Arastichus gibernau Gates, Hanson, Jansen-Gonzalez & Zhang, 2022

Zhang, Y. Miles, Gates, Michael W., Hanson, Paul E. & Jansen-Gonzalez, Sergio, 2022, Description of a Neotropical gall inducer on Araceae: Arastichus, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) and two new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 92, pp. 145-172 : 145

Arastichus gibernau Gates, Hanson, Jansen-Gonzalez & Zhang sp. nov.

Figs 8 , 9 , 24 , 25

Material Examined.

Holotype Panama • [1F]; Barro Colorado Island , Canal Zone, 40-22220, J. Zetek leg., ex. Philodendron oxycardium flowers, 8.30'40 1.IX.1940; USNMENT01829267; USNM . Paratypes [24F, 25M]; same information as holotype; USNMENT01829268-325; USNM. [3F, 3M]; same information as holotype; ANIC. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; BMNH. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; CNCI. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; MNHN. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; MZUCR.

Diagnosis.

Arastichus gibernau is morphologically similar to A. gallicola , but the posterior corner of metapleuron of A. gibernau has a noticeable fossa, or with an elongate depression ((Figs 8 , 9 ). Additionally, the vertexal suture is always rounded where it reaches the inner eye margin in A. gibernau (Fig. 24 ), whereas in A. gallicola this suture is angulate or rounded (Fig. 10 ).

Description.

Female holotype. Body length 4.4 mm. Color. Golden: head, mouthparts, antenna (brownish tint), mesosoma, femoral depression, acropleuron, legs, ovipositor sheaths. Light brown: wing veins, antennae. Dark brown: scutellum, dorsellum, propodeum, metapleuron; wing veins whitish to brownish (Fig. 8 ).

Head. 1.36 × as broad as high, effaced imbricate; anterior tentorial pits with epistomal groove extending ventrally (Fig. 24 ); supraclypeal area with sparse setae extending from below scrobe to clypeus; clypeus bilobed. Lower margin of eyes slightly sunken; malar suture distinct; malar space 0.46 × eye height, asetose beneath eye in elongate microreticulate area; frons protubertant. Preorbital carina absent; intrascrobal area divergent dorsally to laterad of anterior ocellus, delimiting shallow, equilateral triangular depression anterad to anterior ocellus. Ratio of LOL:OOL:POL as 1:2.4:2.6. Vertexal suture rounded at inner eye margin (Fig. 24 ); occipital margin with transverse, sinuate carina. Head posteriorly lacking postgenal lamina, postgena without ventral depression near ventral margin. Gena expanded ventrally, giving it a "puffy cheeks’’ appearance.

Antenna. Ratio of scape (minus radicle): pedicel: A1: A2: F1: F2: F3: F4: F5: club as 18:5:1.5:1:8.3:7.3:7:6.3:6.3:2.5 (Fig. 8 ); A1 constricted medially, A2 transverse, one row of MPS on all funicular segment, two rows of erect setae at 45° angle to funicular segment, shorter than the funicular segment to which it is attached (Fig. 8 ).

Mesosoma. 1.34 × as long as broad. Pronotum with three sets of setae posterolaterally. Midlobe of mesoscutum 0.73 × as long as broad; with two pairs of adnotaular setae; posterior margin of mesoscutum not bilobed. Notauli complete, shallow. Scutellum 1.01x as long as broad; effaced imbricate, with two pairs of setae. Metapleuron with circular fossa that is at least half as wide as propodeal spiracle (Figs 8 , 25 arrow). Propodeum raised medially, laterally imbricate, with paraspiracular carina complete. Prepectus triangular, broadly rounded posteriorly, imbricate. Mesepimeron striate, becoming smooth anteriorly grading into femoral depression. Epicnemium imbricate. Fore wing with ratio of M:PMV:S as 2.5:3.3:1.

Metasoma. Finely imbricate (Fig. 8 ); setose along the posterior edges of each gastral tergite; third valvula extends beyond metasoma.

Male. Overall morphology as in females (Fig. 9 ). Body length 3.3 mm. Color: Dark brown except the following white: all tibia, procoxa apically, pro- and meso femur, metatibia in apical 1/4. Antennal ratio of scape (minus radicle):pedicel: A1:F1:F2:F3:F4:F5:F6:club as 10.3:2.5:1:6.8:6.8:6.8:6.5:5.3:4.8:.3.5; scape with distinct ventral plaque in apical ½ (Fig. 9 ), funicular segments clavate basally, with whorl of setae extending ~1.5x length of the funicular segment to which it is attached, MPS sparse and located at midlength; clava with basal whorl and apical setae, MPS located at apex (Fig. 9 ). Genitalia: phallobase twice as long as broad, digitus slender with a blunt projection on anterior margin, aedeagus slender, with apex pointed (Fig. 27 ).

Variation.

Considerable variation is noted. Females: 3.5-5.2mm, pronotal setation ranges from 1-3 per side, adnotaular setation ranges from 1-2 per side. Males: 2.8-3.5mm, may have brownish infuscation of the pro- and mesofemur.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Dr. Marc Gibernau for providing a very large sample of specimens of this species for our research.

Biology.

Reared from Philodendron hederaceum var. oxycardium .

Distribution.

Panama.

Figures

Figure 27. Male genitalia of Arastichus spp. based on photographs of slide-mounted specimens. Dsp digital spine; Aed aedeagus; Dqt digitus; Dsp d igital spine; Phl phallobase; Prm paramere; Vsl volsella.

Figure 8 - 9. Lateral habitus of Arastichus gibernau 8 holotype female 9 paratype male.

Figure 21 - 25. Arastichus capipunctata 21 frontal view of head 22 dorsal view of head 23 dorsal view of mesosoma, arrow pointing to the bilobed posterior margin of mesoscutum 24 - 25 Arastichus gibernau 24 frontal view of head 25 lateral view of mesosoma, arrow pointing to the circular fossa on the posterior corner of metapleuron.

Figure 10 - 15. Arastichus gallicola 10 frontal view of head 11 posterior view of head 12 dorsal view of head 13 anterolateral view of head 14 female antenna 15 male antenna.