Erythmelus (Erythmelus) mikrob S. Triapitsyn, 2007

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., Berezovskiy, Vladimir V., Hoddle, Mark S. & Morse, Joseph G., 2007, A review of the Nearctic species of Erythmelus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), with a key and new additions to the New World fauna, Zootaxa 1641 (1), pp. 1-64 : 28-29

Erythmelus (Erythmelus) mikrob S. Triapitsyn , sp. n.

( Figs 34, 35 )

Type material. Holotype female on slide [ UCRC]: CANADA. BRITISH COLUMBIA, Vaseux Lake , 27.ii.1999, T. Lowery, K. Todd (ex. pussy willow, emerged 1.iii.1999 at Summerland, British Columbia).

Description. FEMALE. Body mostly dark brown except base of gaster yellow to light brown; midlobe of mesoscutum with a lighter (light brown) transverse submedian stripe; borders of axilla light brown. Appendages light brown to brown.

Vertex transversely striate, with a few short setae.

Antenna ( Fig. 34 ) with short setae. Scape 4.5–4.7 x as long as wide; pedicel much longer than F1; F1, F3, and F5 about as long as wide, F2 slightly longer than wide, F4 and F6 notably longer than wide; F1 and F3 the shortest funicular segments, F2 as long as F5 but narrower, slightly longer than F1 or F3 but shorter than F4, F4 shorter and a little narrower than F6; F1–F3 and F5 without longitudinal sensilla, F4 with 1 longitudinal sensillum, F6 with 2 longitudinal sensilla; clava 3.7 x as long as wide, with 5 longitudinal sensilla.

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum wider than long, its midlobe finely longitudinally striate and with 1 pair of strong setae. Scutellum a little longer than mesoscutum, posterior scutellum finely longitudinally striate. Dorsellum acutely angulate posteriorly.

Wings. Forewing ( Fig. 35 ) 4.2 x as long as wide; blade slightly infumate behind venation but otherwise hyaline, mostly bare except for 3 or 4 irregular rows of setae; longest marginal cilia 1.6 x greatest width of wing. Hind wing about 15 x as long as wide, a little shorter than forewing; blade almost hyaline; longest marginal cilia about 3.7 x greatest wing width.

Metasoma. Petiole much wider than long. Gaster a little longer than mesosoma; ovipositor about 3/5 length of gaster, not exserted beyond apical gastral tergum, and 1.1 x length of metatibia.

Measurements (in µm). Body 622; mesosoma 248; gaster 258; ovipositor 152. Antenna: scape (including radicle) 85; pedicel 36; F1 14; F2 18; F3 14; F4 22; F5 18; F6 34; clava 100. Forewing 439:105; longest marginal cilia 167. Hind wing 424:29; longest marginal cilia 106.

MALE. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name (a noun in apposition) stands for “a microbe” in Russian, thus referring to its relatively minute size.

Diagnosis. Member of the flavovarius species group. Erythmelus (E.) mikrob has a unique combination of the features, such as a very short funicle of the female antenna (funicle length: clava length ratio about 1.2:1), F4 with a longitudinal sensillum, and the forewing blade with few setae in the apical half ( Fig. 35 ). The forewing blade of E. (E.) psallidis Gahan , which sometimes has a similar female antenna (i.e., it has short funicular segments and occasionally has a longitudinal sensillum on F4), is significantly more setose in the distal half ( Fig. 44 ).

Hosts. Unknown.

Comments. The holotype specimen has part of the flagellum (beyond F2) of one antenna missing.

Figures

FIGURES 34, 35. Erythmelus (E.) mikrob (female, holotype). 34. Antenna. 35. Forewing. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 42–44. Erythmelus (E.) psallidis (female, holotype). 42. Right antenna. 43. Left antenna. 44. Forewing. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.