Gasteruption helenae, Macedo, 2011

Macedo, Antonio Carlos Cruz, 2011, A revision of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Neotropical Region 3030, Zootaxa 3030 (1), pp. 1-62 : 32-33

Gasteruption helenae n. sp. ( Figs. 12 , 27c )

Etymology. The epithet for this species is in honor of Helen Ferreira, my colleague in the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo.

Diagnosis. Differs from both Gasteruption barnstoni and G. wahli by the metacoxa without striae ( Fig. 27c ), or with ill-defined ones; the head longer than wide ( Fig. 12a ); the propleuron without striae; and the pronotum with the area between lobes rugulose (ill-defined sculpture) ( Fig. 12d ). Differs from other Neotropical species by the occipital carina narrow dorsally and laterally ( Fig. 12b ); the mesepisternum imbricate dorsally and with ill-defined areoles ventrally ( Fig. 12d ); the propodeum areolate; the ovipositor sheath longer than the metasoma, and dark brown, with apex yellow brown ( Fig. 12e ); and the fore wing discal cell present.

Description. Female ( Fig. 12e ). Length: 11.6 mm (10.4–12.6 mm) (n=8); ovipositor sheath length 0.90 (0.80– 1.00) × body length.

Head. Subtrapezoidal in dorsal view, longer than wide ( Fig. 12a ), imbricate; mandible pre-apical tooth distinct; malar space short, almost separated from gena; posterior ocellus inserted at the level of upper eye margin; occipital carina narrow dorsally and laterally ( Fig. 12b ). Head length 1.39 (1.36–1.42) × eye length; eye length 20.53 (14.75–29.00) × malar space; distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 2.26 (1.62–3.50) × distance between posterior ocelli; 1 st flagellomere 1.23 (1.18–1.30) × as long as scape, 1.41 (1.30–1.50) × as long as pedicel, 0.48 (0.43–0.52) × as long as 2 nd flagellomere. Color: black (or dark brown), clypeus with anterior portion lighter than remaining.

Mesosoma. Propleuron imbricate; pronotal process distinct; pronotum imbricate, area between lobes rugulose to crenulate; mesonotum rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 12d ); mesoscutum punctate (or rugulose) ( Fig. 12c ); mesoscutelum rugulose; mesepisternum imbricate dorsally and with ill-defined areoles ventrally; mesepimeron scrobiculate; metapleuron rugulose to areolate, ventral region with a reduced smooth (or rugulose) portion; propodeum areolate, longitudinal carina present or indistinct ( Fig. 27c ); metacoxa without or with ill-defined striae. Mesosoma (excluding propleuron) 2.01 (1.93–2.11) × as long as high; propleuron 1.75 (1.55–1.89) × longer than its largest wide, 1.06 (1.00–1.13) × pronotum length; metacoxa 2.70 (2.50–3.06) × as long as wide; metatibia 4.10 (3.76–4.38) × as long as wide, 1.43 (1.37–1.50) × as long as femur, 3.23 (2.91–3.45) × as long as 1 st tarsomere. Fore wing discal cell subtrapezoidal, subtriangular, or petiolate; hind wing with 3 hamuli, not or almost equidistant. Color: propleuron black; mesonotum black dorsally to red brown laterally; pronotum red brown; mesopleuron and metapleuron red brown (with some black areas in several specimens); propodeum black dorsally to red brown ventrally (or entirely black); fore and middle legs with coxa red brown to dark brown, trochanter, femur and tibia red brown, tibia with a yellow longitudinal stripe, 1 st tarsomere yellow, remaining yellow to red brown; hind leg with coxa black, trochanter, femur and tibia dark brown, subbasal portion of tibia yellow, tarsus dark brown to yellow.

Metasoma. Imbricate, 2.78 (2.72–2.89) × as long as mesosoma; subgenital sternun notched, Y-shaped; ovipositor sheath 1.47 (1.32–1.58) × as long as metasoma. Color: dark brown; ovipositor sheath dark brown, with apex yellow brown.

Male. Similar to female.

Geographic distribution: Argentina (Entre Ríos), Bolivia, Brazil (Paraná).

Material examined. Holotype, female ( CNCI): ARGENTINA: Entre Ríos: Pronunciamiento , IX.1964.

Paratypes: ARGENTINA: Entre Ríos: Pronunciamiento , XI.1963, XII.1963, XII.1964, I.1965, II.1965, 7♀, 8♂ ( CNCI) ; Villa Elisa , 10.XII.1973, L. Gantero, 1♂ ( IMLA) ; BOLIVIA: La Paz: Chulamani , 1700 m, 27– 29. VI .1979, M. Cooper , 1♀ ( BMNH) .

Other material: BRAZIL: Paraná: Curitiba , 29.XI.1970, P. Moure, 1♂ ( DZUP) ; Guarapuava , X.1957, H. Schnneider, 1♂ ( DZUP) ; Ponta Grossa, Caraquatá, Olaria , XI.1944, 2♀ ( DZUP) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Gasteruption helenae. a: head in dorsal view; b: head in lateral view; c: mesonotum in dorsal view; d: mesosoma in lateral view; e. habitus. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURE 27. Propodeum and metacoxa in dorsal view. a: Gasteruption bertae; b: G. bispinosum; c: G. helenae; d: G. huberi; e: G: kaweahense; f: G. oliveirai; g: G. rafaeli; h: G. visaliae. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.