Pyrgaspis Kozlov, 1967

Talamas, Elijah J. & Buffington, Matthew, 2014, Updates to the Nomenclature of Platygastroidea in the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 39, pp. 99-117 : 102

Pyrgaspis Kozlov syn. n.

Comments.

Kozlov considered Pyrgaspis to be closest to Synopeas , presumably because of the pointed mesoscutellum, and he separated these genera based on the orientation and height of the mesoscutellar spine. However, the widely separated lateral propodeal carinae (propodeal keels) (Fig. 18 ) indicate that Pyrgaspis haloxylonomiae does not belong in or near Synopeas . In the context of the gamut of mesoscutellar morphology within Platygaster (Figs 19 - 24 ), the dorsally pointed mesoscutellum alone does not warrant placement in a separate genus. Evaluation of this character revealed that the mesoscutellar points in P. haloxylonomyiae and P. striativentris are formed by a carina on the posterior surface of this sclerite (Figs 18 , 21 - 22 , 25 ). Examination of Platygaster from the eastern United States yielded a specimen that has a similar, but more pronounced, carina on the posterior surface of the mesoscutellum which does not form a point dorsally (Fig. 26 ). The mesoscutellum of this specimen also bears a character that is new to us, the posterolateral mesoscutellar carina (Figs 23 - 26 ).

Figures

Figures 15 - 18. 41 Platygaster haloxylonomyiae (Kozlov), female paratype (USNMENT 00872149) 15 Lateral habitus 16 Dorsal habitus 17 Head, anterior view 18 Mesosoma, posterior view. Scale bars in millimeters.

Figures 19 - 24. 42 19 Platygaster sp., dorsal mesosoma, lateral view (USNMENT 00877276) 20 Platygaster sp., dorsal mesosoma, lateral view, male (USNMENT 00872147) 21 Platygaster haloxylonomyiae (Kozlov), dorsal mesosoma, lateral view, female paratype (USNMENT 00872149) 22 Platygaster striativentris (Buhl), dorsal mesosoma, lateral view, male paratype (USNMENT 00872149) 23 Platygaster sp., dorsal mesosoma, lateral view, female (USNMENT 00877259) 24 Platygaster sp., dorsal mesosoma, lateral view, female (OSUC 334012). Scale bars in millimeters.

Figures 25 - 28. 43 25 Platygaster striativentris (Buhl), mesosoma, posterolateral view, male paratype (USNMENT 00979421) 26 Platygaster sp., mesosoma, posterolateral view, male (USNMENT 00877259) 27 Platygaster striativentris (Buhl), metasoma, dorsolateral view, male holotype (BLGA 0001) 28 Platygaster haloxylonomyiae Kozlov, metasoma, dorsolateral view, male paratype (USNMENT 00872138). Scale bars in millimeters.