Nixonia priesneri, Johnson & Masner, 2006

Johnson, Norman F. & Masner, Lubomír, 2006, Revision of World Species of the Genus Nixonia Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Scelionidae), American Museum Novitates 3518 (1), pp. 1-32 : 24

Nixonia priesneri , new species

Figures 49–51

DESCRIPTION: Holotype male. Length 6.8 mm; body generally black; femora, tibiae, tarsi, antenna black; tegula black to dark brown; palpi yellowish; wings infuscate throughout, brownish.

Head (figs. 49–51) moderately transverse in dorsal view, width 1.6 times length; vertex rugulose-punctate, shining; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than one ocellar diameter; POL 1.9 times LOL; occiput rugulose-punctate, shining; occipital carina not developed; frons (fig. 51) rugulosepunctate, shining, above toruli with dense transverse wrinkles; frons broad, IOS 1.2 times greatest length of eye; toruli closely approximated, separated by less than one-half torulus diameter, frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus evenly raised; apical margin of clypeus straight; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granulate microsculpture; cheeks laterad of malar area coarsely punctate, without longitudinal sculpture; mandible elongate, bidentate, upper tooth significantly longer than lower, with dense tuft of long, coarse setae at base of mandible; maxillary palpal segment 4 cylindrical; A1 finely punctate, greatest width beyond apical 0.6 times length of segment; length of A3 2.3 times length of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 49, 50) height 1.1 times width, length 1.3 times height in lateral view; pronotal shoulders rugose-punctate; lateral surface of pronotum coarsely punctate; netrion punctate-rugulose, with strong longitudinal sculpture; mesoscutum rugose-punctate, with distinct transverse sculpture, shining; parapsidal lines present; scutellum rugosepunctate, shining, without longitudinal sculpture; median propodeal tooth rhomboidal, length 1.5 times greatest width, rounded apically, reticulate; upper mesepisternum largely smooth, with only weakly indicated longitudinal rugulae; fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula with granular microsculpture; R 1 in forewing distinctly separated from costal margin, extending only halfway from R to margin; apex of forewing surpassing apex of T5; R in hindwing with tracheate section short, broadly separated from hamuli by distance greater than its length; tibiae with fine, semidecumbent spines on outer surface.

Metasoma 2.4 times longer than greatest width; T1 distinctly wider than long; T1–T5 longitudinally rugose, T6–T7 punctate.

DIAGNOSIS: This species is most similar to N. atra , from which it may be distinguished by the distinctive transverse sculpture in the posterior portion of the mesoscutum. In addition, it may be distinguished from N. bini by the presence of a small, but distinct lower tooth on the mandible.

ETYMOLOGY: Named in honor of Hermann Priesner, noted expert on Hymenoptera and Thysanoptera.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype male. EGYPT: Gebel Elba , 30.I.1933, H. Priesner, Aidel, sand dune, OSUC 146450 . Deposited in USNM.

Figures

Figs. 46–51. 46. Nixonia lamorali, n.sp., lateral habitus, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 47. N. lamorali, head, frontal view, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 48. N. lamorali, head and mesosoma, dorsal view, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 49. N. priesneri, n.sp., lateral habitus, holotype male (OSUC 146450). 50. N. priesneri, head and mesosoma, dorsal view, holotype male (OSUC 146450). 51. N. priesneri, head, frontal view, holotype male (OSUC 146450). Scale in millimeters.