Perilampus crassus Yoo & Darling, 2024

Yoo, Jeong Jae & Darling, D. Christopher, 2024, Integrative taxonomic revision of the Nearctic Perilampus hyalinus species complex (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Perilampidae) resolves 100 years of confusion about the host associations of P. hyalinus Say, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 97, pp. 1301-1383 : 1301-1383

Perilampus crassus Yoo & Darling sp. nov.

Figs 12 , 13

Type locality.

USA, Florida, Gainesville.

Type material.

Holotype. “ USA: FL: Alachua Co.: nr. Gainesville airport , 45 m 29°42'0"N, 82°15'40"W 2. Oct. 2016 A. Baker, A. Knyshov, J. Zhang swp AB 16.028 ". The holotype is point-mounted (Female ROME 182771 , UCRC). BOLD: AEE 9250 / ITS 2 . ROM Online Collection.

Paratypes. USA: 1 female, 2 males. Florida: 1 female, 2 males. Putnam Co., Ordway-Swisher Biol. Station , Rd. C 6: (1 female: ROME 189115 - MCZC; BOLD: AEE 9250 ; ITS 2 . 2 males: ROME 189062 - MCZC; ITS 2 ; ROME 189063 - MCZC; BOLD: AEE 9250 ; ITS 2 ) .

Material examined.

USA: 9 females, 4 males. (Suppl. materials).

Additional material examined.

Cuba: 1 female. (1 female: ROME 189093 – USNM).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is the Latin adjective crassus (coarse), in reference to the punctate sculpture on the lateral lobes of the mesoscutum along notaulus.

Description.

Female (Fig. 12 ). Length: 3.0– 4.8 mm. Color: head iridescent greenish blue or violet; mesosoma and metasoma iridescent greenish blue or violet; clypeus ventral margin entirely iridescent (Fig. 12 I ); antenna with scape and pedicel weakly iridescent greenish blue or violet, flagellum brown or black, lighter ventrad and distad.

Head (Fig. 12 G – J ): in dorsal view transverse, width slightly greater than twice length, HW / HL 2.1–2.2. Frontal carina: in anterior view straight to weakly sinuate below midlevel of eye; in dorsal view gradually narrowed V shape around median ocellus, FC / MOD 1.5–1.7; distance from lateral ocellus short, FCLO / LOD 0.6–0.7. Scrobal cavity: in anterior view wide, SW / HW about 0.5. Ocelli (Fig. 12 G ): a line between anterior margin of lateral ocelli reaching anterior margin of median ocellus or nearly bisecting median ocellus. POL / OOL 1.7–2.1. Ocellar ratios LOD: POL: OOL: LOL 1, 3.1–3.4, 1.5–1.9, 1.1–1.3. Vertex: with strong to weak transverse striations, without large piliferous punctures. Parascrobal area: in lateral view gradually narrowed towards lower eye margin; width narrow, PSW / EL about 0.3; sculpture strongly to weakly striate, without large piliferous punctures. Gena (Fig. 12 J ): entirely striate along outer eye margin, striate posterad. Malar space: MSL / EH 0.2–0.3. Lower face (Fig. 12 H, I ): with setae sparse laterad torulus, and usually sparse below. Clypeus: CW / CH about 1.4; ventral margin nearly straight; setae evenly distributed, or with small bare area without setae medially.

Mesosoma (Fig. 12 B – F, K, L ): Lateral panel of pronotum: about as wide as prepectus, LPP / PPT about 0.9; without flange below level of mesothoracic spiracle in posterior oblique view (Fig. 12 D ). Mesofemoral depression: smooth, rugulose, weakly imbricate, or imbricate-alveolate (Fig. 12 L ). Mesoscutum: punctures angulate, with narrow or slightly wide and weakly coriarious interspaces (Fig. 12 B ); lateral lobe strongly punctate with coriarious or smooth interspaces along notaulus (Fig. 12 C ); parascutal carina broadly curved, acuminate (Fig. 12 E ). Mesoscutellum: apex with inner margins gradually or abruptly diverging (Fig. 12 K ); punctures angulate, with narrow or slightly wide and weakly coriarious interspaces. Axilla: in lateral view imbricate dorsad and rugose-areolate (Fig. 12 F ) or carinate ventrad. Axillula: smooth dorsad. Fore wing: stigma small, 2.0–2.5 × as wide as postmarginal vein.

Male (Fig, 13). Length: usually smaller, 3.0– 3.8 mm. As in female, except: Frontal carina (Fig. 13 D ): distance from lateral ocellus as wide or shorter, FCLO / LOD 0.5–0.6. Scape (Fig. 13 G, H ): pits sparse, covering about 0.3 × scape length.

Diagnosis.

Perilampus crassus can be distinguished by a weakly iridescent and nearly straight ventral margin of clypeus (Figs 12 I , 13 E cf. Figs 8 I , 18 I ). Also, the lateral lobe of mesoscutum is more strongly punctate along the notaulus than in the other species with punctate sculpture (Figs 12 C , 13 F cf. Figs 4 C , 5 F , 8 C , 9 F ).

Distribution

(Fig. 25 A ). Central and southern USA: USA (Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, New Mexico, Texas). Possibly Cuba.

Host association.

Hosts unknown.

Remarks.

This species is supported by both genes (Fig. 1 , Suppl. material 5), and there are three BINed specimens on BOLD ( AEE 9250) from Florida. Only specimens from Florida were successfully sequenced and the degree of intraspecific genetic variability in this species is unclear. A single specimen collected from avocado fruit imported from Cuba ( ROME 189093) suggests that the distribution of P. crassus extends to the Greater Antilles.

Figures

Figure 1. Maximum likelihood tree of Perilampus hyalinus species group retrieved from the combined analysis of COI and ITS 2 (modified from Yoo 2023). Bootstrap support values are shown on the left side of the nodes. The roman numerals and black dots adjacent to the nodes indicate the major morphological clades recovered as monophyletic (I = P. hyalinus species group; II = P. carolinensis species complex; IIa = “ pseudocarolinensis ” clade; IIb = P. carolinensis clade; III = P. hyalinus species complex; IIIa = P. hyalinus clade 1; IIIb = P. hyalinus clade 2; IIIc = P. hyalinus clade 3; IIId = “ regalishyalinus ” clade. The morphospecies designation for the sequences is marked by vertical bars, colored according to their placements within their respective morphological subgroups. The names of the species described herein are indicated in white boxes.

Figure 4. Perilampus hyalinus Female A habitus, lateral view B habitus dorsal view C lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus D lateral panel of pronotum, posterior oblique view E axillula F axilla G head, dorsal view H head, anterior view I lower face J parascutal carina K mesoscutellum apex L, M mesofemoral depression. [A ROME 185913; B, K ROME 189058; C, M ROME 185947; D, F ROME 189056; E, G ROME 162229; H ROME 167636; I ROME 189060; L ROME 162246]. Scale bar: 1 mm (A).

Figure 5. Perilampus hyalinus Male A habitus, lateral view B lateral panel of pronotum and parascutal carina, posterior oblique view C head, anterior view D head, dorsal view E lower face F lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus G, H scape. [A Neotype, ROME 204130; B – D, F, G ROME 182798; E ROME 167638; H ROME 189059]. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 100 μm (G, H).

Figure 8. Perilampus neodiprioni Female A habitus, lateral view B habitus, dorsal view C lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus D lateral panel of pronotum, posterior oblique view E axillula F axilla G head, dorsal view H head, anterior view I clypeus J parascutal carina K mesoscutellum apex L, M mesofemoral depression. [A – E, G, H, J, L Paratype, ROME 162273; F, M Paratype, ROME 198146; I ROME 181757; K ROME 189061]. Scale bar: 1 mm (A).

Figure 9. Perilampus neodiprioni Male A habitus, lateral view B lateral panel of pronotum, parascutal carina, and axilla C head, anterior view D head, dorsal view E lower face F lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus G, H scape. [A – D, F Paratype, ROME 162274; E ROME 185922; G ROME 152634; H Paratype, ROME 97556]. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 100 μm (G, H).

Figure 12. Perilampus crassus Female A habitus, lateral view B habitus, dorsal view C lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus D lateral panel of pronotum, posterior oblique view E parascutal carina F axilla G head, dorsal view H head, anterior view I lower face J head, lateral view K mesoscutellum apex L mesofemoral depression. [A – H, J, L Holotype, ROME 182771 I Paratype, ROME 189085 K Paratype, ROME 189115]. Scale bar: 1 mm (A).

Figure 13. Perilampus crassus Male A habitus, lateral view B lateral panel of pronotum, parascutal carina, and axilla, posterior oblique view C head, anterior view D head, dorsal view E lower face F lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus G, H scape. [A, B, G Paratype, ROME 189063; C, E, F Paratype, ROME 189062; H Paratype, ROME 189117]. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 100 μm (G, H).

Figure 18. Perilampus ute Female A habitus, lateral view B habitus, dorsal view C lateral lobe of mesoscutum along notaulus D, E lateral panel of pronotum, posterior oblique view F axilla G head, dorsal view H head, anterior view I lower face J head, lateral view K mesoscutellum apex L mesofemoral depression. [A, C, D, F, G, H Holotype, ROME 182768; B, E, I – L Paratype, ROME 182763]. Scale bar: 1 mm (A).

Figure 25. Distribution of the Nearctic species of the Perilampus hyalinus species complex A P. hyalinus (green circles) and P. crassus (red squares) B P. neodiprioni (cyan circles) P. monocteni (red stars) C P. sirsiris D P. seneca E P. arcus F P. pilosus (yellow stars) P. ute (blue triangles) P. sonora (red circles).