Conostigmus orcasensis ( Brues, 1909 )

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 : 67-71

Conostigmus orcasensis ( Brues, 1909)

Figs. 36 , 37

Species Comments and History. Brues (1909) described this species from a single male specimen collected in Puget Sound, Washington. The type specimen is deposited in the MCZC. This specimen remains the only known specimen of this species. We were unable to capture or locate any other specimens, but we were allowed to dissect out the male genitalia, and we are thankful to the MCZC for allowing us to properly study this specimen. The female of this species is unknown .

Variability. The holotype specimen has two mandibular teeth, though one tooth is much smaller than the other. This resembles the intraspecific variability seen in other Conostigmus species, including C. bipunctatus , C. muratorei and C. madagascariensis (see Mikó et al., 2016, Fig. 37 ). The holotype specimen also has 2 apical setae on one parossiculus and 3 on the other. This rarely occurs in Conostigmus specimens and is not a species-specific character but a teratology.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other Nearctic Conostigmus species by the following combination of characters: head width less than 1.3× wider than the mesosoma; mesopostscutellum present; dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex absent; proximodorsal notch of the cupula present and U-shaped, wider than long; and proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape blunt.

The female of this species remains unknown.

One similar species is C. muratorei , in that both species have the mesopostscutellum present and the width of the crenulae of the notauli increasing more than 2× anteriorly. These species differ in that C. muratorei has a head width at least 1.3× wider than the mesosoma, whereas the head width in C. orcasensis is equal to or only slightly wider than the mesosoma (less than 1.3× wider than the mesosoma). Also, C. orcasensis lacks the dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex, whereas C. muratorei has the dorsomedian projection of the gono-style–volsella complex present and is also the only known Conostigmus species where it is bilobed.

Another similar species to C. orcasensis is C. duncani , which shares the presence of the mesopostscutellum, the width of the crenulae of the notauli increasing more than 2× anteriorly, and the absence of the dorsomedian projection of the gonostyle–volsella complex. These two species differ in the male genitalia. Conostigmus orcasensis has the proximodorsal notch of the cupula present and U-shaped, but wider than long (longer than wide in C. duncani ); 2–3 apical parossicular seta (1 in C. duncani ); and the proximal end of the dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gono-style–volsella complex shape blunt (acute in C. duncani ).

Description. Body length: 2.05 mm. Color hue pattern in male: antenna, cranium, mesosoma, metasoma reddish-brown; legs ochre. Color intensity pattern in male: mandible lighter than cranium. 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: 2.88. Male scape length vs. F1 length: 1.0. Male F1 length vs. pedicel length: 2.88. Male F1 length vs. male F2 length: 1.1. Longest male flagellomere: F1. Length of setae on male flagellomere vs. male flagellomere width: setae shorter than width of flagellomeres.

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=1.48. Head height (HH) vs. head length (HL): HH:HL=1.1. Head width (HW) vs. interorbital space (IOS): HW:IOS=1.76. Head width (HW) vs. head height (HH): HW:HH=1.35. Cephalic size (csb): Mean: 505 μm. Maximum eye diameter vs. minimum eye di- ameter: 1.17. 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=1.67. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL) vs. posterior ocellar line (POL): OOL:POL=1.25. Male ocular ocellar line (OOL): posterior ocellar line (POL): lateral ocellar line (LOL): 1.67:1.33:1.0. 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: absent. 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: present medially, inverted U-shaped. Intertorular area count: present. Intertorular carina count: present. Median process on intertorular carina count: absent. 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=820 μm. Anterior mesoscutal width (AscW) vs. posterior mesoscutal width (PscW): AscW/PscW=0.87. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. anterior mesoscutal width (AscW): MscL/AscW=1.95. Mesoscutal length (MscL) vs. mesoscutellar length (MscIL): MscL:MscIL= 1.22. 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 increases 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: absent. Speculum ventral limit: not extending ventrally of pleural pit line. Metapleural sulcus shape: straight. Mesometapleural sulcus count: present. 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: less than 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: present (posterior margin of scutellum appears raised). Anteromedian projection of the metanoto–propodeo–metapecto–mesopectal complex count: absent. Posterior margin of nucha in dorsal view shape: concave.

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: 3.33. Shortest width of petiole neck vs. synsternal translucent patch maximum width: 4.0. Syntergal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.2. Synsternal translucent patch maximum width vs. minimum width: 1.25. 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 or double row of setae anterior and lateral 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: straight. Proximolateral corner of male S9 shape: blunt. 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. 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: present. Proximodorsal notch of cupula shape: arched (inverted U-shape). Proximodorsal notch of cupula width vs length: wider than long. Proximolateral projection of the cupula shape: blunt. Gonocondyle count: present. Gonocondyle shape: blunt. Distodorsal margin of cupula shape: concave. Distoventral submedian corner of the cupula count: absent. 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 not extending 2/3 of length of gono-style–volsella complex in dorsal view. Dorsomedial margin of gonostyle–volsella complex shape: straight, though there is a slight depression medially that could be the natural state or could be the result of specimen damage. Proximal end of dorsomedian conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex shape: blunt or straight. Parossiculus count or parossiculus and gonostipes fusion: present and parossiculi not fused with the gonostipes. Medioventral conjunctiva of the gonostyle–volsella complex count or fusion of parossiculi: medioventral conjunctiva present and parossiculi independent or fused proximally. Apical parossicular setae count: two; three. Distal projection of the parossiculus count: absent. Distal projection of the penisvalva count: absent. Gonossiculus spine count: 3. Gonossiculus spine length: one spine not more than 2× as long as the other(s) (spines of similar lengths). Harpe length: harpe as long as 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 distal 1/3rd. Distal margin of harpe in lateral view: blunt. Lateral setae of harpe count: present. Lateral setae of harpe orientation: oriented distally. 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 of equal length across distal end of harpe. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe length vs. harpe width in lateral view: setae as long as or shorter than harpe width. Distodorsal setae of sensillar ring of harpe orientation: distally. Sensillar ring area of harpe orientation: medially. Sensillar ring shape: circular. Distoventral margin of harpe in lateral view: convex.

Distribution. Nearctic.

Material Examined. Holotype male: USA: MCZ-ENT 30985 ( MCZC).

Figures

FIGURE 36. Conostigmus orcasensis (Brues, 1909) male holotype (UAM100257610).A. Dorsal view. B. Lateral view.

FIGURE 37. Conostigmus orcasensis (Brues, 1909) male holotype genitalia (UAM100257610). A. Ventral view. B. Lateral view. C. Dorsal view. Abbreviation: promixodorsal notch of cupula (pdn).