Spalangia flavicrus, Gibson, 2009

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2009, 2259, Zootaxa 2259, pp. 1-159 : 70-73

10. Spalangia flavicrus n. sp.

(Figs 174–182)

Type material. HOLOTYPE (♀, CNC no. 23884). “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Vega National Park, A. [Armando] Bermudez, Cienaga , 19.vii-2.viii.1995, 1100m, S. & J. Peck / CNCI, LB-specm 2007-039”. Condition: point-mounted, entire.

PARATYPES (4♀, CNC) . Neotropical. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Vega, Parque Nac. Armando Bermudez , nr La Ciénaga, 1100 m., 12-22.I.99, L. Masner (1♀) . Prov. Pedernales — 23.5 km. N Cabo Rojo, VIII.90, L. Masner (2♀) ; Sra. [Sierra de] Baoruco, 1450 m., 16-18.VII.90, L. Masner (1♀) .

Etymology. A combination of the Latin words flavus, meaning “yellow”, and crus, meaning “leg”, in reference to the completely yellow legs that in part differentiate the species.

Description. Female. Length = 1.3–1.8 mm. Legs yellow beyond coxae except apical tarsal segment and sometimes metafemur slightly darker, light brownish-yellow. Head in anterior view (Fig. 174) about 1.1–1.2x as high as wide; in dorsal view about 1.9–2.0x as wide as long; in lateral view (Fig. 175) with malar space about 0.6–0.7x eye height and subequal to eye width. Head capsule (Figs 174–176) smooth and shiny except for distinct, flat-bottomed setiferous punctures as follows: with complete median sulcus extending ventrally to level of lower orbit, usually within equilateral-triangular scrobal depression, otherwise upper face and parascrobal region with punctures mostly separated by shiny interstices of one or more puncture diameters medially on upper face, but more closely crowded on parascrobal region near torulus; scrobal depression with smooth and shiny interantennal region and distinctly coriaceous-granular scrobes, the sculpture extending laterally onto parascrobal region where partly obscuring punctures and more rugulose- or punctate-strigose (Fig. 176); gena (Fig. 177) rugose near oral margin but otherwise with distinct setiferous punctures similar to parascrobal region, and with fine linear malar sulcus unless obscured by very closely crowded punctures; temple with distinct punctures similar to gena and upper face. Antenna (Fig. 181) with scape about 4.5–5.5x as long as wide, the inner and outer surfaces uniformly setose and punctate-rugose; pedicel about 1.8–2.1x as long as apical width and about 2.2–3.0x as long as fu 1; funicle with fu 1 quadrate to about 1.3x wider than long and subsequent segments all distinctly transverse with fu 7 about 1.4–1.5x as wide as long; clava about 1.9– 2.3x as long as wide.

Figs 174–181. Spalangia flavicrus Gibson ♀. 174–176, head: 174, anterior view, 175, lateral view, 176, frontolateral view; 177, gena; 178, mesosoma, dorsal view; 179, mesopleuron; 180, frenum–petiole, posterodorsal view; 181, antenna.

Pronotal collar in lateral view only very low convex behind neck and with circumpronotal band anterolaterally, but anteriorly smoothly rounded to neck; smooth and shiny except often coriaceous posterolaterally and sometimes very faintly and obscurely coriaceous posteromedially, but without differentiated cross-line posteriorly (Fig. 178), and uniformly setose except for median bare band over about posterior two-thirds, with each seta originating from extremely shallow puncture or often from tiny bump partly surrounded by circular line. Mesoscutal median lobe (Fig. 178) with anterior convex region smooth and shiny anteriorly and coriaceous to transversely alutaceous posteriorly; internotaular region with 1 or 2 punctures or rugulose band medially posterior to coriaceous-alutaceous region, but extensively smooth laterally with setae originating from pinprick-like punctures. Axillae (Fig. 178) shiny but variably densely setose, with each seta originating from a tiny bump and/or pinprick-like puncture. Scutellum (Fig. 178) flat, smooth and shiny except for a few pinprick-like setiferous punctures laterally; frenum (Figs 178, 180) with frenal line interrupted over at least medial two-thirds. Mesopleuron (Fig. 179) mostly with distinct sculpture as follows: pectal region smooth and shiny or only very finely and inconspicuously coriaceous but not crenulate anteriorly and bare except for 1 posteroventral seta; acropleuron longitudinally striate-strigose and differentiated from pectal region by obliquely angled or curved carina directed toward base of tegula; subalar and episternal scrobes shallow depressions connected by a shallow, linear furrow; upper and lower mesepimeron quite strongly coriaceous to obliquely alutaceous-coriaceous, the sculpture sometimes effaced on lower mesepimeron posteriorly and dorsally; upper and lower mesepisternum differentiated by fine transepisternal carina and adjacent line of setae, with upper mesepisternum striate-strigose, the striae oblique anteriorly but more longitudinal posteriorly. Fore wing hyaline; mediocubital fold and basal cell with line of several setae. Propodeum (Fig. 180) with distinct postspiracular sulcus; callus punctate-reticulate to rugulose; plical region usually with narrowly V- or Y- shaped paramedian crenulate furrows delineating at least very slender, flat, smooth lanceolate median band, and furrows united into single crenulate line over at least posterior half; supracoxal bands contiguous with paramedian crenulate furrow; panels smooth and shiny.

Petiole (Fig. 180) about 1.8–2.0x as long as medial width; punctate-reticulate to reticulate-rugose between variably distinct longitudinal carinae; bare. Gaster shiny with Gt 1 smooth but at least Gt 2 and Gt 3 in part finely coriaceous.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Known only from the Dominican Republic (Fig. 182).

Biology. Unknown.

Recognition. I include S. flavicrus as one of seven species in the drosophilae species group as discussed under S. drosophilae . Although the median lanceolate band on the propodeum of the five known females of S. flavicrus is quite narrow and sometimes is essentially carinate (Figs 178, 180), individuals have a conspicuously sculptured mesopleuron (Fig. 179) like most other species assigned to the drosophilae -group. Females most closely resemble S. plaumanni because both species have distinct setiferous punctures on the gena as well as the face (Figs 174–177, 387–390), but unlike S. plaumanni the pectal region is extensively smooth, shiny and bare (cf. Fig. 179 with Figs 395, 396), and the pronotal collar has at most a very shallow and obscure transverse depression paralleling its posterior margin (cf. Fig. 178 with Figs 391–393). Females of S. flavicrus also have yellow legs, a color pattern otherwise possessed only by individuals of S. bethyloides from Dominica. Individuals of S. bethyloides lack setiferous punctures from the gena (Figs 48, 50) and have less strongly coriaceous scrobes restricted to the scrobal depression (Fig. 52). Individuals of S. flavicrus have more strongly and extensively coriaceous scrobes with the sculpture extending onto and partly obscuring the sculpture of parascrobal region (Fig. 174).

Fig. 182. Distribution of Spalangia flavicrus Gibson , S. fuscipes Nees and S. gemina Bouček.