Anastatus motschulskyi, Gibson, Gary A. P., 2020

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2020, Redescription of Anastatus mantoidae Motschulsky, the type species of Anastatus Motschulsky 1859, and Anastatus echidna (Motschulsky), the type species of Cacotropia Motschulsky 1863, with respect to taxonomy of Anastatus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae: Eupelminae), Zootaxa 4748 (3), pp. 485-513 : 497-503

Anastatus motschulskyi n. sp.

Figs 7–9

Type material. Holotype ♀ [ BMNH]. “ MALAYSIA | Tawau, Sabah | ex. mantid egg | case, 20.XI.77 / S.J. Addison | No. 1238 | C.I.E. A.10464 / ♀ Anastatus nr. mantoidae , det. Z. Bouček, 1978 / NHMUK 011507944 / HOLOTYPE ♀ | Anastatus | motschulskyi Gibson. ” Holotype card-mounted; entire; uncontorted.

1 Bouček (1988) listed A. mantoidae as present in Malaysia (Sabah), but this is incorrect because the record was based on specimens of A. motschulskyi (see below).

Allotype ♂ [ BMNH]. Same collection data as holotype except “No. 1243” and with separate labels / “NHMUK 011507950 / ALLOTYPE ♂ | Anastatus | motschulskyi Gibson. ” Allotype card-mounted; entire except apical fu- nicular and clava of left antenna and apical tarsomere of left hind leg missing.

Additional paratypes. MALAYSIA: Sabah, same data as holotype and allotype (all BMNH) except: No 1237 (1♀, NHMUK 011507946, with two determination labels: “near mantoidae M., ♀ Anastatus sp. ‘3B’ det. Z. Bouček, 1978” and “ Anastatus mantoidae Motsch. ♀, Bouček det. 1984”), No. 1239 (1♀, NHMUK 011507945), No. 1240 (1♀, NHMUK 010838802; with det. label: “ Anastatus mantoidae Motsch ♀, Bouček det., 1984”), No. 1241 (1♀, NHMUK 011507942), No. 1242 (1♂, NHMUK 010838801; with det. label: “ ♂ Anastatus mantoidae Motsch. , det. Z. Bouček, 1984”; CNC Photo 2019-70), No. 1244 (1♂ NHMUK 011507947; with det. label: ♂ “ Anastatus nr. mantoidae Motsch. , det. Z. Bouček, 1978”; CNC Photo 2019-69). THAILAND: Nakhon Nayok, Khao Yai NP, Lam Takong viewpoint, 14°25.762’N 101°23.527’E, 732m, 5–12.X.2006, Wirat Sook-kho, Malaise Trap, T741 (1♀, QSBG, on indefinite loan to CNC, CNC Photo 2019-68).

Etymology. Named in honour of Victor von Motschulsky who originally established Anastatus .

Description. FEMALE (habitus, Figs 7A, B ). Length 2.9–3.4 mm. Head with frontovertex, parascrobal region variably extensively dorsally, and scrobal depression above about level of dorsal angle of interantennal prominence dark or with variably distinct and extensive reddish-coppery luster ( Figs 7C, D ), but scrobes variably green to blue, purple or reddish-violaceous, lower part of parascrobal region variably extensively green, interantennal prominence green with variably distinct and extensive cupreous to reddish-violaceous luster mediolongitudinally ( Fig. 7C ), and gena, temple and occiput variably distinctly green to bluish under different angles of light. Antenna with pedicel and flagellum brown but scape distinctly paler, yellow to brownish-yellow ( Figs 7F, G ). Pronotum ( Fig. 7B ) dorsally brown to violaceous depending on angle of light but lateral panel mostly green to partly bluish to purple. Mesonotum with mesoscutum extensively green ( Fig. 7H ) though convex part of medial lobe mostly dark with slight cupreous or reddish-violaceous lusters ( Figs 7H, I ) and depressed posteromedial region of mesoscutal medial lobe variably extensively blue to purple under various angles of light ( Fig. 7I ); scutellar-axillar complex mostly dark brown though with slight green to bluish lusters ( Fig. 7H ), most distinctly on inclined, smooth, posterior surface. Tegula ( Figs 7H , 8A ) and prepectus ( Figs 7A , 8A ) brown. Mesopleurosternum ( Fig. 8A ) with setose region of mesopectus variably extensively reddish-violaceous anteriorly to green posteriorly, acropleuron variably extensively green and/or blue to purple behind setose region, and brownish over at least about posterior half. Metanotum ( Fig. 7H ) brown. Propodeum brown to green or blue to purple under some angles of light. Legs ( Fig. 7A ) extensively brown beyond coxae but at least tibiae apically and tarsi paler, yellowish, other than dark mesotibial apical and mesotarsal pegs ( Fig. 8E ), and sometimes anterior surface of protibia, knees, trochanters and/or trochantelli variably distinctly, and metafemur dorsoapically also pale. Fore wing ( Fig. 8C ) with discal region more or less distinctly bifasciate, with posteriorly widened, darker brownish region behind postmarginal and stigmal veins extending at least to and often less distinctly behind medial fold ( Fig. 8C : mdf), and with lighter, sometimes only obscurely brownish region behind parastigma and marginal vein basally (basal cell basally also usually variably distinctly brownish); setae all hair-like but basal cell usually with distinct region of white setae behind submarginal vein medially ( Fig. 8C ) and always with region of white setae in hyaline area behind marginal vein medially ( Figs 8C, D ), the white setae extending from marginal vein to about level of cubital fold ( Figs 8C : cuf, 8D); vein complex yellow. Gaster dark brown with slight metallic lusters under some angles of light ( Fig. 8B ) except Gt1 white at least apically and usually mostly except basolaterally, and Gt2 whitish-hyaline, and with St1–St3 similarly whitish hyaline ( Fig. 7A ); synter- gal flange translucent-hyaline to translucent-yellowish ( Fig. 8B : stf); ovipositor sheaths yellow.

Head with scrobal depression bare ( Fig. 7C ), but otherwise greenish parts with white setae, the setae hair-like on lateral surface and very slender-lanceolate on frontal surface, and with dark hair-like setae on dark parts; head comparatively thick, in dorsal view ( Fig. 7D ) subrectangular; HW: HH: HL: IOD = 7.3: 6.5: 4.3: 1.7; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 0.2: 0.9: 1.1: 1.2; eye bare, EH: EW: MS = 4.9: 3.6: 2.5; scrobal depression with lateral margin raised into low ridge, and dorsally curved toward anterior ocellus but not margined dorsally, with obscurely delimited dorsal margin distinctly separated from anterior ocellus by distance subequal to diameter of anterior ocellus ( Fig. 7E : dso); frontovertex ( Figs 7D, E ) with vertex variably deeply mesh-like reticulate to reticulate-imbricate ( Fig. 7D ), ocellar triangle, frons lateral and anterior of anterior ocellus, and parascrobal region dorsally ( Fig. 7E ) mesh-like coriaceous to slightly pustulate or imbricate; parascrobal region ventrally extensively reticulate-rugulose ( Fig. 7C ); scrobal depression mesh-like reticulate-imbricate to somewhat reticulate-strigose ( Fig. 7C ); interantennal region and lower face ( Fig. 7C ) roughened, more or less irregularly reticulate-rugulose. Antenna ( Figs 7F, G ) with scape tubular, slightly curved, about 4.4–4.5× as long as greatest width; pedicel about 2× as long as apical width and about 2× maximum length of fl1; fl1 quadrate to slightly transverse, with subsequent funiculars not unusually modified, increasingly widened apically such that fl2–fl4 longer than wide, fl5 subquadrate, and fl6–fl8 wider than long; clava about equal in length to combined length of fl6–fl8 plus apical half or more of fl5. Mandibles normal for genus, with tiny ventroapical tooth and broad dorsoapical margin.

Mesonotum ( Fig. 7H ) with brown hair-like setae, the mesoscutum comparatively sparsely setose with lateral lobe dorsolongitudinally and about anterior half of depressed, posterior part of medial lobe bare; convex anterior part of mesoscutal medial lobe ( Fig. 7I ) almost isodiametric mesh-like coriaceous and depressed posteromedial region smooth and shiny except finely mesh-like coriaceous on inner, inclined surface of lateral lobes anteriorly; mesoscutal lateral lobe longitudinally, carinately margined for about one-quarter to one-third length and minutely mesh-like coriaceous dorsolongitudinally relative to somewhat larger mesh-like coriaceous to reticulate-imbricate sculpture on inclined outer surface of lateral lobe ( Figs 7H, I ); scutellar-axillar complex ( Fig. 7H ) with axilla obliquely reticulate-rugulose to reticulate-strigose and lowly convex scutellum with more or less concentric U-like striae so as to appear longitudinally strigose on either side of median. Acropleuron ( Fig. 8A ) finely sculptured, mostly finely, longitudinal alutaceous-striate but becoming very shallowly mesh-like reticulate posteriorly. Fore wing ( Fig. 8C ) with relative lengths of smv: mv: stv: pmv = 7.5: 6.3: 1.0: 3.0; costal cell bare dorsally, but ventrally with one complete row of setae over most of length, the setae in more than one row basally and apically, and basal and discal regions otherwise uniformly setose except vanal region bare. Profemur with ventral margin evenly curved apically; mesotibia with patch of 6 or 7 apical pegs ( Fig. 8E ). Metanotum normal for genus, with comparatively small and narrow, vertical, dorsally rounded dorsellum behind posterior surface of scutellum ventrally. Propodeum (cf. Fig. 2E ) normal for genus, with anterior margin V-like incised medially for reception of dorsellum and medially carinately margined foramen broadly incurved almost to apex of V-like incision to differentiate more or less bowtielike medial region (deeply concave, triangular region on either side of V-like medial region) and inclined surface of plical region mesal to spiracle relative to convex surface of callus lateral of spiracle; mostly shiny and more or less smooth but inclined surface of plical region lateral of V-shaped incision very finely and inconspicuously mesh-like coriaceous; callus setose laterally, with white hair-like setae.

Gaster normal for genus, with posterior margin of Gt1 much more deeply incised than only slightly emarginate Gt2–Gt4, Gt5 with posterior margin broadly incurved, and Gt6 with posterior margin broadly rounded; Gt1 bare dorsally, Gt2 very obscurely setose dorsobasally with short white setae, Gt3–Gt6 more distinctly setose basally with more brownish setae, and syntergum with somewhat longer, dark hair-like setae apically basal to syntergal flange; syntergal flange ( Fig. 8B : stf) with posterior margin broadly rounded and strongly transverse, more than 3× as wide as medial length; ovipositor sheaths protruding only slightly ( Fig. 8B ).

MALE (habitus, Figs 9A, B ). Length about 2.6 mm. Head with similar colour pattern as female, frontovertex mostly dark with variously extensive reddish luster on vertex anteriorly ( Fig. 9D ) extending on frons to or slightly within scrobal depression ( Figs 9C, D ), but otherwise green to partly blue or purple under some angles of light ( Fig. 9C ). Antenna ( Figs 8H , 9A ) uniformly yellow. Pronotum green to bluish at least laterally ( Fig. 9A ). Mesonotum ( Figs 9B, E ) with mesoscutum green or under some angles of light partly blue to purple, and scutellar-axillar complex with scutellum mediolongitudinally cupreous to reddish-violaceous. Mesothorax laterally ( Fig. 9F ) mostly green to bluish-green except for Y-shaped pale band on mesepisternum ( Fig. 9F : eps2). Tegula dark brown. Fore wing ( Fig. 8F ) hyaline with yellowish vein complex. Legs entirely yellow beyond coxae ( Fig. 9A ). Propodeum ( Fig. 9E ) variably green to blue or purple depending on angle of light. Gaster ( Figs 9A, B ) dark brown dorsally but laterally bluish to purple.

Head with similar setal distribution and colour as for female; HW: HH: HL: IOD = 6.9: 5.8: 4.4: 2.8; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 0.6: 2.0: 1.1: 1.4; eye sparsely microsetose, EH: EW: MS = 3.8: 3.1: 2.3; scrobal depression ( Fig. 9C ) bell-shaped, with lateral margins abruptly margined only over about ventral half but obscurely extended almost to anterior ocellus ( Figs 9C, D ), with interantennal prominence tapered dorsally to acute angle ( Fig. 9C ) and not continued through depression as linear ridge to near anterior ocellus; sculpture similar to female with vertex transversely reticulate-imbricate to more mesh-like reticulate within ocellar triangle, frons on either side of anterior ocellus mesh-like coriaceous to obscurely reticulate, scrobal depression dorsally similar in sculpture to frons or entirely pustulate to reticulate-imbricate, and lower face mesh-like reticulate to reticulate-imbricate with minute setiferous punctures. Antenna ( Fig. 8H ) with scape tubular, slightly curved, about 3× as long as greatest width ( Fig. 9A ); pedicel subglobose, only about as long as wide; flagellum ( Fig. 8H ) with fl1 very strongly lenticular, not clearly visible, fl2 slightly curved and each of fl2–fl4 or fl2–fl5 slightly widened apically such that basally flagellum slightly serrate rather than forming uniform tube; fl2–fl8 microsetose with densely packed, short mps in multiple rows per flagellomere, and decreased in length such that fl7 and fl8 quadrate to slightly transverse and clava about as long as combined length of fl6–fl8. Mandibles bidentate, similar to female.

Mesonotum ( Fig. 9E ) with mesoscutum uniformly covered with hair-like, whitish setae ( Fig. 9F ); mesoscutal medial lobe mesh-like reticulate to reticulate-rugose, mesoscutal lateral lobe somewhat more finely sculptured than medial lobe but entirely roughened, more or less reticulate-imbricate; scutellar-axillar complex mostly mesh-like coriaceous dorsally, to coriaceous-alutaceous or coriaceous-imbricate laterally on inclined surfaces. Prepectus ( Fig. 9F : pre) shallowly mesh-like reticulate. Mesopleuron with acropleuron ( Fig. 9F : ac) variably extensively mesh-like coriaceous anteriorly and smooth and shiny posteriorly; mesepisternum ( Fig. 9F : eps2) mostly mesh-like coria- ceous-reticulate with larger sculpture anteroventrally; mesepimeron with upper mesepimeron ( Fig. 9F : uep2) variably distinctly mesh-like coriaceous, sometimes mostly shiny with subeffaced sculpture except dorsally, but at least lower mesepimeron ( Fig. 9F : lep2) entirely coriaceous-alutaceous. Metapleuron ( Fig. 9F : pl3) entirely coriaceousalutaceous, similar to lower mesepimeron. Fore wing ( Fig. 8F ) with costal cell bare dorsally and ventrally with setae in 1–2 rows along length; basal region with basal cell ( Fig. 8G : bac) delimited by rows of setae along basal and mediocubital folds and with a few setae within cell, but cubital ( Fig. 8G : cua) and vanal ( Fig. 8G : vna) areas bare; discal region setose except for broad bare area ( Fig. 8G : spc) adjacent to basal cell, and cubital fold ( Fig. 8G : cuf) bare for short distance beyond basal cell such that speculum open posteriorly; relative lengths of smv: mv: stv: pmv = 5.8: 3.6: 1.0: 2.6. Propodeum ( Fig. 9E ) with complete median carina and short, irregular striae or reticulations extending anterolaterally from carina and long foramen, though smoother on either side of median carina anteriorly to spiracle.

Metasoma with petiole ( Fig. 9E ) transverse-lenticular; gaster with Gt1 bare dorsally, remaining tergites with at least 1 transverse row of dark setae.

Distribution. Malaysia (Sabah), Thailand.

Hosts. Eggs of Mantidae (Mantodea) .

Remarks. As noted under remarks for A. mantoidae, Bouček (1988: 550) stated that he had seen individuals of A. mantoidae “recently reared from mantid eggs in Sabah (N. Borneo)”. These specimens are undoubtedly the BMNH specimens that I include as part of the type series of A. motschulskyi . Bouček’s opinion on the species status of these specimens appears to have changed over time, with identification as “near” A. mantoidae in 1978 and as A. mantoidae in 1984, including one female bearing both identification labels, prior to his study on Australasian Chalcidoidea ( Bouček 1988). His changing concepts reflect, to some extent, my own concerning species limits of examined material. Both A. mantoidae and what I describe as A. motschulskyi were at least reared from the same host group if not the same host species, and single females of what I identify as the two species were collected at virtually the same time from the same locality in Nakhon Nayok Province, Thailand. Most observed differences, such as mesoscutal sculpture pattern and flagellar and fore wing colour patterns of females, could also be interpreted as intraspecific variation correlated with their separate island distributions.As described under ‘Non-type variation’ for A. mantoidae , two of four females from Thailand have a comparatively dark brown flagellum and pedicel relative to the scape ( Fig. 5D ) similar to A. motschulskyi females ( Figs 7F, G ), and the females exhibit a range of fore wing setal colour patterns from having entirely dark discal setae ( Fig. 2B ) to having a large area of whitish setae behind the marginal vein ( Fig. 5B ). All the non-Sri Lanka females identified as A. mantoidae also differ quite conspicuously from type females in having the posteromedial part of the mesoscutal medial lobe much more finely sculptured ( Fig. 4F ) than type material ( Fig. 2C ). Bouček (1988: 550, fig. 988) also noted that the “apical tergite is rounded and rather narrow” for A. mantoidae . Although this structure is not atypical compared to many other Anastatus species it certainly is much less transverse for A. mantoidae females ( Fig. 2F : stf) than for A. motschulskyi females ( Fig. 8B : stf). The line drawing of the gaster from Bouček (1988) indicates this was made from A. mantoidae type material rather than the Sabah females here described as A. motschulskyi .

There are few available males of the two putative species, but they differ from each other ( Table 2) at least as conspicuously as do females ( Table 1). Because of the noted differences in both sexes I recognize two separate species. This species concept and whether individuals identified as A. mantoidae from islands other than Sri Lanka might also constitute separate species requires testing through molecular analyses as well as collection of fresh, topotypic individuals of A. mantoidae from Sri Lanka in order to more confidently evaluate all morphological features and their significance.

Figures

FIGURES 2A–F. Anastatus mantoidae, female type material. A, antenna (LT); B, fore wing (LT); C, mesonotum (PLT); D, mesosoma, lateral (LT); E, apex of scutellum to base of gaster, dorsal (PLT); F, apex of gaster, dorsal (PLT). Abbreviations: LT = lectotype, PLT = paralectotype, stf = syntergal flange, stl = syntergal flange length, stw = syntergal flange width.

FIGURES 4A–H. Anastatus mantoidae, female (2019-66). A, lateral habitus; B, dorsal habitus; C, head, frontal; D, head, dorsal; E, frontovertex; F, mesonotum; G, mesosoma, lateral; H, anterior half of mesoscutum. Abbreviation: dso = distance between scrobal depression and anterior ocellus.

FIGURES 5A–G. Anastatus mantoidae. A–D, female (2019-66): A, fore wing; B, central part of fore wing; C, basal part of fore wing; D, antenna. E–G, male (2019-65): E, fore wing; F, antenna; G, basal part of fore wing. Abbreviations: bac = basal cell, mcf = mediocubital fold, mdf = medial fold, cua = cubital area, cuf = cubital fold, vna = vanal area.

FIGURES 7A–I. Anastatus motschulskyi, female. A–B, holotype habitus: A, lateral; B, dorsal. C–H, 2019-68: C, head, frontal; D, head, dorsal; E, frontovertex; F, antenna, dorsal view; G, antenna, ventral view; H, mesosoma, dorsal. I, anterior half of mesoscutum (holotype). Abbreviation: dso = distance between scrobal depression and anterior ocellus.

FIGURES 8A–H. Anastatus motschulskyi. A–E, female (2019-68): A, mesosoma, lateral; B, apex of gaster, dorsal; C, fore wing; D, central part of fore wing; E, mesotarsus. F–H, male (allotype): F, fore wing; G, basal half of fore wing; H, antenna. Abbreviations: bac = basal cell, cua = cubital area, cuf = cubital fold, mdf = medial fold, spc = speculum, stf = syntergal flange, stl = syntergal flange length, stw = syntergal flange width, vna = vanal area.

FIGURES 9A–F. Anastatus motschulskyi, male. A, lateral habitus (2019-70); B, dorsal habitus (allotype); C, head, frontal (2019-70); D, head, dorsal (2019-70); E, mesosoma, dorsal (allotype); F, mesosoma, lateral (2019-69). Abbreviations: ac = acropleuron, eps2 = mesepisternum, lep2= lower mesepimeron, pl3 = metapleuron, pre = prepectus, uep2 = upper mesepimeron.