Pseudidarnes laevis Farache & Rasplus

Farache, Fernando Henrique Antoniolli & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2014, Revision of the Australasian genus Pseudidarnes Girault, 1927 (Hymenoptera, Agaonidae, Sycophaginae), ZooKeys 404, pp. 31-70 : 57-58

Pseudidarnes laevis Farache & Rasplus sp. n. Figures 19-22

Material examined.

Holotype. ♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Crater Mountain -6.58°, 145.08°, 2000m, V.1990, McKee A., ex Ficus sp., n° AM 451 (CBGP).

Paratypes. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Crater Mountain -6.58°, 145.08°, 2000m, 20♀, 20♂, V.1990, McKee A., ex Ficus sp., n° AM 451 (17♀, 18♂ CBGP, 1♀, 1♂ BMNH, 1♀, 1♂ SAMC, 1♀ RPSP), 6♀, 1♂, V.1990, McKee A., ex Ficus sp., n° AM 550 (CBGP).

Diagnosis.

Mesosoma metallic green, entirely smooth and shiny. First funicular segment 2 × as long as wide. Distal antennomeres not forming a definite clava.

Description.

Female. Body length 3.7 mm. Ovipositor sheaths length 3.9 mm. Metallic tinge present at least in some body regions. Predominantly dark green. Antennae yellow brown. Legs yellow. Petiole dark brown. Metasoma predominantly brown, slightly green.

Head. Antennae inserted at the middle line of compound eyes or slightly above. Scape nearly 3 × as long as pedicel. Pedicel almost as long as wide, shorter than first funicular segment. Anelli transverse. First funicular segment 2 × as long as wide. Distal antennomeres not forming a distinct clava. Face sculpture smooth, with very sparse punctures. Face pilosity short and sparse. Supraclypeal area wide, its delimiting sulci not converging near epistomal groove, and its sculpture mostly smooth. Lateral ocelli nearly 1 × its diameter far from the eye margin.

Mesosoma. Pronotum longer than high in lateral view. Mesoscutum mostly smooth. Mesoscutellum smooth. Frenal sulcus densely crenulated. Mesepimeron sculpture mostly smooth. Metascutellum smooth, very short, inconspicuous, and almost completely covered by frenum. Propodeum with a vestigial median line not extending from the beginning of the proximal region. Propodeum sculpture smooth. Wings hyaline, with rather dense pilosity. Marginal and postmarginal vein not particularly widened. Postmarginal vein as long as stigmal vein, or slightly longer.

Metasoma. Petiole 2 × as long as high in lateral view. Petiole sculpture in lateral view slightly rugose. Petiole dorsally with a longitudinal median sulcus. Ovipositor sheaths long, distinctly protruding beyond metasoma apex. Ovipositor sheaths length 4.3 × hind tibia length, as long as body.

Male. Body length 3 mm. Characters agreeing with the females, except the following. Body slender. Anelli more transverse. Ocelli slightly larger than the female’s ocelli. Wing more pilose.

Etymology.

The specific name refers to the smooth body sculpturation exhibited by this species.

Biology.

See Pseudidarnes acaudus biology section.