Conostigmus dessarti Trietsch & Mikó, 2020

Trietsch, Carolyn, Mikó, István, Ezray, Briana & Deans, Andrew R., 2020, A Taxonomic Revision of Nearctic Conostigmus (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea: Megaspilidae), Zootaxa 4792 (1), pp. 1-155 : 94-99

Conostigmus dessarti Trietsch & Mikó , sp. nov.

Figs. 51 , 52 , 53

Diagnosis. This species can be recognized by the following combination of characters: scape more than 5.5× as long as the pedicel; sternaulus present and elongate, exceeding 3/4 of the mesopleuron length at the level of the sternaulus; medioventral conjunctiva absent and parossiculi fused; medioventral ridge of the gonostyle–volsella complex present; dense patch of setae on the distoventral edge of the harpe absent; and the proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape acute.

The female of this species is unknown.

This species shares several characters in common with C. franzinii , C. bipunctatus , C. minimus and C. musettiae , including the following: facial pit present; preoccipital furrow present; median process on the intertorular carina present and acute; sternaulus present and elongate, exceeding 3/4 of the mesopleuron length at the level of the sternaulus; ventral projection of the metapleural carina present; medioventral conjunctiva absent and parossiculi fused; and gonocondyle present and acute. Conostigmus dessarti can be differentiated by the acute proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape (blunt or straight in all others) and the scape being more than 5.5× as long as the pedicel.

The harpe of C. dessarti can appear very similar to the harpe of C. laeviceps in lateral view; both species have harpe with the distal margin pointed or acute, the distodorsal setae of sensillar ring longer than the width of the harpe (sometimes 2× as long or greater), and the distoventral margin of the harpe in lateral view straight, though it can appear more convex or concave in some specimens. However, these two species can easily be distinguished by the dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex (absent in C. dessarti , present in C. laeviceps ), the shape of the proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex (acute in C. dessarti , blunt or straight in C. laeviceps ) and the scape to pedicel length (scape more than 5.5× as long as the pedicel in C. dessarti , less in C. laeviceps ).

Variability. The distoventral margin of the harpe is usually straight, but can appear more convex in some specimens (PSUC_FEM 8795) and more concave in others (PSUC_FEM 50136).

Description. Body length: 1.875 mm (CMNHENT0022751). Color hue pattern in male: cranium, mesosoma and metasoma brown to dark brown; mandible, legs, pedicel and scape ochre; F1–F9 ochre to light brown. Color intensity pattern in male: metasoma lighter than mesosoma and cranium. Color intensity dorsal and ventral to the site of the sternaulus: concolorous. Color intensity pattern of syntergite: petiole neck and anterior region of syntergite concolorus with the posterior region of the syntergite. Foveolate sculpture on body count: absent. Rugose sculpturing count: absent. Rugose region on upper face count: absent.

Antennae: Male scape length vs. pedicel length: 5.5–7.2. Male scape length vs. F1 length: 1.6–1.8. Male F1 length vs. pedicel length: 3.1–4.3. Male F1 length vs. male F2 length: 1.2–1.5. Longest male flagellomere: F1. Length of setae on male flagellomere vs. male flagellomere width: setae shorter than width of flagellomeres. Sensillar patch of the male flagellomere pattern: F3–F9.

Head: Head width, dorsal view: equal to or only slightly wider than mesosoma (less than 1.3× wider than mesosoma). Head height (HH, lateral view) vs. eye height (EHf, anterior view): HH:EHf=2.1–2.3. Head height (HH) vs. head length (HL): HH:HL=1.2–1.3. Head width (HW) vs. interorbital space (IOS): HW:IOS=1.4–1.6. Head width (HW) vs. head height (HH): HW:HH=1.1–1.3. Cephalic size (csb): Mean: 380–435 μm. Maximum eye diameter vs. minimum eye diameter: 1.2–1.5. POL:OOL: POL equal to or shorter than OOL and ocellar triangle with short base. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. lateral ocellar line (LOL): OOL:LOL=1.3–2.0. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. posterior ocellar line (POL): OOL:POL=1.1–1.7. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL): posterior ocellar line (POL): lateral ocellar line (LOL): 1.3–2.0:1.1–1.6:1.0. Head shape (anterior view): circular or triangular. Preoccipital lunula count: present. Preoccipital carina count: absent. Occipital carina structure: occipital carina complete. Occipital carina sculpture: crenulate. Preoccipital furrow count: present. Preoccipital furrow anterior end: preoccipital furrow ends inside ocellar triangle, but ends posterior to the anterior ocellus. Preoccipital furrow sculpture: crenulate. Postocellar carina count: present. Dorsal margin of occipital carina vs. dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view: occipital carina ventral to lateral ocellus in lateral view. Transverse scutes on upper face count: absent. Transverse frontal carina count: absent. Randomly sized areolae around setal pits on upper face count: absent. Setal pit on vertex size: smaller than diameter of scutes. Ventromedian setiferous patch and ventrolateral setiferous patch count: absent. White, thick setae on upper face count: absent. Antennal scrobe count: absent. Facial structure count: facial pit present. Facial pit count: present. Facial sulcus count: absent. Median facial keel count: absent. Supraclypeal depression count: present. Supraclypeal depression structure: absent medially, represented by two grooves laterally of facial pit. Intertorular area count: present. Intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina shape: acute. Median process of intertorular carina structure: process extends across intertorular area towards dorsal margin of clypeus. Median region of intertorular area shape: convex. Ventral margin of antennal rim vs. dorsal margin of clypeus: not adjacent. Torulo–clypeal carina count: present. Subtorular carina count: absent. Mandibular tooth count: 2. Mandibular lancea count: absent.

Mesosoma: Weber length: WL=600–740 μm. Anterior mesoscutal width (AscW) vs. posterior mesoscutal width (PscW): AscW/PscW=0.6–0.7. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. anterior mesoscutal width (AscW): MscL/ AscW=1.6–1.8. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. mesoscutellar length (MscIL): MscL:MscIL= 0.9–1.1. Wing count: present. Fore wing size: wings present and macropterous with apex extending past petiole. Pronotum median length: less than longest median anatomical line of the mesoscutum. Notaulus count: present. Crenulae of notaulus width: width of the crenulae does not increase more than 2× anteriorly. Notaulus posterior end location: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Median mesoscutal sulcus count: present. Median mesoscutal sulcus posterior end: adjacent to transscutal articulation. Scutoscutellar sulcus vs. transscutal articulation location: adjacent. Axillular carinae count: present.Axillular carinae shape: the left and right carinae are separated posteromedially. Speculum ventral limit: not extending ventrally of pleural pit line. Metapleural sulcus shape: straight. Mesometapleural sulcus count: present. Ventrolateral invagination of the pronotum count: present. Sternaulus count: present. Sternaulus length: elongate and exceeding 3/4 of mesopleuron length at level of sternaulus. Sternaulus sculpture: smooth. Epicnemial carina count: complete. Epicnemium posterior margin shape: anterior discrimenal pit present; epicnemial carina curved. Transverse striations on the ventral metapleural area count: absent. Scutes on posterior region of mesoscutum and dorsal region of mesoscutellum convexity: flat. Ventral projection of the metapleural carina count: present. Ventral projection of the metapleural carina length: more than or equal to 2× as long as wide. Lateral propodeal carina count: present. Lateral propodeal carina shape: inverted “Y” (left and right lateral propodeal are adjacent medially posterior to antecostal sulcus of the first abdominal tergum, and connected to the antecostal sulcus by a median carina representing the median branch of the inverted “Y”). Mesopostscutellum count: absent (scutellum flat). Anteromedian projection of the metanoto–propodeo–metapecto–mesopectal complex count: absent. Posterior margin of nucha in dorsal view shape: straight.

Metasoma: Transverse carina on petiole shape: concave. Paired blue iridescent ovoid patches on the syntergite count: absent. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. syntergal translucent patch maximum width: 1.4–1.7. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: 1.7–1.9. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.5–2.8. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.3– 1.8. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width orientation: anterolaterally. Synsternal setiferous patch shape: linear, with a patch of setae lateral or posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch structure: comprised of a single row of setae anterior to the synsternal translucent patch, with a patch of setae posterior to the synsternal translucent patch. Synsternal setiferous patch anterior end: synsternal setiferous patch begins anterior to the synsternal translucent patch anterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch posterior end: synsternal setiferous patch ends posterior to the synsternal translucent patch posterior margin. Synsternal setiferous patch length vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: synsternal setiferous patch at least 2× as long as the maximum width of the synsternal translucent patch. S1 length vs. shortest width: S1 wider than long.

Male Genitalia: Distal margin of male S9 shape: convex. Proximolateral corner of male S9 shape: acute. Male S9 distal setal line/setal patch count: distal setae composing transverse setiferous line or lines. Male S9 distal setal line / setal patch structure: single transverse row of distal setae occurring medially with less than 4 setae below it. Distomedian hairless area interrupting transverse row of setae or patch on male S9 count: absent with distal setiferous patch/line continuous medially. Submedial projections on proximal margin of S9 count: absent. Cupula length vs. gonostyle–volsella complex length: cupula less than 1/2 the length of gonostyle–volsella complex in lateral view. Proximodorsal notch of cupula count: absent. Proximolateral projection of the cupula shape: blunt. Gonocondyle count: present. Gonocondyle shape: acute. Distodorsal margin of cupula shape: straight. Dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: absent. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count: present. Dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex length relative to length of gonostyle–volsella complex: dorsomedian conjunctiva extending equal to or less than 1/2 of length of gonostyle–volsella complex in dorsal view; dorsomedian conjunctiva extending between 1/3 to 1/2 the length of gonostyle–volsella complex in dorsal view. Dorsomedial margin of gonostyle–volsella complex shape: V-shaped. Proximal end of dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape: acute or V-shaped. Parossiculus count or parossiculus and gonostipes fusion: present and parossiculi not fused with the gonostipes. Medioventral conjunctiva of the gono-style–volsella complex count or fusion of parossiculi: medioventral conjunctiva absent and parossiculi fused. Medioventral ridge of the gonostyle–volsella complex count (only applicable if medioventral conjunctiva of the gono-style–volsella complex absent): present. Medioventral ridge of the gonostyle–volsella complex length relative to length of gonostyle–volsella complex: ridge extending 2/3 of length of gonostyle–volsella complex in ventral view. Apical parossicular setae count: one. Distal projection of the parossiculus count: present. Distal projection of the penisvalva count: absent. Gonossiculus spine count: 2. Gonossiculus spine length: one spine more than 2× as long as the other(s). Harpe length: harpe shorter than gonostipes in lateral view. Harpe shape: simple and not bilobed. Harpe orientation: medial. Lateral margin of harpe shape: widest point of harpe is in its proximal 1/3rd. Distal margin of harpe in lateral view: acute or pointed. Lateral setae of harpe count: absent. Lateral setae on harpe density: setae sparse. Dense patch of setae on the distoventral edge of the harpe count: absent. Distal setae on harpe length: setae not of equal length, longer setae present on distodorsal point of harpe. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe length vs. harpe width in lateral view: setae longer than harpe width. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe orientation: distoventrally. Sensillar ring area of harpe orientation: distoventrally. Sensillar ring shape: elongate. Distoventral margin of harpe in lateral view: straight but can be more convex or concave in some specimens.

Distribution. Nearctic.

Etymology. This species is named dessarti in honor of the great taxonomist Paul Dessart, who worked on Ceraphronoidea from 1962 to 2001.

Material Examined. Holotype male: USA: Tennessee: CMNHENT0022751 ( CLEV) . Paratypes (3 males):

CANADA: 1 male. PSUC _FEM 33358 ( TAMU) . USA: North Carolina: 1 male. PSUC _FEM 34126 ( TAMU) . USA: Tennessee: 1 male. CMNHENT0022735 ( CLEV) .

Figures

FIGURE 51. Conostigmus dessarti Trietsch and Mikό sp. nov., habitus of holotype male (CMNHENT0022751).

FIGURE 52. Conostigmus dessarti Trietsch and Mikό sp. nov., habitus of holotype male (CMNHENT0022751). A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. Abbreviation: postocellar carina (pcc).

FIGURE 53. Conostigmus dessarti Trietsch and Mikό sp. nov., paratype male genitalia (PSUC_FEM 34126).A. Ventral view. B. Lateral view. C. Dorsal view.