Chrysis arkadyi, Rosa & Baiocchi & Halada & Proshchalykin, 2021

Rosa, Paolo, Baiocchi, Daniele, Halada, Marek & Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu., 2021, A new species and new records of cuckoo wasps from Pakistan and India (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 84, pp. 283-294 : 283

Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Material examined.

Holotype, ♀, India: Uttaranchal : Haldwani, Kathgodam, ca 800 m, 21.-22.vii.2003, Z. Kejval & M. Trýzna leg. (MSNM) . Paratypes: Pakistan: 1♂, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: NE of Mansehra, ca 1200 m, Barhadi env., 34°24'00"N, 73°19'48"E, 20.v.2019, D. Baiocchi leg. (DBC) ; 2♀♀, NE of Mansehra, ca 1200 m, Barhadi env., 34°24'00"N, 73°19'48"E, 20.v.2019, M. Kafka leg. (MHC, PRC).

Diagnosis.

Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov. is recognised by the following characters: body blue with light blue and greenish reflections (Fig. 1 ), with black median area of mesoscutum, and with wide green bands laterally and posteriorly on terga I-II; metapostnotum T-like, reduced to a small median area, with punctures smaller than those on metascutellum; metasoma with terga I-II extremely elongated compared to other species in the Chrysis splendidula species group; tergum III with polished and elongate post pit row area; black spots on sternum II elongate and sub-ovoid. This new species can be distinguished from other blue coloured Central Asian species of the same species group by reduced metapostnotum, elongated metasomal terga and elongate post pit row area. This species is more closely related to Chrysis nohirai Tsuneki, for the elongate shape of metasomal tergum II (type examination based on pictures taken by T. Mita). However, C. arkadyi sp. nov. is easily distinguished by: transverse frontal carina M-shaped; dense body punctation, in particular on mesonotum, mesopleuron and second tergum; structure of metasomal tergum I elongate, 0.6 × as long as length of tergum II and structure of tergum III with post pit row distinctly elongate (1.5 MOD) (vs. transverse frontal carina medially straight and laterally downcurved; body sparsely punctate, with wide impunctate interspaces on lateral areas of mesoscutum, mesopleuron and second tergum, and unmodified structure of tergum I, 0.4 × as long as length of tergum II and of tergum III, with post pit row not distinctly elongate (1.0 MOD) in C. nohirai ).

Description.

Holotype: Female. Body length 6.6 mm. Head. Scapal basin medially striate and laterally micropunctate (Fig. 1B ). Transverse frontal carina broadly M-shaped. Anterior margin of clypeus medially not emarginate, with thickened brownish rim. Face with large and coarse punctures between transverse frontal carina and scapal basin; vertex with smaller punctures. Genal carina sharp, present from temple posteriorly to mandible. Relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.3:0.9:0.8; OOL = 2.0 × MOD; POL = 2.3 × MOD; MS = 1.3 × MOD; subantennal space 1.0 × MOD. Mesosoma. Pronotum slightly shorter than mesoscutellum (Fig. 1C ); antero-median pronotal line deep, broad and reaching half of pronotum length; punctation double, coarse along anterior and lateral margins, with smaller punctures on antero-median pronotal line and along posterior margin. Median area of mesoscutum in posterior half with larger punctures and broader polished intervals; lateral areas of mesoscutum with irregularly sized punctures and corrugated interspaces; parapsidal furrow distinctly engraved; notauli as line of sub-square pits, decreasing towards anterior margin of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum with larger punctures and broad, polished interspaces, locally with tiny punctures; laterally with smaller, dense punctures along metanotal trough. Metanotum slightly convex, with large, polygonal and uneven punctures; anterior margin of metanotum with large impunctate and depressed median area. Mesopleuron almost without trace of episternal sulcus, with large punctures and densely, minutely punctate intervals; scrobal sulcus as deep, polished line (Fig. 1A ); metapostnotum reduced, triangular, T-shaped, with small punctures and with two largely expanded lateral areas, with raised transverse carinae; posterior propodeal projections laterally expanded and downward directed, with basal margin slightly concave. Metasoma. Metasoma densely punctate; puncture diameter about 1/2 to 1/3 of largest punctures on mesoscutellum; metasomal terga elongate (Fig. 1C-F ), tergum I 0.6 × as long as length of tergum II; tergum III slightly longer than tergum I; tergum II with weak median ridge; pit row of tergum III deep, with elongated, large pits; post pit row distinctly elongate (1.5 MOD); apex of T3 with four short, triangular teeth; intervals between median and lateral teeth almost equal; black spots on sternum II sub-ovoid, narrow and connected to lateral margins, widely separated medially (Fig. 1F ). Colouration. Body blue to deep blue, almost black on ocellar area, median area of mesoscutum and basally on metasomal tergum II; green on scape, pedicel, first flagellomere, postero-laterally on terga I-II, on tergum III pre pit row, and on sternites (Fig. 1C-F ); other flagellomeres black; tegula light blue; post-tegula bright metallic blue; forewing slightly infuscate, with darkened radial cell.

Male. Similar to female (Fig. 2A-D ), with deep blue body colour and fewer greenish hints. Paratype body length 6.2 mm. The main dimorphic difference is observed in the metasomal tergum III for shorter post pit area and apical margin with median teeth shorter and closer to each other, compared to apical teeth of female.

Ecology.

The Pakistani specimens of Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov. described herein were captured by means of yellow pan traps positioned along one of the roads through the forest zone of the Manshera district, about one kilometer NE of the village of Barhadi. The forest is mainly composed of Pinus roxburghii Sargent (Fig. 4 ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet Chrysis arkadyi is a patronym honouring Prof. Dr. Arkady Stepanovich Lelej on the occasion of his 75th birthday and in recognition of his numerous contributions to the study of the Hymenoptera and of the Russian Chrysididae .

Figures

Figure 1. Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov., female, holotype A habitus, dorsal view B head, frontal view C habitus, lateral view D metasoma, dorso-lateral view E metasoma, posterior view F metasoma, ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figure 2. Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov., male, paratype (A-D, F), female, holotype (E) A genital capsule B habitus, dorsal view C head, frontal view D metasoma, dorso-lateral view E, F internalised segments. Scale bars: 1.0 mm.

Figure 4. Pakistan, type locality of Chrysis arkadyi sp. nov., forest composed of Pinus roxburghii.