Prionomeion maghrebense, Hara, Hideho, 2016

Hara, Hideho, 2016, The North African sawfly genus Prionomeion (Hymenoptera, Diprionidae), with a key to the Palaearctic genera of the subfamily Diprioninae, Zootaxa 4127 (3), pp. 537-552 : 545-548

Prionomeion maghrebense sp. nov.

Figs 1E–H , 2G–I , 3E–H , 4F–J , 5C–F , 6C–D, G–H , 7B, E–F , 8D–H

Prionomeion gaullei: Fabre & Chevin, 1991: 309 –311; Liston, 1997: 36; Fabre et al., 1999: 209; Schedl, 2014: 1356 . [Not Konow, 1906.]

Description. Female (holotype). Length 6.3 mm. Black, without metallic reflections ( Figs 1E–F ). Mandible apically dark brown. Palps dark brown; apical maxillary palpomere pale brown. Legs with fore tibia yellow to yellow brown; middle and hind tibiae yellow brown to dark brown; tarsi yellow to yellow brown, slightly darkened apically; tibial spurs and claws yellow. Wings clear hyaline; veins brown to black; vein C basally pale brown; stigma dark brown. Abdomen orange on second to sixth segments and wide anterior and lateral areas of seventh tergum.

Head and thorax with punctures predominantly small and separated, and interspaces smooth and shiny ( Figs 2G–H , 4F–H , 5C–D ); punctures predominantly large and contiguous on anterior part of head, gena, posterior part of pronotum, postspiracular sclerite, dorsal part of mesepisternum, and lateral and apical parts of mesoscutellum; labrum sparsely and finely punctured; anepimeron densely punctured; metascutellum rough.

Distance between eyes 1.7 × eye height. Postocellar area moderately convex, width 1.7 × length ( Fig. 2G ). Ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus, between lateral ocelli and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 1.0:1.0:1.0. Distance between torulus and eye 1.3 × distance between toruli ( Fig. 2H ). Malar space 0.5 × width of median ocellus. Antenna with 18 antennomeres ( Figs 3E–H ); first flagellomere with length along dorsal margin 1.3 × apical breadth except for ramus in lateral view, and ramus length 0.8 × its flagellomere length; middle flagellomeres uniramose, each with conical ramus slightly longer than its associated flagellomere and with slight inner convexity. Maxillary palp short; apical palpomere slightly longer than median ocellus width.

Prepectus distinct, length (= short axis) about 1/3 length of postspiracular sclerite ( Figs 4G–H ). Pronotum with posterolateral lobe separated from its main part by sharp ridge except for narrow ventral area ( Fig. 4H ). Anterior edge of mesoscutellum angled about 110° ( Fig. 4F ). Hind leg ( Fig. 6C ) with posterior tibial spur 0.9 × as long as first tarsomere exclusive of pulvillar pad, 1.4 × breadth of tibia in lateral view; first tarsomere length 1.5 × tibia breadth in lateral view; second and third tarsomeres combined 1.1 × as long as first. In hind wing, section of vein 1A between crossveins a and cu-a 1.5 × width of cell 1A.

Ovipositor sheath ( Figs 7E–F ) in dorsal view about 3.0 × as wide as cercus, in posterior view with lateral margin distinctly convex at scopa. Lance ( Figs 8D–E ) with long posterior projection of processus articularis and eight annular sutures. Lancet ( Figs 8F–H ) with 12 annuli, with length from apex to ventral end of first row of spines 2.7 × maximum width; sclerotized area indistinct basal to first annulus; first row of spines arched basally and its ventral end widely separated from ventral margin of lancet; second and third rows of spines each arched; serrula of second annulus distinctly convex on ventral margin; serrulae of third to fourth annuli each angularly convex on ventral margin; middle serrulae simple; apical two serrulae each angulating on ventral margin.

Male. Length 5.8 mm ( Figs 1G–H ). As in female, but differing as follows except for usual sexual differences.

Palps yellow, basally darkened. Legs yellow on wide apex of fore femur, narrow apices of middle and hind femora, tibiae, tibial spurs, tarsi and claws. Abdomen entirely black.

Distance between eyes 1.6 × eye height. Postocellar area width 1.9 × length. Ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus, between lateral ocelli, and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 0.9:1.0:0.8; ratio of distances between eye and lateral ocellus and between lateral ocellus and posterior margin of head 1.2:1.0 ( Fig. 2I ). Distance between torulus and eye 1.1 × distance between toruli. Malar space 0.6 × width of median ocellus. Antenna with 22 antennomeres. Anterior edge of mesoscutellum angled about 100° ( Fig. 4I ). Hind leg ( Fig. 6D ) with posterior tibial spur 0.8 × as long as first tarsomere, 1.4 × breadth of tibia in lateral view; first tarsomere length 1.8 × tibia breadth in lateral view; second and third tarsomeres combined 1.0 × as long as first. In hind wing, section of vein 1A between crossveins a and cu-a 1.4 × width of cell 1A. Subgenital plate and genitalia unknown (missing in the male examined).

Material examined. Holotype ( Figs 1E–F ): ♀, labelled “ Morocco, 12 km O of IFRANE, 9.-10. V. 1997, leg. J. Halada” “ Prionomeion gaullei (Konow) , ♀, det. W. Schedl 2003” deposited in the Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Linz (cited by Schedl 2014 as P. gaullei ). Paratype: 1♂, labelled “ ALGERIE, Tikjda 1500m, ex larva 17. 8. 88, FABRE ” “ Prionomeion gaullei Knw , ♂, H. CHEVIN 90” “ CBGP _ INRA _HYM_000021_0101” deposited in the UMR Centre de Biologie pour Gestion des Populations, Montferrier-sur-Lez (cited by Fabre & Chevin 1991 as P. gaullei ).

Distribution. Morocco, Algeria.

Life history. The host plant is Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière (Pinaceae) ( Fabre & Chevin 1991 under the name of Prionomeion gaullei ). For more information on the life history and the larva, see Fabre & Chevin (1991).

Remarks. The female of Prionomeion maghrebense sp. nov. is quite different from that of P. gaullei in the shape of the antenna, the coloration of the legs and the punctation stated under the foregoing key. The following features will also distinguish the female of P. maghrebense from that of P. gaullei [condition in the latter species]: Ovipositor sheath in posterior view with lateral margin strongly convex at scopa ( Fig. 7F ) [moderately convex ( Fig. 7D )]; lance with basal projection long ( Fig. 8D ) [short ( Fig. 8A )]. On the other hand, the males of the two species are very similar to each other. Unfortunately, I have been unable to examine their genitalia. The difference in the punctation of the mesepisternum stated in the key is only useful to separate the male of P. maghrebense from that of P. gaullei .

Figures

FIGURES 1 A – H. Prionomeion gaullei (A – B, female, holotype; C – D, male) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (E – F, female, holotype; G – H, male, paratype). A, C, E, G, Dorsolateral or dorsal view; B, D, F, H, ventrolateral view.

FIGURES 2 A – I. Head in Prionomeion gaullei (A – D, female, holotype; E – F, male) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (G – H, female, holotype; I, male, paratype). A, Dorsal view; B, dorsal part, anterior view; C, E, G, I, dorsal part, anterolateral view; D, F, H, ventral part, anterior view.

FIGURES 3 A – H. Female antenna in Prionomeion gaullei (A – D, holotype) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (E – H, holotype). A, E, Inner lateral view; B, F, basal part, inner lateral view; C, G, basal flagellomeres, inner lateral view, SEM; D, H, basal and middle flagellomeres, ventral view; A – D, reversed; 5 = fifth flagellomere.

FIGURES 4 A – J. Thorax in Prionomeion gaullei (A – C, female, holotype; D – E, male) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (F – H, female, holotype; I – J, male, paratype). A, D, F, I, Mesonotum, dorsal view; B, E, G, J, mesopleuron, lateral view; C, H, posterior part of pronotum, postspiracular sclerite and prepectus, lateral view; arrow in C showing posterolateral lobe of pronotum.

FIGURES 5 A – F. Mesoscutellum and metanotum in Prionomeion gaullei (A – B, female, holotype) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (C – F, female, holotype). A, C, Dorsal view; B, D, dorsolateral view; E, lateral view; F, posterodorsal view; C – D, SEM; c = cenchrus, mtsl = metascutellum.

FIGURES 6 A – I. A – D, Hind leg from apex of tibia to fourth tarsomere; E – I, basal part of anal cell of left fore wing. Prionomeion gaullei (A, E, female, holotype; B, F, male); P. maghrebense sp. nov. (C, G, female, holotype; D, H, male, paratype); Gilpinia hercyniae (I, female; USA, Maine, Bar Harbor). A – C, Anterior view (B, reversed); D, posterior view; E – I, dorsal view.

FIGURES 7 A – F. A, First abdominal tergum, dorsal view; B, apex of female abdomen, ventral view; C, E, ovipositor sheath, dorsal view; D, F, do., posterior view. Prionomeion gaullei (A, C – D, female, holotype); P. maghrebense sp. nov. (B, E – F, female, holotype).

FIGURES 8 A – H. Ovipositor in Prionomeion gaullei (A – C, holotype) and P. maghrebense sp. nov. (D – H, holotype). A, D, Lance, dorsal view; B, E, do., lateral view; C, F – H, lancet; 1 = first (most basal) annulus, bt = basal end of tangium, sc = sclerotized area basal to first annulus.