Retusigaster purshi Kang, 2022

Kang, Ilgoo, 2022, Three new species of Retusigaster Dangerfield, Austin & Whitfield, 1999 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cardiochilinae) with an illustrated key to the New World species, ZooKeys 1092, pp. 47-62 : 47

Retusigaster purshi Kang sp. nov.

Fig. 3A-E

Material examined.

Holotype USA: ♀; 36°16.15'N, 115°33.29'W; Telephone Canyon , Clark County, Nevada, USA; 16.vi.1998; K. Keen & M. Andres; Collected on Purshia Mexicana . Holotype will be deposited in NMNH.

Diagnosis.

Retusigaster purshi sp. nov. is most similar to R. vanduzeei sp. nov. The following characters can distinguish R. purshi sp. nov. from other species of Retusigaster : body ~ 7.0 mm, mostly black except for medial mandible (reddish brown) and ovipositor (Fig. 3A, C ); precoxal sulcus crenulate reaching posterior margin (Fig. 3A ); propodeal areola pentagonal (Fig. 3B ); fore wing apically infuscate with dark stigma (Fig. 3A ); fore tibia entirely dark; Y-shaped suture posteriorly crenulate (Fig. 3B ).

Description.

Body ~ 7.06 mm. Head: Head entirely with long setae. Antenna 44-segmented. Face width ~ 1.56 × longer than its height (128:82). Width of anterior ocellus ~ 0.70 × longer than POL (16:23). Eye seemingly without interommatidial setae; median width of eye about ~ 0.90 × longer than the median width of gena in lateral view (47:52). Gena extended ventro-posteriorly into moderate prominence. Clypeus ~ 2.46 × longer than its height (96:39), with punctures; clypeal tubercles absent. Mandible bidentate. Maxillary palpus five-segmented. Labial palpus four-segmented. Galea short. Glossa short. Occipital carina absent. Mesosoma: Notauli entirely evenly crenulate. Scutellar sulcus ~ 0.45 × longer than width (28:62), with seven carinae, posteriorly rugulose. Postscutellar depression dorsally rugulose and ventrally crenulate. Pronotum dorsally crenulate and posteriorly rugulose. Mesopleuron dorsally with punctures and ventrally crenulate and rugulose, posterior margin strongly crenulate; precoxal sulcus crenulate reaching posterior margin; epicnemial carina absent; episternal scrobe present. Metapleuron anteriorly smooth and posteriorly rugulose. Propodeum strongly rugulose, ~ 0.38 × longer than its median width (61:162); propodeal areola pentagonal, ~ 1.45 × longer than its maximum width (48:33); transverse carina reaching lateral margin. Legs: Basal spur on mid tibia ~ 0.64 × longer than length of basitarsus (40:63). Hind tibia without apical cup-like projection; basal spur on hind tibia ~ 0.61 × longer than length of basitarsus (57:93); claws pectinate. Wings: Fore wing ~ 6.59 mm; second submarginal cell trapezoid, ~ 3.02 × longer than height (124:41); 1r present as basal stump; 3r absent; RS evenly curved; pterostigma about 3.00 × longer than wide medially (105:35). Hind wing ~ 4.57 mm; 2r-m absent; 2-1A present reaching basal half. Metasoma: T1 ~ 1.01 × longer than its posterior width (93:92), anteriorly with lateral carina; Y-shaped suture of T1 anteriorly smooth and posteriorly crenulate. T2 ~ 0.27 × longer than its posterior width (43:158), ~ 0.77 × longer than T3 (43:56). T3 ~ 0.34 × longer than its posterior width (56:164). Hypopygium without median longitudinal fold. Protruded ovipositor sheath ~ 0.29 × longer than length of hind basitarsus (27:93), apically with long setae. Color: Body mostly black. Wings basally hyaline and apically infuscate. Pterostigma entirely dark brown. Mandible apically black. Apical tarsomeres pale.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Fredrick Traugott Pursh, a German American botanist. The genus of the potential food source was also named after him, Purshia .

Biology

(potential food source). Mexican Cliffrose ( Purshia mexicana (D. Don) S. L. Welsh; Rosaceae )

Distribution.

Retusigaster purshi sp. nov. is known from one female specimen collected in Telephone Canyon, Clark County, Nevada, USA. (Fig. 4 )

Figures

Figure 3. Retusigaster purshi sp. nov. A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C anterior head D dorsal mesosoma E forewing.

Figure 4. Habitat near the type locality of Retusigaster purshi sp. nov. in Nevada, USA.