Chalcis danunciae Saguiah & Tavares, 2020

Saguiah, Pâmella Machado, Molin, Ana Dal & Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira, 2020, The South American species of Chalcis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), Zootaxa 4885 (3), pp. 353-383 : 359-360

Chalcis danunciae Saguiah & Tavares , sp. nov.

Figs 3 a–f, 4a–c

Diagnosis. Female. Antennal anellus longer than wide ( Fig. 3e ); mesepisternum mostly smooth and shiny; protarsal claws falcate; protarsomeres 4 and 5 each with a pair of peg-like spines ventrally ( Fig. 3f ); median carina of interantennal projection extending to median ocellus ( Fig. 3d ); scape 6.2–7.1× as long as wide; mesoscutellum flattened ( Fig. 3a ); metafemur ventrally with 13–15 teeth along outer margin ( Fig. 4a ); propodeum with a wide and well-defined pentagonal areola medial to adpetiolar area, areola with a T- or Y-shaped median carina at the posterior margin ( Fig. 4b ).

Description. FEMALE. Length 5.0– 5.3 mm. Color: Predominantly black, with yellow and light brown areas ( Figs 3 a–d, 4a), as follows. The following parts yellow: parascrobal area through lower face ( Figs 3c, d ), pronotal collar posteriorly ( Fig. 3b ), mesoscutellum laterally, tegula, an irregular spot on distal third of outer face of metafemur ( Fig. 4a ), tarsi, and petiole (occasionally dark brown). The following parts light brown: profemur apically and mesofemur (sometimes golden brown), outer face of metafemur basally, spot on metatibia basally. Wings lightly infuscate ( Figs 3a, b ).

Head. Lower face not bulging above clypeus, with shallow umbilicate fovea, interstices narrow and coriaceous ( Fig. 3d ); parascrobal area densely foveate, interstices coriaceous; median intumescence absent; malar space 0.4× eye height ( Fig. 3c ), malar sulcus conspicuous, straight, internal carina absent, external carina fine and inconspicuous, complete; gena umbilicate to rugose, genal carina reaching vertex; mandibular formula 2:3; antennal scrobe from smooth and shiny ventrally to coriaceous-strigulate dorsally, and with transverse V-shaped carina below median ocellus ( Figs 3c, d ); interantennal projection with median carina dorsally, carina extending to median ocellus ( Fig. 3d ). MOD:POL:APL:OOL = 0.15:0.33:0.11:0.10. Scape 6.2–7.1× as long as wide, with inner face flattened; anellus longer than wide ( Fig. 3e ); Fu1 about 2× as long as wide, and 1.0× as long as Fu2 length ( Fig. 3e ).

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum with interstices coriaceous and dull, narrower than diameter of umbilicate foveae; mesoscutellum flat, frenal carina forming two sublateral lobes; mesopleuron with mesepisternum from smooth and shiny to coriaceous on upper quarter and along the outer margin (except for 3 or 4 foveae dorsally), irregularly areolate-rugulose medially and foveate ventrally; propodeum with a regular median carina, submedian carina absent, anterior costulae incomplete, posterior costulae straight, adpetiolar area with a wide and well-defined pentagonal areola medially, areola with a Y- or T-shaped median carina at the posterior margin, anterosubmedial area sparsely rugose to coriaceous ( Fig. 4b ); tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs with pubescence similar to basal tarsomeres; protarsomeres 4 and 5 each with a pair of distinct peg-like spines ventrally ( Fig. 3f ); protarsal claws falcate, ventrally with 4 basal spines followed by a tooth-like projection ( Fig. 3f ); mesocoxa slightly pubescent posteriorly; mesotibial spur 0.9× as long as the width of the mesotibial apex; metacoxa smooth and shiny dorsally, inner face glabrous; metafemur with outer face densely punctate and interstices smooth and shiny, ventrally without inner basal tooth but with 13–15 teeth along outer margin, outer basal tooth the largest and close to second tooth, the latter minute, the third to the tenth teeth subequal and of moderate size ( Fig. 4a ); metatibia with spine slender and longer than apical width of metatibia; metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than any of tarsomeres 2–5. Fore wing SMV:MV:PMV = 1.76:0.74:0.94.

Metasoma. Petiole about 4.2–4.6× as long as wide, cylindrical ( Fig. 4c ), with dorsolateral carina along basal third; ventrally without longitudinal carina; hypopygial median projection apically with distinct set of short and appressed bristles, ventrally densely bristly (bristles longer than width of hypopygial projection in lateral view) ( Fig. 4c ); ovipositor sheath slightly obliquely truncate apically, with some long setae ( Fig. 4c ).

MALE. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype. ♀ ( UFES), ‘ Brasil: Bahia, Firmino Alves, Fazenda Santo Antônio , 14°59’51’’S 39°55’55’’W, Malaise, ponto 6, 15.XII.2003, Cardoso J. & Maia J. cols.’ ( UFES, n° 23339) . Paratypes (3♀). Brazil. Bahia. São João da Vitória, Fazenda São Roque , 15°14’39’’S 39°20’16’’W, Cabruca , 30.XI.2001, Malaise, J. Car-doso & J. Maia col. (1♀, UFES) . Paraná. Jundiaí do Sul, Fazenda Monte Verde , 05.I.1987, Malaise, PROFAUPAR (1♀, DZUP) . Santa Catarina. Nova Teutônia [Seara], 02.III.1964, F. Plaumann col. (1♀, NHMUK) .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. BRAZIL (Bahia, Paraná, Santa Catarina).

Remarks. Females of C. danunciae are similar to those of C. quechua and C. winstonae (see “Putative Relationships” below), but are distinguished by a longer scape, median carina of interantennal projection extending to the median ocellus ( Fig. 3d ), and propodeum with a wide and well-defined pentagonal areola medial to the adpetiolar area, the areola with a Y- or T-shaped median carina at the posterior margin ( Fig. 4b ).

Etymology. This species is named after Dr. Danúncia Urban, eminent hymenopterist and dear professor who recently retired from DZUP.

Figures

FIGURE 3a–f. Chalcis danunciae sp. nov., holotype female: a, habitus, lateral; b, habitus, dorsal; c, head, frontal; d, head, frontolateral; e, antenna, outer face; f, protarsal claw.

FIGURE 4a–c. Chalcis danunciae sp. nov., holotype female: a, metafemur, outer face; b, propodeum; c, gaster, lateral.