Aspicera singularica Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2013

ROS-FARRÉ, P. & PUJADE-VILLAR, J., 2013, <strong> Revision of the genus <em> Aspicera </ em> Dahlbom, 1842 (Hym.: Figitidae: Aspicerinae) </ strong>, Zootaxa 3606 (1), pp. 1-110 : 50

Aspicera singularica Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar n. sp.

( Figs 5a & b )

Type material: (8♂ & 2♀). HOLOTYPE male ( CNCI) 19/V/1959, Oliver, British Columbia, CANADA, E. E MacDougall leg., Ex. Betula ; PARATYPES: (7♂ & 2♀) CANADA: 1♂ ( CNCI) 4/VI/1956, Manyberries Alberta, O. Peck leg. ; 1♂ ( CNCI) 2/VI/1938, Brooks, Alberta, R. W. Salt leg., Host of Alfalfa ; 2♂ ( UB) 9/VI/1955, Westbank , British Columbia , G.L. Ayre leg., Nest 16 Foraging area; USA : 1♂ ( CAS) 2/IV/1956, S. Bullhead City Arizona, F. Werner & G. Butler leg., Swept alfalfa ; 2 ♂ ( CNCI) 10/V/1955, Apple Valley , California, W. R. Richards leg. ; 1♀ ( CAS) 29/V-2/VI/1937, Wash. WallaWalla Co. Washington, R. M. & G. E. Bohart Coll .; 1♀ ( UB) 17/V/1958, Grand Coulee Dam. Washngton, W. A. Howden .

Diagnosis. Aspicera singularica can be easily recognized because is the only species together with A. clarimontis with sharp rugose sculpture on scutellum, lacking longitudinal carinae. Both species can be easily distinguished because scutellar pits are present in A. singularica but absent in A. clarimontis , and by the scutum, coarsely coriaceous in A. singularica and finely coriaceous in A. clarimontis . The scutellar spine is shorter in A. clarimontis than in A. singularica .

Description

Length. Male 3.4–4.0 mm.; female 3.6–4.5 mm.

Coloration. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Scape and pedicellum black, flagellomeres darkish brown. Tibia and trocanter dark brown, remaining leg segments medium brown. Wing veins light brown.

Head. Frons with rugae, alutaceous to coriaceous, sometimes with punctate sculpture. Lateral frontal carinae sharp, rather curved, area between lateral frontal carinae and compound eye with transverse carinae. Occipital carina rounded behind dorsal 1/3 of compound eye. Gena not expanded, coriaceous, with very sharp transverse carinae. Vertex not incised, alutaceous, rugose, sometimes punctate. Ocelli weakly prominent. Occiput shiny, alutaceous to coriaceous, with sharp longitudinal carinae on dorsal 1/3, transverse carinae on basal 2/3.

Antenna. MALE. Filiform. F1 clearly excavated. Antennal formula: 5(3): 1.5(2.5): 6(2.5): 6(2): 5(2): 5(2): 5(2): 5(2): 4.5(2): 4.5(2): 4.5(2): 4.5(2): 4(2): 8(2). FEMALE. Antennal formula: 4.5(3): 2(2): 5(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4.5(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4(2): 4(2): 8(2).

Mesosoma. MALE. Lateral surface of pronotum coriaceous, sometimes weakly rugose. Subpronotal plate not projected, dorsal margin pubescent. Scutum sharply coriaceous, sometimes with weak transverse carinae that can be stronger near posterior margin. Lateral line incomplete, present on basal 2/3, antero-admedian lines weak or medium impressed, reaching 1/3–1/2 scutum length, parallel. Medial mesoscutal line sharply impressed. Notauli and median mesoscutal furrow with transverse carinae. Area between notauli not prominent in lateral view. Parascutal sulcus wider from basis to anterior end of notauli, sharply narrow to anterior margin of notauli, smooth, sharply pubescent. Mesopleuron with oblique carinae and punctate on anterior 1/3, smooth posteriorly. Scutellum 0.85–1.1 times scutum length, sometimes emarginate. Scutellar foveae transversely oval, shiny, deep, sharp to weakly carinate, carinae transverse anteriorly, longitudinal posteriorly, scutellar pits quite deep. Interfoveal carina continuing along scutellar disc to end of scutellar spine, sinuous posteriorly. Scutellar disc swollen posterior to scutellar foveae, sharply rugose, alutaceous, very slightly sloping towards basis of scutellar spine in lateral view. Scutellar spine 0.42–0.55 times length of scutellar disc, rugose, narrow, straight in lateral view. FEMALE. Scutellum 0.85–1.1 times scutum length. Scutellar spine 0.38–0.46 times length of scutellar disc.

Wing. MALE. Wing membrane hyaline. Radial cell 2.0–2.1 longer than wide. Wing pubescence reduced. Marginal pubescence only conspicuous on basal margin of wing. R1 rather short. R2 almost straight, sometimes slightly curved near dorsal margin. FEMALE. Radial cell 2.1 times longer than wide.

Derivatio nominis. The specific name refers to the singular scutellum of this species.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Nearctic: USA (Arizona, California and Washington) and Canada (British Columbia, Alberta).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Aspicera singularica Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar n. sp.: (a) head and mesosoma in lateral view, (b) mesosoma in dorsal view.