Trichacis proximata Arias-Penna & Masner

Arias-Penna, Tania Milena, Masner, Lubomir & Delsinne, Thibaut, 2012, Revision of the Neotropical species of Trichacis Foerster (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Platygastridae), with description of 24 new species, Zootaxa 3337, pp. 1-56 : 34

Trichacis proximata Arias-Penna & Masner , new species

Figures 16 A–16E; 21B

Female. Body length: 2.30 mm (holotype); 2.05 mm (paratype); mean length ± SD = 2.18 ± 0.18 mm.

Black and shining; A1–A6 yellow; A7–A10 dark brown; mandible black with apex brown; fore leg yellow; mid leg brown, except dark brown patches on femur medially, and on tibial apex; hind leg with apical 2/3 of femur, tibia and tarsi bicolored, dark brown and black, otherwise brown; fore coxa brown; hind coxa dark brown; fore wing infuscate except in basal region and margin.

Head, in dorsal view, 2.7 times as wide as long; EH <IOS; interocellar area smooth; OOL> LOL; antennal clava 4-segmented; A1 not reaching vertex dorsal margin; A2–A5, A10 longer than wide; A6 wider than long; A7–A9 as long as wide; base of mandible striate; frons mostly smooth, with three transverse striae above torulus, and with scattered short pilosity in its anterior region (at high magnification [e.g. 160x] this gives impression of punctuation); interantennal process smooth and curving down, surpassing ventral border of torulus; clypeus hidden by interantennal process; clypeal margin convex medially; gena striate; vertex smooth; temple projection absent; hyperoccipital carina complete; posterior ocellus reaching hyperoccipital carina.

Mesosoma slightly arched; antero-admedian line absent; notaulus anteriorly incomplete; lateral notaular area smooth and inter-notaular area with basal 1/3 coriaceous and posterior 2/3 smooth; posteromedial region of internotaular area convex; parapsidal line present; central pronotal area smooth; specialized area of mesoscutellum heart-shaped; median projection of specialized area of mesoscutellum triangular; mesopleural carina incomplete (length of mesopleural carina/length of mesopleuron = 0.57); fore wing slightly surpassing apex of metasoma.

Metasoma elongate; combined length of T3–T6 <T2; T1 shorter than wide; T2 longer than wide; T3–T5 shorter than wide; anteromedial area of T2 smooth and concave; T3 mostly smooth, with shallow punctuation along its posterior border; T4 smooth along its anterior margin and T5–T6 densely covered by deep punctuation; T6 subtriangular, almost as long as wide.

Male. Unknown.

Etymology. The name of the species refers to the close position of the posterior ocelli relative to the hyperoccipital carina.

Diagnosis. Trichacis proximata is the single species that presents the posterior ocelli close to the hyperoccipital carina.

Material examined. Holotype: 1 Ƥ, COSTA RICA, Guan. GCA, Est. Maritza, 700 m, January 20–February 3 1996, MT/YPT, J.S. Noyes ( BMNH); paratype: 1 Ƥ, Guan. GCA, Est. Pitilla, 700 m, February 12–27 1996, MT/ YPT, J.S. Noyes ( CNCI).

Holotype is deposited in CNCI.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Bright field images of Trichacis species. A – E: Trichacis proximata Arias-Penna & Masner, n. sp., Ƥ (holotype). A, head, anterior view; B, habitus, dorsal view; C, habitus, lateral view; D, head and anterior mesosoma, dorsal view; E, posterior mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view. F: Trichacis punctata Arias-Penna & Masner, n. sp., Ƥ, head and anteroventral mesosoma, anterior view (holotype).