Perilampus khor Yoo and Darling, 2021

Darling, D. Christopher & Yoo, Jeong, 2021, The Perilampidae of the United Arab Emirates and Yemen (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), Zootaxa 5020 (1), pp. 101-129 : 112-114

Perilampus khor Yoo and Darling n. sp.

Figure 4 , Appendix 1

Material examined. Holotype. “ United Arab Emirates: Sharjah-Khor Kalba , near tunnel, 24°59'N, 56°14'E, 28 Mar-5 Apr 2006, A van Harten, Light trap ”, “Digital Image Voucher 2019, Royal Ontario Museum”. The holotype is point-mounted (Female: ROME174258 , ROME).

Paratypes. 10 females, 6 males. United Arab Emirates: Dibba , 25°32’N, 56°14'E: 21 Mar 2007, A Stark; F Menzel, Sweeping (1 female: ROME174224 - CNC) . Khor al-Khwair, 25°57’N, 56°03'E: 30 May-5 Jun 2007, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174232 - NHMUK) . Sharjah-Khor Kalba , near tunnel, 24°59’N, 56°14'E: 26Apr- 14 Jun 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 male: ROME174263 - NHMUK) ; 28 Mar-5 Apr 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174259 - ROME) ; 7-22 Mar 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME159205 - ROME) . Wadi Bih dam, 25°48’N, 56°04'E: 22-26 Mar 2009, A van Harten, Pan traps (1 male: ROME174247 - ROME) ; 9-23 Jul 2008, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174254 - ROME) . Wadi Maidaq , 25°18’N, 56°07'E: 11-18 Jun 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174260 - ROME) ; 20 Dec 2005 - 2 Mar 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 male: ROME174265 - EAD) . Wadi Safad , 25°13’N, 56°19'E: 14-21 May 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174231 - ROME) ; 15-23 Apr 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174229 - ROME) ; 22 Jul-9 Sep 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 male: ROME174257 - ROME) ; 26 Apr-4 May 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174250 - ROME) ; 6-13 May 2006, A van Harten, Light trap (2 males: ROME174262 - CNC, ROME174261 - ROME) . Wadi Wurayah farm, 25°23’N, 56°19'E: 15-30 Mar 2009, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174249 - EAD) .

Additional material examined. United Arab Emirates: 1 female . Wadi Bih dam, 25°48’N, 56°04'E: 15-22 Mar 2007, A van Harten, Light trap (1 female: ROME174227 - ROME) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is a reference to the Arabic, khor (خور), or stream. Many of the specimens of this species were collected at various “wadis” or intermittent streams.

Description. Female. Length: approximately 1.8–2.4 mm (HT 2.2 mm). Color: head black with weak gold or green tinge, mesonotum iridescent bronze with red and green tinge, metasoma black or brown, dorsellum iridescent bronze with violet tinge. Legs: coxae black, femora and tibiae brown, lighter distad and on inner surfaces, with weak blue reflections, tarsi brown. Antennae: scape brown with weak iridescence, lighter distad, pedicel and flagellum brown.

Head ( Figs 4A, 4F, 4G ): in frontal view transverse, wider than high, HW/HH approximately 1.3, sparsely setose to smooth; in dorsal view strongly transverse ( Fig. 4F ), width much greater than twice length, HW/HL 2.5‒2.6; slightly wider than pronotum, HW/PW approximately 1.1‒1.2. Frontal carina: absent. Scrobal cavity: shallow; weak smooth ridge originating from between median and lateral ocelli extend towards eye margin. Ocelli: large; forming a narrow triangle, POL greater than 2.5× distance between posterior and anterior ocelli; POL very long,>2.5× OOL. Vertex: rounded behind; smooth, interocellar region weakly rugulose with short groove originating from occiput to anterior ocellus; occiput with median furrow delimited below vertex ( Fig. 4F , arrow), with costulae. Outer orbits: smooth, strong costulae behind. Inner orbits: in lateral view, nearly parallel to inner eye margin; smooth. Malar space ( Fig. 4A , arrow): short, about 0.2× eye height, MS/EH approximately 0.2; malar sulcus distinct; smooth. Clypeus ( Fig. 4G ): slightly transverse, wider than high, CW/ CH 1.4–1.5, subquadrate, lateral sulci weak and nearly straight, and almost parallel; epistomal sulcus straight or weakly concave, same strength as lateral sulci, only slightly extended ventrad; lower margin convex. Supraclypeal area: subquadrate.Antenna: scape length approximately 0.6× EH; anellus length approximately 0.1× PL; F1 subquadrate, subequal in length to pedicel, F1L/PL approximately 0.9, F2 and F3 subquadrate, F4‒F7 transverse; clava 4-segmented, with distinct terminal button.

Mesosoma ( Figs 4B, 4C, 4E, 4I ): length about 1.1× maximum width. Pronotum in dorsal view: short, about 0.25× length of mesoscutum, PN/MSC 0.2–0.3; shorter along midline, 0.5–0.6× length laterad; anterior margin sharp, the first row of punctures slightly lower; with flange on lateral panel of pronotum at the level of mesothoracic spiracle. Lateral panel of pronotum ( Fig. 4I ): narrower than prepectus, LPP/PPT approximately 0.6; flat, with 2 rows of punctures with narrow interspaces; anterior margin sharp; posterior margin ventrad nearly flat, with row of alveolae. Prepectus: narrow; differentiated from pronotum, with distinct suture; ventral strap long ( Fig. 4I , arrow), without row of alveolae; central area punctuate or smooth, with foveae along dorsal and posterior margins. Femoral depression: densely rugose, with foveae. Midlobe of mesoscutum ( Fig. 4B ): without transverse tubercle; punctures angulate, with narrow and weakly coriarious interspaces. Lateral lobe of mesoscutum: smooth dorsad; coriarious- punctate laterad. Scutellum: about as long as mesoscutum, SC/MSC approximately 1.1; posterior margin smoothly rounded or weakly bilobed; punctures angulate, with narrow and weakly coriarious interspaces. Axilla: densely punctate dorsad, imbricate below. Axillula: short triangular lobe, shorter than width at base, smooth. Propodeum ( Fig. 4C ): length along midline about 0.3× width of propodeum; submedian area shagreened to smooth, with weak groove along median carina; weakly alveolate-rugose laterad; delimited laterad and ventrad by complete plicae, dorsad by transverse band of foveae; propodeal spiracle margin reticulate to foveate ventrad; nucha weakly rugulose. Fore wing ( Fig. 4E ): postmarginal vein long, 0.8‒0.9× length of marginal vein, approximately twice the length of stigmal vein; stigmal vein with weak uncus.

Metasoma: petiole short with small and smooth raised scale ( Fig. 4C , arrows); Gt2 smooth, posterior margin straight; Gt3 smooth.

Male. Length: approximately 2.0‒ 2.3 mm. Color: as in female, except mesonotum cupreous or have green-blue reflections. Structure and sculpture similar to female, except, Head: in dorsal view transverse. Scape ( Figs 4J, 4K ): about 0.5× EH; elongate, length about 5× width above radicle; weakly expanded distad, about 1.1× width above radicle; punctures covering about 0.2 scape length, with narrow interspaces. Propodeum submedian area sculpture ( Fig. 4D ): rugose-imbricate, with strong foveae along median carina. Gt3: smooth or imbricate dorsad. Aedeagus: without paired lateral spines.

Variation. One female has a concave epistomal sulcus (ROME174227), one male has a rounded posterior apex of scutellum (ROME174257), and two males have a smooth Gt3 (ROME174257, ROME174265).

Diagnosis. Perilampus khor is the only species of the P. laevifrons / chrysopae group recognized from the Arabian Peninsula and can be distinguished by the species group characters listed above. In addition, this species has a cupreous mesonotum with angulate punctures with narrow and sharp interspaces ( Fig. 4B ), a strongly transverse head in dorsal view with a nearly linear ocelli triangle ( Fig. 4F ), smooth inner orbits, subquadrate clypeus with nearly flat epistomal sulcus and convex lower margin ( Figs 4G, 4H ), and the male scape is long and weakly expanded with large punctures covering about 0.2 scape length ( Fig. 4J, 4K ).

Remarks. Females of P. khor are indistinguishable from female specimens identified as P. noemi from Mongolia by Bouček. Males can be differentiated from P. noemi by a linear versus wider ocellar triangle ( Fig. 4F cf. Fig. 5A ), smooth versus punctate inner orbit ( Fig. 4F cf. Figs 5A, 5B ), subquadrate versus strongly transverse supraclypeal area and clypeus ( Fig. 4H cf. Fig. 5B ), convex versus flat lower margin of clypeus, and short and smooth versus more protuberant and sculptured petiole scale ( Fig. 4D cf. Fig. 5C , arrows). In addition, the male scape of P. khor is weakly expanded distad with large punctures covering about 0.3 scape length ( Figs 4J, 4K ), but in P. noemi the scape is strongly expanded distad with small punctures covering about 0.6 scape length ( Fig. 5D ).

There is considerable confusion surrounding the identity and species limits of the Palaearctic species allied to P. laevifrons , as discussed in considerable detail by Bouček (1956, 1983). Much of the uncertainty is a result of Nikol’skaya’s (1952) description of 13 new species of Perilampus from the former USSR in an identification key, without illustrations and without designating holotypes. Bouček (1983) considered many of these names in his paper on the Perilampidae from Mongolia and synonymized 4 species. Concerning P. noemi , no lectotype has been selected and he based his interpretation of this species on two female “ syntypes received years ago from Nikolskaya” (p. 115) and noted differences in these specimens.

Our comparison of two males and two females P. noemi from Mongolia identified by Bouček shows sexassociated differences in morphology, which have not been noted in other species of the P. laevifrons group. However, these males and females were collected in different localities. This suggests that there may be more than one species in the P. laevifrons group from Mongolia, further complicating the taxonomy. We are describing the specimens from the UAE as a new species, rather than referring these specimens to the enigmatic Perilampus noemi , based on characters of the males, in particular, the striking differences in the male scape.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Perilampus khor. A, habitus, lateral view; B, mesosoma, dorsal view; C, propodeum; D, propodeum, male; E, fore wing venation; F, head, dorsal view; G, clypeus, female; H, clypeus, male; I, prepectus; J and K. scape, male. [A, B, E, I: Holotype, ROME174258; C: Paratype, ROME174260; D: Paratype, ROME174262; F: ROME174227; G: Paratype, ROME174224; H and J: Paratype, ROME174263; K: Paratype, ROME174257]

FIGURE 5. Perilampus noemi. A, head, dorsal view, male; B, head, frontal view, male; C, propodeum, male; D, scape, male. [A‒D: ROME188145, det. Bouček 1982]