Diaziella bizarrea

Peng, Simon Van Noort Yan-Qiong & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2006, First record of the fig wasp genus Diaziella Grandi (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Sycoecinae) from the Asian mainland with description of two new species from China, Zootaxa 1337, pp. 39-59 : 44-45

Diaziella bizarrea van Noort & Rasplus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 A–E; 2 A–H; 3 A–H; 4 A–H; 5 A–E)

Holotype Ψ: CHINA, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, xii.2005, M. Proffit, ex Ficus glaberrima Blume , (1443 – JYR ethanol collection number), mounted on a black point. Deposited in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming.

Paratypes: 20Ψ, 10ɗ: same data as holotype; Deposited in JYRC, NHML, SAMC, USNM.

Etymology. Named after the bizarre morphological adaptations of the metasoma, which are aberrant for the genus. From French bizarre "odd, fantastic".

Diagnosis. Diaziella bizarrea is distinct from all other described species being the only species with a completely metallic greenish-black mesosoma, a short ovipositor and a modified seventh tergite. Head tapers anteriorly. Clypeal margin broadly concave terminating laterally with small projection, broad medial tooth present. Ventral tentorial pits widely spaced. Hypopygium does not extend beyond the end of the metasoma, and ovipositor very short. Seventh tergite modified into two movable plates fringed with hairs. Wings clear, almost glabrous.

Affinities. This species falls within the D. falcata species-group that has the basal portion of the stigmal vein almost perpendicular to the wing margin and a club-shaped wing. It shares a short hypopygium with D. falcata , D. bicolor and D. yangi .

Description of female. Colour and size. Head, pronotum, mesosoma and metasoma including ovipositor sheaths metallic greenish-black; legs, mandibles yellowish-brown; antennal flagellum dark brown; scape, pedicel yellowish-brown. Total length, with head in hypognathous position, 1.5–1.55 mm. Habitus ( Fig. 1 A).

Head ( Fig. 1 B–C; 2A–B; 3A–B). As long as wide, tapering anteriorly, dorsally smoothly and evenly convex, shallow antennal scrobe. Ocellar triangle delimited by deep sulcus. Compound eyes situated in top half of head 1.7X longer than wide, 0.4X as long as head length. Eye length 1.1X cheek length (from eye to base of mandible in lateral view). Shortest distance between eyes 1.8X eye length. Malar groove absent. Toruli situated in middle of head; in close apposition. Clypeus dorsally excavated, ill-defined by lateral sutures, but with single strong suture extending from meeting point of clypeal sutures to the toruli. Clypeal margin broadly concave terminating laterally with small projection, broad medial tooth present. Mandible broad, strongly curved, with a strong apical tooth and a smaller inner cusp of 4 teeth – terminal and single dorsal tooth of cusp visible in dorsal view of mandible as two inner subapical teeth. Two ventral teeth of cusp project downwards. Ventral tentorial pits widely spaced. Antennal formula 11153; flagellar segments subequal in size, longer than broad with a single row of multiporous plate sensilla on each segment. Scape 2.5X times pedicel length, pedicel longer than first funicle segment.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 1 D–E; 2A–C). Pronotum posteriorly broader than long, tapering anteriorly, smooth. Mesoscutum short 3X as wide as long, smooth; notauli fine, but distinct. Scutellum, including axillae 1.75X wider than long, axillae widely spaced, delimited by fine sutures. Propodeum 2.8X wider than long through spiracles. Propodeal spiracles large, situated 1.5X their diameter from anterior propodeal margin. Propleura ventrally meeting at an angle anteriorly, overlapping. Prosternum flat and elongate rhomboidal-stellate. Fore femur strong, 2.4X longer than wide. Fore tibia 0.4X fore femur length 0.7X fore tarsus length, with two apical teeth. Forewing club shaped, 2.1X as long as wide, glabrous, but margin with a fringe of long setae; clear. Submarginal, marginal, postmarginal and stigmal veins in the ratio 56:23:5:19.

Metasoma ( Fig. 1 A,D; 2D–H; 4B–H). Slightly (1.1X) longer than mesosoma. Seventh tergite highly modified into two sections that extend downwards and forwards on each side of the metasoma covering part of the hypopygium. These two sections are able to flex laterally away from the body on each side, but remain attached dorsally ( Fig. 2 F–H). Edge of the tergite with fringe of dense setae ( Fig. 2 G–H; 4H); tergite normally held in close apposition to hypopygium and dorsally covered by sixth tergite ( Fig. 2 D–E). Sixth tergite dorsally with area of tiled plates that can be flexed upwards to separate the individual tiles, which are fringed ( Fig. 4 B–H). Ovipositor valves extremely short for Diaziella , barely projecting beyond end of metasoma. Hypopygium covered with backward pointing teeth on lateral surfaces; not extending beyond end of metasoma.

Description of male. Colour and size. Background body colour yellowish-brown; posterior half of head (vertex very dark), mandibles, mesonotum and metasosma darker brown; legs and antennae yellowish-brown. Total length, with head in hypognathous position, 1.0– 1.25 mm. Habitus ( Fig. 5 A).

Head ( Fig. 5 B–D). As long as wide, quadrate, dorsally smoothly and evenly convex, shallow antennal scrobe. Ocellar triangle not delimited by sulcus. Compound eyes situated in top half of head 1.7X longer than wide, 0.45X as long as head length. Eye length 1.25X cheek length (from eye to base of mandible in lateral view). Shortest distance between eyes 1.6X eye length. Malar sulcus absent. Toruli situated below compound eyes, closer to clypeal margin than to vertex, two-thirds of distance from vertex to clypeal margin; in close apposition. Clypeus dorsally excavated, ill-defined by lateral sutures. Clypeal margin broadly concave with slight medial convexity. Mandible narrow, strongly curved, with a strong apical tooth and a smaller tooth on inner margin.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 5 A,C,D,E). Pronotum posteriorly broader than long, tapering anteriorly, smooth. Mesoscutum short 2.3X wider than long, smooth; notauli fine, but distinct. Scutellum, including axillae 1.7X wider than long, axillae widely spaced, delimited by fine sutures. Propodeum 2.5X wider than long through spiracles. Propodeal spiracles small.

Metasoma ( Fig. 5 A). Shorter (0.7X) than mesosoma.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diaziella bizzarea, holotype specimen, FEMALE. A, habitus. B, head, frontal view. C, head, lateral view. D, head, mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view. E, right forewing.

FIGURE 2. Diaziella bizzarea, holotype specimen, FEMALE. A, head and mesosoma lateral view. B, head, ventral view. C, mesosoma and fore leg, lateral view. D, metasoma, terminal segments lateral view. E, metasoma, terminal segments ventral view. F. metasoma, terminal segments with seventh tergite pulled away from hypopygium, lateral view. G, metasoma, terminal segments with seventh tergites pulled away from hypopygium, ventral view. H, metasoma, terminal segments with seventh tergites pulled away from hypopygium, dorsal view.

FIGURE 4. Diaziella bizarrea, paratype specimen, SEM, FEMALE. A, mesosoma ventral view. B, metasomal terminal segments, dorsal view. C, metasomal terminal segments flexed, dorsal view. D, sixth sternite flexed, dorsal view. E, detail of tiled plates on sixth tergite in flexed position. F, metasomal terminal segments, ventral view showing spiracles and ovipositor. G, hypopygium, lateral view. H, tip of seventh tergite in expanded position.

FIGURE 5. Diaziella bizarrea, paratype specimen, SEM, MALE. A, habitus. B, head, frontal view. C, head, lateral view. D, head and mesosoma, dorsal view. E, right forewing.