Nesolinoceras laluzbrillante, Santos, 2016

Santos, Bernardo F., 2016, Generic redefinition and a new species of Nesolinoceras Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae), American Museum Novitates 2016 (3858), pp. 1-16 : 10-15

Nesolinoceras laluzbrillante , sp. nov.

Figures 7–14

DIAGNOSIS: Propodeum and mesopleuron with extensive blackish marks; mesopleuron with four whitish marks (fig. 7); propodeum with ovoid whitish marks (fig. 8); metasoma black with whitish stripes, without ferruginous except for base of T1. Central ocellus about as large as lateral ones (fig. 11). Areolet crossveins 2r-m and 3r-m distinctly convergent, but far from meeting on anterior apex of areolet (fig. 10).

FEMALE HOLOTYPE: Forewing 8.8 mm long. Head. Ventral tooth of mandible apically subquadratic; MLW 1.6; MWW 0.5. Malar space coriaceus; MSM 0.6. Clypeus wide, CWH 1.9, in front view almost rectangular, apex only slightly narrower than base, CWW 1.4, covered by distinct, uniformly spaced striae (fig. 9). Antenna with 22 flagellomeres. Central ocellus about as large as lateral ones (fig. 11). Occipital carina fading out well before meeting hypostomal carina, at a distance about as long as half of basal width of mandible.

Thorax. Densely covered with short yellowish hairs, pilosity sparser on postscutellum, mesopleuron and center of propodeum. Pronotum mostly punctate, distinctly and uniformly striate just posteriorly to pronotal collar. Mesoscutum subcircular, 1.1× as long as wide, mostly covered with shallow, closely spaced punctures, posterocentrally rugulose; notaulus reaching 0.4 of length of mesoscutum, slightly convergent. Scutellum covered with shallow punctures; scutellar carina absent. Subalar ridge moderately wide, somewhat ovoid, not keeled. Epicnemial carina short, reaching only 0.4 of length to subalar ridge. Mesopleuron mostly covered by shallow, moderately spaced punctures, striate just ventrad to hypoepimeron; sternaulus complete but very shallow, almost indistinct, surface over sternaulus smooth. Central portion of postpectal carina represented by vestigial, suturelike ridge. Metapleuron mostly punctate, centrally smooth.

Propodeum. In dorsal view, 1.0× as long as wide. SWL 1.8. Anterior area of the propodeum covered by shallow, closely spaced punctures; posterior area with transverse irregular wrinkles (fig. 8).

Wings (fig. 10). Forewing vein 1M+Rs mostly uniformly arched, posteriorly slightly sinuous; crossvein 1cu-a arising basad of 1M+Cu by 0.3 of its length; vein 2Cua 1.1× as long as crossvein 2cu-a; areolet large, APH 1.8, slightly longer than wide, AWH 0.9; crossveins 2r-m and 3r-m distinctly convergent, but far from meeting on anterior apex of areolet; 3r-m entirely spectral; vein 2-M slightly longer than 3-M; vein 4-Rs gently curved until abruptly curved anteriorly on apical 0.2; H1WC 1.0.

Metasoma. T1 short and triangular, T1LW: 1.5, T1WW: 2.0; anteriorly polished, sparsely but distinctly punctate on posterior 0.4; dorsolateral carina only faintly suggested on anterior apex; ventrolateral carina complete but weak, medially almost indistinct; spiracle slightly prominent. T2 short, trapezoidal, T2LW: 0.8, T2WW: 1.3; distinctly punctate, punctures gradually less conspicuous toward apical tergites, T7–8 alutaceous; T7–8 moderately longer than T5–6. Ovipositor moderately long, OST: 1.1; ventral valve with seven distinct teeth (fig. 12).

Color. Black, ferruginous, and whitish. Basal 0.3 of mandible, labrum, clypeus and orbital band, whitish (219,212,197), orbital band ventrally wide, dorsally narrower, briefly interrupted by black spot at level of lateral ocelli. Median 0.3 of mandible, apical spot on clypeus, supraclypeal and supraantennal areas centrally, scape ventral face, vertex, part of dorsal portion of temple and ventral 0.3 of occiput, ferruginous (168,120,083). Apical 0.3 of mandible, scape dorsal face, pedicel, flagellum, narrow longitudinal lines on supraclypeal and supraantennal area and dorsal 0.7 of occiput, black, the flagellum brownish toward apex. Palpi fuscous (081,076,073). Pronotum black, its dorsal margin and collar whitish; propleuron whitish; mesoscutum brownish (144,103,089), with narrow whitish dashes over anterior portion of notaulus and at level of tegula. Scutellum centrally whitish, base and apex black; axillary through and postscutellum black. Mesopleuron dorsally black, ventrally ferruginous, with four distinct whitish marks and pale whitish dash over sternaulus; mesosternum ferruginous. Mesepimeron and carinal triangle black; dorsal division of metapleuron whitish; metapleuron ventrally ferruginous, dorsally black on anterior 0.3 and ferruginous on posterior 0.7 (fig. 7). Propodeum black, with sublateral ovoid marks posterior to anterior transverse carina (fig. 8). Legs mostly ferruginous, fore- and mid legs lighter (178,117,052) than hind leg (137,089,058); anterior and mid coxae with anterior whitish spots; mid tarsus fuscous; hind tarsus blackish. Forewing with three extensive fuscous bands extending from midlength to apex, with central hyaline areas in between; all bands connected on posterior end ( Fig. 10 ); hind wing entirely hyaline. First metasomal tergite mostly ferruginous, dorsally blackish on posterior 0.5, laterally with brownish mark on anterior 0.5; T2–7 blackish with posterior whitish stripes; T8 blackish, laterally with narrow whitish stripe; S2 mostly whitish with anterior blackish spot; S3–6 blackish with posterior whitish stripes. Ovipositor dark ferruginous, its sheaths dark brown.

VARIATION: Paratype female with forewing 9.0 mm long; antenna with 23 flagellomeres; mesoscutum without yellow marks; areolet less distinctly convergent anteriorly; black marking on T1 slightly more extensive. Other measurement ranges include: MLW 1.7; MWW 0.6; CWH 2.1; CWW 1.2; MSM 0.7; APH 2.0.

MALE (fig. 13): Similar to the female except: forewing 7.2–8.0 mm. long; supraclypeal area entirely whitish or at most with two small blackish marks; antenna with 29–31 flagellomeres; supraantennal area, vertex and occiput black, except for orbital band; mesoscutum sometimes with sparse blackish marks; ventral whitish marks on mesopleuron centrally connected; forecoxa and trochanter entirely whitish; whitish marks on propodeum smaller, reaching about half the distance to anterior transverse carina; foretibia and tarsus yellow, lighter toward apex; mid tibia and tarsus yellow, darker toward apex; forewing with only one distinct apical fuscous mark, area around areolet sometimes with slight, sparse infuscation; T2–8 and S2–6 bright ferruginous, sternites slightly lighter than tergites, T2 sometimes with sparse blackish marks.

COMMENTS: N. laluzbrillante can be readily distinguished from N. ornatipennis by the very distinct color pattern, with extensive black marks on the mesosoma and metasoma, and by the distinct whitish marks on the propodeum (figs. 7–8). It can be further differentiated from the type species by several characters in general morphology (see Diagnosis for both species). Nonetheless, the two species are generally similar in morphology and biometric ratios, as well as in the distribution of most whitish marks.

BIOLOGY: Unknown.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet comes from the Spanish la luz brillante, meaning “the bright light,” in reference to the fact that the Dominican Republic is very bright and that the wings of the new species have a shiny, glossy appearance. The name was chosen by the sixthgrade students of the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School, in New York City. The epithet is construed as a noun phrase in apposition to the generic name.

DISTRIBUTION: Dominican Republic. Recorded from a single site on the extreme east of the country (fig. 14).

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Two females, 3 males. Holotype: ♀ “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, La Altagracia, Punta Cana Ecological Foundation, recently cleared forest edge to the west of biodiversity center, 10.IX.2008, Malaise trap, Hymenoptera Unit ” ( USNM). Mounted in triangle point; complete. Paratypes: 1♀, 33, same data as holotype ( USNM). All paratypes mounted in triangle point and in good condition except as follows. Female paratype head and prothorax removed for DNA extraction and glued back after internal tissue lysis; one male paratype with right hind t2–5 missing, another one with left mid t5 missing .

Species Inquirenda

COMMENTS: One male specimen recorded from the Dominican Republic does not match either of the species treated in this work. It is similar to males of N. laluzbrillante in having the head with the supraantennal area, vertex and occiput black; mesosoma laterally blackish with the same pattern of whitish marks; forewing with a single apical infuscate mark; and metasoma uniformly ferruginous with a dorsal blackish mark on T1. However, it differs from N. laluzbrillante by the mesoscutum black with a central whitish spot; mesosternum entirely whitish; propodeum dorsally smoother, less distinctly rugose, and entirely black; and areolet distinctly narrower and more distinctly convergent, most similar to males of N. ornatipennis (AWH 0.8). This specimen can also be distinguished from males of N. ornatipennis by all the color features shared with N. laluzbrillante (listed above), as well as the clypeus trapezoidal and central ocellus about as large as the lateral ones.

This specimen seems to belong to a distinct taxon, and therefore could be described as a new species. However, male specimens are generally more difficult to determine and interpret than the respective females, due to the character reduction and variations associated with their generally small size in relation to females. The fact that there is a single specimen available further complicates consistent comparisons. The specimen in question is therefore better interpreted, at least for now, as species inquirenda.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: One male. “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Pedernales Prov., 21 km N. Cabo Rojo, 19-20-VI-76, R.E. Woodruff ” ( FSCA) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Nesolinoceras laluzbrillante, sp. nov., holotype habitus.

FIGURES 8–13. Nesolinoceras laluzbrillante, sp. nov., holotype. 8, Dorsal view. 9, Head in frontal view. 10, Wings. 11, Supraantennal area and vertex, dorsal view. 12, Ovipositor, lateral view. 13, Male paratype habitus.

FIGURE 14. Diagram showing distributions for species of Nesolinoceras. Circles represent N. ornatipennis; the triangle represents N. laluzbrillante, sp. nov.