

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype, 1 female, FIJI: VITI LEVU ISLAND, 2 km E Navai village, old trail to mount Tomaniivi (Victoria), lat -17.612, long 178, 700 m, Malaise, gymnosperm dominated rainforest, 13-18.ii.2004, [FJVL11b_03_35]. Paratypes, 1 female, same data as holotype in California Academy of Sciences. 1 male in California Academy of Sciences and 1 female & 1 male in Bishop Museum, same data as holotype except for: 0.75 km E. Navai village, old trail to mount Tomaniivi (Victoria), lat -17.62, long 177.989, 03. ii– 16.iii.2005, [FJVL11d_05_26].

Other material.

GAU ISLAND: 1 female, 4 km SE Navukailagi village, mount Delaco, lat -17.98, long 179.275, 496 m, Malaise, 28.xii.2005-10.i.2006, U. Racule, [FJGA65_02_22]; 1 female, same data except for: 10. i– 11.ii.2006, [FJGA65_02_23]; 1 female, same data except for: 3.3 km SE Navukailagi village, mount Delaco, 564 m, 20. x– 02.xi.2005, [FJGA66_03_19].

KADAVU ISLAND: 1 male, Takuvi, 0.25 km SW Solodamu village, Moanakaka bird sanctuary, lat -19.078, long 178.121, 60 m, Malaise, coastal limestone forest, 23. x– 19.xii.2003, S. Lau, [FJKV41a_02_06]; 3 males, same data except for: 128 m, 11. vi– 06.vii.2003, [FJKV41b_01_02]; 1 male, same data except for: 128 m, 23. x– 19.xii.2003, [FJKV41c_01_01].

TAUVENI ISLAND: 3 females, 5.6 km SE Tavuki village, Devo peak, lat -16.8432, long -179.965, 1187 m, Malaise, cloud forest, 03-10.i.2003, E. Ratu, [FJTA8a_01_12]; 1 female, Tavuki village, mount Devo, lat -16.837, long -179.973, 892 m, Malaise, montane wet forest, 31.vii-14.viii.2004, P. Vodo, [FJTA9b_04_02] in FNCI. 2 males & 4 females, Tavuki village, Devo peak, Malaise, M. Irwin, E. Schlinger & M. Tokotaa, 10-16.i.2003 [FJTA7-9]. 1 male, 3.2 km NW Lavena village, mount Koronibuabua, lat -16.855, long -179.889, 219 m, Malaise, lowland rainforest, 04-19.xi.2003, [FJTA52b_04_26].

VANUA LEVU ISLAND: 1 female, 6 km NW Kilaka, village Batiqere range, lat -16.8103, long 178.988, 61 m, Malaise, lowland wet forest, 03-10.vi.2004, P. Manueli, [FJVN58a_03_06]; 1 female, same data except for: lat -16.806, long 178.991, 98 m, 15-24.vi.2004, [FJVN58b_05_07]; 1 female, same data except for: alt -16.806, long 178.988, 154 m, [FJVN58e_04_06]; 3 males, same data except for: -16.806, long 178.988, 154 m, 28.vi-02.vii.2004, [FJVN58e_04_08]. 1 female, Lomaloma village, 630 m, Malaise, 07-18.ii.2006, N. Qarau, [FJVN95_01_02]; 1 female, same data except for: 219 m, 26. i– 07.ii.2006, [FJVN96_02_01]; 1 male & 2 females, same data except for: 587 m, 26. i– 07.ii.2006, [FJVN97_03_01]; 2 females, same data except for: 587 m, 07-18.ii.2006, [FJVN97_03_02].

VITI LEVU ISLAND: 1 male, 1 km E Abaca village, mount Evan’s range, Koroyanitu Eco park, Kokabula trail, lat -17.667, long 177.55, 800 m, Malaise, disturbed mid-elevation moist forest, 26. xi– 03.xii.2002, L. Tuimereke, [FJVL02_01_09]; 3 males, same data except: 0.5 km E Abaca village, [FJVL03_01_09]; 2 males, same information except: 0.5 km E Abaca village, 12-19.xi.2002 [FJVL03_01_54]. 1 male, 4 km WSW Colo-i-Suva village, mount Nakobalevu, lat -18.055, long 178.423, 372 m, Malaise, lowland wet forest, 12-24.vi.2004, Timoci, [FJVL4b_03_33]. 1 female, 0.8 km SSW Volivoli village, Sigatoka sand dunes, lat -18.166, long 177.485, 4 m, Malaise, mixed littoral forest on sand, 24. xi– 15.xii.2003, T. Ratawa, [FJVL6a_01_11]; 1 male & 4 females, same data except for: 1.1 km SSW Volivoli village, lat -18.171, long 177.484, 700 m, 09-20.xii.2003 [FJVL6c_04_11]. 1 female, 1.8 km E Navai village, old trail to mount Tomaniivi (Victoria), lat -17.621, long 177.998, 700 m, Malaise, gymnosperm dominated rainforest, 24.x-08.xi.2003, E. Namatalau, [FJVL11c_04_08]; 2 males, same data except for: Navai village, old trail to mount Tomaniivi (Victoria), lat -17.616, long 177.983, 07-26.i.2004, [FJVL11e_01_02]. 1 female, 3.3 km N Veisari settlement, logging road to Waivudawa, lat -18.069, long 178.3666, 300 m, Malaise, lowland wet forest, 08-31.iii.2003, M. Tokotaa [FJVL10d_04_02]. 2 males & 1 female, 3.2 km E Navai village, Veilaselase Track, lat -17.624, long 178.009, 700 m, Malaise, gymnosperm dominated rainforest, 06. vi– 15.vii.2003, E. Namatalau, [FJVL11a_02_02]. 1 male, Nabukavesi Village, Ocean Pacific Resort, lat -18.171, long 178.258, 40 m, Malaise, coastal lowland moist forest, 26. iv– 05.v.2004, W. Naisilisili, [FJVL18a_01_25].

Diagnosis.

Propodeal spiracles touching the pleural carina and enclosed by an incomplete carinate area (Fig. 4F). Hind coxa (Fig. 2B) with three distinctive regions: outer dorsal surface with big and heterogeneous aerolate-rugose throughout; ventral surface with dense, fine punctate; those two kind of sculptures separated by a flat, smooth and shiny stripe. Petiole (Fig. 4K) bottle-shaped, widest part with edge not strongly curved. Axillary trough of scutellum (Fig. 4F) with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces wavy, forming undulating patterns. Fore wing (Fig. 4I) with vein r slightly curve. Hind wing (Fig. 4J) with vannal lobe reduced.

Description.

Coloration (Figs 4 A–K). General body yellow (Fig. 4A). All antennal flagellomeres brown; scape (Fig. 4D) yellow with a brown strip in lateral outer surface; pedicel brown. Eyes and ocelli silver in preserved specimens, ocellar triangle (Fig. 4B) with semicircular black rings around each ocellus. Edge of mandibular teeth brown. Hind leg with both outer and inner spurs and all tarsomeres yellow-brown to brown. Tergites II and III (Fig. 4K) medially dark yellow-brown but lighter in periphery; tergite IV and so forth (Fig. 4K) brown, but subapically with a transversal thin yellow-brown band. Membrane and microtrichiae of both fore and hind wings light brown (Figs 4 I–J).

Head (Figs 4 B–D). Inner margin of scape curved, scape longer than wide (0.18:0.11 mm); pedicel as wide as long (0.05:0.06 mm), first three antennal flagellomeres subequal in length (0.20:0.21:0.21 mm). Antennal scrobes (Fig. 4B) deep, not surrounded by carina, located far above middle level of eyes (Fig. 4C); frons smooth but with some semicircles close to antennal sockets; in frontal view, medial area between antennal sockets without projection, antennal scrobes close to inner eye margin. Face (Fig. 4C) with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming dorsally distinctive semicircular patterns which are less pronounced ventrally-close to the clypeus; face with a short noticeable median longitudinal carina running from antennal scrobes to half of the length of the face, but continuing as ridge extending close to clypeus; fronto-clypeal suture absent. Distance between each anterior tentorial pit and closest inner compound eye margin equal to diameter of a tentorial pit (0.05:0.04 mm); anterior tentorial pits far away from each other (0.15 mm). Mandible with two teeth, inferior tooth longer than superior. Maxillary palps longer than labial palps. OOL (Fig. 4B) 2 × longer than diameter of lateral ocellus (0.15:0.07 mm), POL (Fig. 4B) shorter than diameter of lateral ocellus (0.04:0.07 mm). Vertex convex, laterally sloped and medially high, with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming distinctive semicircular patterns close to the ocellar triangle and occiput, but less evident laterally; medially vertex with a smooth, shiny and slightly concave area. Gena with fine homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming wavy patterns close to occipital foramen.

Mesosoma (Figs 4 E–G). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex (Fig. 4G). Pronotum shiny, smooth; curvature of pronotum with elongated, semicircular and carinate foveae throughout the groove. Mesopleuron (Fig. 4G) convex, except precoxal groove which bears fine foveae; lateral and ventro-lateral margins forming a L-shaped area that possesses fine, homogeneous punctuations; lateral margin delimited by a carina; dorsal epicnemial ridge convex. Mesosternum slightly flat with dense, fine and homogeneous punctuations, medially with distinctive groove of deep, homogeneous foveae. Metepisternum and metepimeron (Fig. 4G) separated by a chain of deep foveae throughout, the largest at the dorsal end; metepisternum smooth and narrower than metepimeron; metepimeron just above submetapleural carina with very coarse areolate-rugose sculpture, remaining area without sculpturing. Mesoscutum (Fig. 4E) with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces wavy forming transversal undulant patterns; mesoscutum slightly narrow than head. Notauli (Fig. 4E) incomplete, barely visible only in a small portion of the mesoscutum, faintly indicated by a change in sculpturing. Area of mesoscutum close to scutellar sulcus smooth and sloped. Scutellar sulcus (Figs 4 E–F) with six deep, carinate foveae of heterogeneous size. Scutellum with the same kind of sculptures as mesoscutum and edges defined by a strong carina. ATS (Fig. 4F) with the same sort of sculpture as scutellum, without complete parallel carinae, and posterior edge with visible, but short stubs; ATM (Fig. 4F) with a few, incomplete parallel carinae, only present basally; L and BS (Fig. 4F) smooth and shiny; MPM (Fig. 4F) trapezoidal, and posteriorly delimited by a strong upward carina forming a projection; BM convex and PRM (Fig. 4F) thin and smooth. Propodeum (Fig. 4F) with a complete median longitudinal carina dividing it in two halves, plus one additional carina at each half of propodeum, all three carinae crossed by several transverse and wavy carinae. Propodeal spiracles touching the pleural carina and enclosed by an incomplete carinate area.

Wings (Figs 4 I–J). Fore wing (Fig. 4I) with vein r slightly curved (0.15 mm) arising just beyond the half of the length of pterostigma; vein 2RS slightly longer than r (0.17:0.15 mm), but 1.8 × longer than 2M and 1.5 × longer than r(RS+M)b veins (0.17:0.09:0.11 mm). Hind wing (Fig. 4J) with vannal lobe reduced.

Legs. Hind coxa extending beyond apex of tergite III (Fig. 4A), hind coxa (Fig. 2B) with three distinctive regions: outer dorsal surface with coarse heterogeneous aerolate-rugose sculpturing throughout; ventral surface with dense, fine punctuates; those two kind of sculptures separated by a flat, smooth and shiny stripe; hind tibia with inner spur 1.6 × longer than outer spur (0.36:0.23 mm); hind basitarsus 1.25 × longer than inner spur (0.45:0.36 mm); outer surface of hind tibia with orderly spines throughout; hind tarsal claw with a short comb.

Metasoma (Figs 4H, K). Petiole of tergite I (Fig. 4K) smooth, bottle-shaped, widest part with more or less straight edges, length 0.35 mm, distinctly constricted at anterior half (minimum width 0.04 mm), but subapically wide (maximum width 0.10 mm), petiole with a deep groove extending ¾ the length of tergite I, just reaching the top of petiole widest part; hypopygium (Fig. 4H) not protruding at apex of metasoma; wall of hypopygium with long numerous hairs; ovipositor sheath length 0.06 mm, apex rounded and bearing tiny, few visible hairs, in lateral view ovipositor sheaths slightly protruding apex of metasoma.

Comments. In lateral view the mesosoma in some females (e.g. Viti Levu) exhibit two different shades of yellow, dorsally darker than ventrally. In specimens from Gau the coloration on tergite II and so forth is dark brown, in comparison with specimens from other sites that is light brown. Some females exhibit a black ocellar triangle area without/faint delimitation of semicircular black ring in each ocelli (e.g. Vanua Levu). Body length in females ranges from 2.02 mm to 2.83 mm.

Males. Similar to females. Some males exhibit a black ocellar triangle area without semicircular rings patterns in each ocellus (e.g. Kadavu). In specimens from Tauveni, Vanua Levu last laterotergites and sternites are brownish. Body length ranges from 2.22 mm to 2.93 mm.

Etymology.

The name is based on the country Fiji, where the holotype was collected; the species is recorded in several localities in the archipelago.

Distribution.

Gau, Kadavu, Taveuni, Vanua Levu and Viti Levu islands. Wilkinsonellus fijiensis sp. n was collected in different ecosystem as coastal limestone forest, coastal lowland moist forest, mixed littoral forest on sand, lowland rainforest, lowland wet forest, cloud forest, montane wet forest, gymnosperm dominated rainforest, disturbed mid-elevation moist forest. Elevation in localities ranges from 4 m to 1200 m.

Host.

unknown