Wilkinsonellus nescalptura Arias-Penna, Zhang & Whitfield

Arias-Penna, Diana Carolina, Zhang, Yali & Whitfield, James B., 2014, First record of the genus Wilkinsonellus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Fiji with description of three new species, ZooKeys 397, pp. 25-47 : 41-44

Wilkinsonellus nescalptura Arias-Penna, Zhang & Whitfield sp. n. Figs 5 A–K

Female.

Body length 2.63 mm, antennae length 2.93 mm

Material.

Type material. Holotype, 1 female, FIJI: KADAVU ISLAND, Takuvi, 0.25 km southwest Solodamu village, Moanakaka bird sanctuary, lat- 19.077, long 178.121, 60 m, Malaise, coastal limestone forest, 07. iii– 11.iv.2004, S. Lau, [FJKV41a]. Paratypes, 1 female & 1 male in California Academy of Sciences and 1 female & 1male in Bishop Museum, same data as holotype except for: 23. x– 19.xii.2003, [FJKV41a_02_06].

Other material.

KADAVU ISLAND: 5 males & 1 female, same data as holotype except for: 23. x– 19.xii.2003, [FJKV41a_02_06]; 2 males & 2 females, same data as holotype except for: 09-15.ii.2004, [FJKV41a_04_08].

TAUVENI ISLAND: 1 male & 1 female, 3.2 km NW Lavena village, mount Koronibuabua, lat -16.855, long -179.888, 219 m, Malaise, lowland rainforest 04-19.xi.2003, [FJTA52b_04_26]; 1 female, same data except for: lat -16.854, long -179.891, 235 m, 24. x– 19.xi.2004, [FJTA52d]; 1 female, same data except for: lat -16.854, long -179.891, 235 m, 24.x-04.xi.2003, [FJTA52d_01_03]; 1 male, same data except for: lat -16.855, long -179.888, 229 m, 19.xi-19.xii.2003, [FJTA52f_05_28].

VITI LEVU ISLAND: 1 male, 1 km E Abaca village, mount Evan’s range, Koroyanitu Eco Park, Kokabula trail, lat -17.66, long 177.55, 800 m, Malaise, disturbed mid-elevation moist forest, 02-10.vi.2002, L. Tuimereke, [FJVL02_01_26]. 1 female, 2 Km SE Nabukavesi village, ocean Pacific resort, lat -18.170, long 178.258, 40 m, Malaise, coastal lowland moist forest, 26. iv– 05.v.2004, W. Naisilisili, [FJVL18a_01_25].

Diagnosis.

First five antennal flagellomeres lighter in color than following flagellomeres. ATS and ATM smooth (Fig. 5F). Mesosternum with characteristic curved costate sculptures. Hind coxa (Fig. 2C) aerolate-rugose, sculptures on the outer dorsal edge big and heterogeneous, but fine and homogeneous in the remaining area. Fore wing (Fig. 5I) with vein r straight; hind wing (Fig. 5J) with vannal lobe normal, of typical microgastrine dimensions. Petiole of tergite I (Fig. 5K) bottle-shaped, widest part with rounded edges. Ovipositor sheaths brown (Fig. 5H).

Description.

Coloration (Figs 5 A–K). General body (Fig. 5A) yellow-brown, except first five antennal flagellomeres yellow-brown, but remaining brown; lateral surface of both scape (Fig. 5D) and pedicel with a thin brown strip. Eyes and ocelli silver in preserved specimens; ocellar triangle with a slim semicircular black ring in each ocellus (Fig. 5B). Edges of mandibular teeth brown. Coxae of both front and middle legs, trochanter and trochantellus of all legs yellow (Fig. 5A). Petiole on tergite I (Fig. 5K) completely dark yellow, but the tergite I light yellow; median area in tergite II dark yellow with contours dark brown, coloration decreases in intensity as it gets far away from median area; tergites III and beyond brown; laterotergites and sternites yellow (Fig. 5H). Membrane and microtrichiae of both fore and hind wings light brown (Figs 5 I–J). Ovipositor sheaths brown (Fig. 5H).

Head (Figs 5 A–D). Inner margin of scape curved, scape longer than wide (0.15:0.10 mm); pedicel longer than wide (0.08:0.05 mm); first three antennal flagellomeres subequal in length (0.21:0.20:0.19 mm); last antennal flagellomerus longer than penultimate (0.20:0.14 mm) and with acute apex. Antennal scrobes (Figs 5 B–C) shallow, not surrounded by carina located far above middle level of eyes and close to inner compound eye margin; frons with ripples sculptures throughout; in frontal view, medial area between antennal sockets without projection (Fig. 5C). Face with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming dorsally distinctive semicircular patterns; face with a short median longitudinal carina running from antennal scrobes to half of the length of the face, but continuing as a ridge extending close to the clypeus; fronto-clypeal suture absent. Distance between anterior tentorial pit and closest inner compound eye margin 1.7 × longer than diameter of tentorial pit (0.05:0.03 mm); anterior tentorial pits far away from each other (0.18 mm). Mandible with two teeth, inferior tooth longer than superior. Maxillary palps longer than labial palps. OOL (Fig. 5B) 1.7 × longer than the diameter of lateral ocellus (0.12:0.07 mm), POL (Fig. 5B) as equal as diameter of lateral ocellus (0.07:0.07 mm). Vertex convex, laterally sloped and medi ally high, with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming distinctive semicircular patterns; medially vertex with a smooth and slightly concave area. Gena (Fig. 5D) with fine homogeneous punctures, interspaces forming wavy patterns.

Mesosoma (Figs 5 E–G). Mesosoma dorsoventrally convex (Fig. 5G). Pronotum shiny, smooth; curvature of pronotum (Fig. 5G) with a deep groove of deep foveae throughout. Mesopleuron (Fig. 5G) smooth, convex, except precoxal groove which bears a group of foveae; margins lateral and ventro-lateral of mesopleuron forming an L-shaped area; ventro-lateral part with distinctive diagonal costate sculpturing and lateral margin with an evident curved carina; dorsal epicnemial ridge convex. Mesosternum slightly flat with characteristic curved costate sculptures; medially with a groove of deep, homogeneous foveae. Metepisternum and metepimeron (Fig. 5G) separated by a chain of deep foveae, the deepest fovea at the dorsal end; metepisternum narrower than metepimeron; metepisternum with an additional curved carina running parallel to the groove of foveae that separates it from the mesopleuron; dorsal edge of metepisternum with a convex and setose area; metepimeron just above submetapleural carina with coarse areolate-rugose sculpturing, remaining area with scattered, finely sculpture, hairs extending over most of the area (Fig. 5G). Mesoscutum (Fig. 5E) with fine, dense and homogeneous punctures, interspaces wavy, mesoscutum slightly narrow than head. Notauli (Fig. 5E) incomplete, not reaching the scutelar sulcus, visible in most of the anterior part of the mesoscutum and indicated by a faint change in sculpturing. Area of mesoscutum close to scutellar sulcus smooth and sloped. Scutellar sulcus (Figs 5 E–F) with at least six visible deep, carinate foveae of heterogeneous size. Scutellum with edges carinate, sharing the same kind of sculptures as mesoscutum. ATS and ATM (Fig. 5F) smooth, both with some short stubs at posterior edge; L and BS (Fig. 5F) smooth and shiny; MPM (Fig. 5F) trapezoidal, posteriorly with a strong upward carina forming a projection; BM convex and PRM (Fig. 5F) thin, wavy and smooth. Propodeum (Fig. 5F) with a complete median longitudinal carina, plus one additional divergent carina at each half of propodeum, all three carinae crossed by several transverse, wavy carinae; first third anterior of propodeum without transverse carinae. Propodeal spiracles in the junction of transverse carina and pleural carina; innerly spiracles far away from divergent carina; anteriorly lacking of any evident carinae. Propodeal spiracle partially enclosed by carinae.

Wings (Figs 5 I–J). Fore wing (Fig. 5I) with vein r straight (0.16 mm) arising just beyond the half of the length of pterostigma; vein 2RS longer than r (0.20:0.16 mm), but 2 × longer than 2M and r(RS+M)b veins (0.20:0.10:0.10 mm). Hind wing (Fig. 5J) with vannal lobe not reduced, but with subapical outline flattened; edge with setae throughout, basal ones longer than apical.

Legs. Hind coxa extended beyond apex of tergite III (Fig. 5A) with aerolate-rugose sculpturing, sculpture on the outer dorsal edge coarse and heterogeneous, but fine and homogeneous in the remaining area (Fig. 2C); hind tibia with inner spur 1.3 × longer than outer spur half (0.26:0.20 mm); hind basitarsus 1.5 × longer than inner spur (0.40:0.26 mm), telotarsus as same length as penultimate tarsomere (0.10:0.10 mm); outer surface of hind tibia with orderly spines throughout.

Metasoma (Figs 5H, 5K). Petiole of tergite I (Fig. 5K) smooth, bottle-shaped, widest part with rounded edges, length 0.40 mm, distinctly constricted over anterior half (minimum width 0.05 mm), but subapically wider (maximum width 0.12 mm), petiole with a deep groove extending across great part of the petiole swollen area; hypopygium (Fig. 5H) not protruding beyond apex of metasoma; wall of hypopygium with long and numerous hairs; ovipositor sheath length 0.15 mm, apex acute, tapering at the ending, bearing long and visible hairs, in lateral view ovipositor sheaths not protruding the apex of metasoma.

Comments. In some females from Kavadu, the coloration on tergites III and beyond is completely yellow; other specimens exhibit on those tergites a striping pattern that can alternate light yellow followed by dark brown and vice versa. In contrast, specimens from Taveuni, the brown coloration includes tergite II and following. Body length ranges from 2.12 mm to 2.83 mm.

Males. Similar to females. Some dry specimens (e.g. from Kavadu) with striping pattern on tergites III and beyond, those specimens exposing the arthrodial membrane which is light yellow in contrast with dark brown coloration on the tergites. In other males, the first third anterior of propodeum lacks the transverse carinae. Body length ranges from 2.32 to 2.52 mm.

Etymology.

From ne (Latin)= particle of negation and scalptura (Latin, noun, femine) = engraving. The name refers at the absence of sculptures in both the axillary trough of the scutellum and axillary trough of the metanotum.

Distribution.

Kavadu, Taveuni and Viti Levu. Wilkinsonellus nescalptura sp. n was collected in coastal lowland moist forest, coastal limestone forest, lowland rainforest and disturbed mid-elevation moist forest, ecosystems range from 40 m to 800 m.

Host.

unknown