Hedychridium splendens Rosa, Proshchalykin & Halada, 2021

Rosa, Paolo, Proshchalykin, Maxim Yu. & Halada, Marek, 2021, Additions to the cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) of Mongolia, with description of eleven new species, ZooKeys 1068, pp. 149-187 : 149

Hedychridium splendens Rosa, Proshchalykin & Halada sp. nov.

Figure 13A-F

Material examined.

Holotype: ♀, Mongolia: Uvurkhangai, 159 km of SW Aravaykheer, 45°11'N; 101°26'E, 1250 m alt., 5.VII.2004, leg. JH (MSNM).

Diagnosis.

Hedychridium spendens sp. nov. is characterised by sparse and shallow body punctures with wide, polished interspaces, which generate a shining effect; legs and F1 yellowish, F1 short (l/w = 2.0); metatibia with small, brownish spot; S2 with wide, bronze spot.

Description.

Female. Body length 4.1 mm. Head. Face almost flat; scapal basin slightly incised medially, with longitudinal mid-line extended from anterior ocellus to lower scapal basin; scapal basin finely transversely microridged (Fig. 13B ); brow with small, shallow punctures, with wide, polished interspaces; posterior ocelli with lateral area depressed and polished; ocellar triangle isosceles, without ocellar line; malar spaces micropunctate; clypeus apically bordered by thin, brown thickening; mouthparts slightly elongate. Relative length of P:F1:F2:F3 = 1.0:1.3:1.0:0.8; OOL = 1.8 × MOD; POL = 2.6 × MOD; MS = 0.8 × MOD. Mesosoma. Pronotum with small, deep punctures and shallow minute punctures on interspaces; mesonotum with scattered, shallow punctures, with few minute punctures on interspaces; mesopleuron with denser, larger punctures and with small punctures on interspaces, rugose anteriorly; posterior propodeal projections acute, divergent; metatibia with relatively small brown spot covering about half of its length; metatarsomere 2 a little shorter than metatarsomere 3; femora with long whitish setae. Metasoma. T1-T2 with minute, shallow punctures; punctures denser antero-dorsally on T1-T2; T3 with denser punctures and rugose interspaces; apical margin of T3 bordered by thin brownish rim, with long (up to 2.0 × MOD), whitish setae laterally and postero-laterally; S2 with sparse punctures bearing long setae, with antero-median coppery spot, covering more than half segment. Colouration. Body entirely shining green with coppery reflections; scape and pedicel coppery, F1 yellowish; F2 brownish (Fig. 13D ); rest of flagellum brown; tegulae non-metallic yellowish; femora green on outer side; tibiae darker with opalescent reflections on outer side; tibial joints yellowish; tarsi 1-2 yellowish, tarsi 3-5 brownish; wing membrane clear, nervures light brown.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin Hedychridium splendens (shining), present participle of the verb splendeō, which refers to the shining body of this cuckoo wasp, due to sparse, small and shallow punctures, with wide polished interspaces.

Comparative diagnosis.

We describe Hedychridium spendens sp. nov. in the H. femoratum species group and it is related to H. jacobsi by its general habitus, F1 and yellowish legs. However, it is separated from the latter by unmodified sculpture of the face, with scapal basin only finely, transversally microridged (vs. sharp transverse ridges covering almost all face); shorter F1, l/w = 2.0 (l/w = 3.0 in female, 4.0 in male); sparse and shallow body punctation with wide, polished interspaces (vs. punctation denser).

Distribution.

Mongolia (Uvurkhangai).

Figures

Figure 13. Hedychridium splendens sp. nov., female, holotype A habitus, dorsal view B head, frontal view C habitus, lateral view D right antenna, lateral view E metasoma, postero-lateral view F metasoma, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.