Gasteruption brachychaetum Schrottky, 1906

Macedo, Antonio Carlos Cruz, 2011, A revision of Gasteruption Latreille (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae) in the Neotropical Region 3030, Zootaxa 3030 (1), pp. 1-62 : 18-20

Gasteruption brachychaetum Schrottky, 1906 ( Fig. 6 )

Gasteruption brachychaetum Schrottky, 1906: 61–62 (description); Kieffer, 1912: 238 (in key), 308–309 (redescription); Hedicke, 1939: 34 (catalog); Macedo, 2009: 7 (brachycaetum misprint, cladistic analysis); Rasmussen et al. 2009: 23 (catalog).

Diagnosis. Differs from G. amputatum by the head subtrapezoidal in dorsal view ( Fig. 6a ); the propleuron longer than the pronotum; the mesonotum rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 6d ); and the mesoscutum punctate ( Fig. 6c ). Differs from other Neotropical species by the ovipositor sheath shorter than 0.40 times the metasoma length ( Fig. 6e ); and by the subgenital sternun notched, V-shaped.

Redescription. Female ( Fig. 6e ). Length: 11.4 mm (8.3–15.1 mm) (n=40); ovipositor sheath length 0.17 (0.13–0.22) × body length.

Head. Subtrapezoidal in dorsal view, as long as wide ( Fig. 6a ), punctulate; mandible pre-apical tooth short; malar space short, almost separated from gena; posterior ocellus inserted at the level of upper eye margin; occipital carina relatively narrow dorsally and very wide laterally ( Fig. 6b ). Head length 1.31 (1.21–1.49) × eye length; eye length 19.37 (12.50–30.00) × malar space; distance from posterior ocellus to occipital margin 1.77 (1.54–2.00) × distance between posterior ocelli; 1 st flagellomere 1.19 (1.00–1.60) × as long as scape, 1.29 (1.00–1.70) × as long as pedicel, 0.64 (0.44–1.00) × as long as 2 nd flagellomere. Color: black or dark brown, occipital carina usually red brown, clypeus yellow brown, scape yellow brown, remaining antennal segments dark brown to yellow brown.

Mesosoma. Propleuron rugulose dorsally, sparsely punctate laterally; pronotal process distinct; pronotum imbricate to smooth, area between lobes crenulate; mesonotum rounded in lateral view ( Fig. 6d ); mesoscutum sparsely ( Fig. 6c ) to densely punctate; mesoscutelum imbricate, with sparse punctation; mesepisternum imbricate dorsally and areolate ventrally; mesepimeron scrobiculate; metapleuron areolate, ventral region with a reduced smooth portion; propodeum areolate, longitudinal carina present (rarely indistinct); metacoxa usually with welldefined fine striae. Mesosoma (excluding propleuron) 1.67 (1.48–1.90) × as long as high; propleuron 1.69 (1.38– 1.96) × longer than its largest wide, 1.19 (1.03–1.38) × pronotum length; metacoxa 2.59 (2.00–3.15) × as long as wide; metatibia 3.97 (3.46–5.11) × as long as wide, 1.34 (1.12–1.43) × as long as femur, 3.23 (2.60–3.88) × as long as 1 st tarsomere. Fore wing discal cell subtriangular or subtrapezoidal; hind wing with 3 hamuli (rarely 2 or 4), not equidistant. Color: propleuron, mesonotum and propodeum red brown to dark brown, pronotum, mesopleuron and metapleuron red brown (with some black areas in several specimens); fore and middle legs with coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia red brown to dark brown, tibia with a yellow longitudinal stripe, tarsus white or yellow, apical tarsomeres red brown in some specimens; hind leg with coxa, trochanter, femur and tibia red brown to dark brown, subbasal portion of tibia yellow, tarsus red brown to dark brown (two specimens from Colombia have mesosoma black, except for yellow parts of legs).

Metasoma. Imbricate, 2.99 (2.71–3.38) × as long as mesosoma; subgenital sternun notched, V-shaped; ovipositor sheath 0.28 (0.21–0.35) × as long as metasoma. Color: terga mostly red brown to dark brown, with posterior regions yellow brown; ovipositor sheath red brown to dark brown, with apex yellow brown.

Male. First record. Similar to female. Geographic distribution. Argentina (Buenos Aires, Jujuy, Misiones, Salta, Tucumán), Brazil (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, São Paulo), Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico (Quintana Roo), Paraguay ( Schrottky 1906), Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela.

Material examined. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires: La Plata, 18.XII.1965, H. & M. Townes, 2♀, 2♂ ( AEIC) ; Jujuy: Aguas Calientes , 650 m, 18–20.X.1968, L.E. Pena, 1♂ ( AEIC) ; Misiones: San Ignacio , 4–5.IV.1974, C. R. &. M. Vardy, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Salta: San Carlos , 20.I.1950, A. Willink & Monrós, 1♀ ( IMLA) ; Tucumán: San Pedro de Colalao , 8.XI–8.XII.1967, L.A. Stange, 1♂ ( AEIC) ; BRAZIL: Espírito Santo: S.J. Petrópolis, 12.XI.1964, C. Elias, 1 unknown gender ( DZUP) ; Minas Gerais: Passa Quatro , 1903, E. R. Wagner, 1♀ ( MNHN) ; São Gonçalo Rio Abaixo, Est. Amb. Peti Cemig , 18–25.X.2002, A.F. Kumagai, 1♀ ( MZSP) ; Viçosa , 18.X.1992, G.A. R. Melo, 1♀ ( DZUP) ; Pará: Oriximiná, Porto Trombetas, Teófilo , transição, 1 o 47’3.5”S 56 o 34’50.1”W, 141 m, Malaise , 16– 26.XII.2006, L. Cezar & L. Penilo, 1♀ ( MZSP) ; Rio de Janeiro: Itatiaia , 700 m, 22. V.1932, J.F. Zikán, 1♀ ( FIOC) ; Nova Friburgo, Mury , XII.1975, Gred & Guimarães, 1♀ ( MZSP) ; Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Botânico , VII.1935, H.S. Lopes, 1♂ ( MNRJ) ; Santa Catarina: Nova Teutônia , 27º11’S 52º23’W, 300–500 m, 4.XI.1941, 8.V.1958, 25.VIII.1958, 17.II.1959, 12.IV.1959, 12.II.1960, 30.III.1960, 26.IV.1960, 31.III.1961, 2.III.1962, IV.1966, 23.II.1967, F. Plaumann, 11♀, 1♂ ( CNCI) ; Nova Teutônia , 28.I.1948, 20.IV.1948, 24.XII.1951, XII.1970, F. Plaumann, 4♀, 2♂ ( AEIC) ; Nova Teutônia , 10.X.1955, F. Plaumann, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Nova Teutônia , X.1957, XI.1969, F. Plaumann, 1♀, 1♂ ( DZUP) ; São Paulo: Barueri , 25.VIII.1955, K. Lenko, 1♀ ( MNRJ) ; Guatapará , I.1945, N. Carrera, 1♀ ( MZSP) ; Ribeirão Preto, Campus USP, 20.VIII.1998, 14.IX.1998, 10.X.1998, G.A. R. Melo, 3♀ ( DZUP) ; Rio Claro, FEENA, Malaise , 10.IX–01.X.2005, J. T. Dias, 2♀ ( MZSP) ; São Paulo, IBUSP, 28.XI.2007, 10.XII.2007, 10.II.2008, G.D. Cordeiro, 3♀ ( MZSP) ; COLOMBIA: Amazonas: San Martín, PNN Amacayacu, Mata Station Tierre Firme, Malaise , 11–12.III.2000, M. Sharkey, 1♀ ( HIC) ; San Martin, PNN Amacayacu, 3º46'S 70º18"W, 150 m, Malaise , 30. VI –8.VIII.2000, B. Amado, 1♀ ( IAVH) ; Arauca: Tame , 20– 27.VII.1967, M. Cooper, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; COSTA RICA: San José : San José, 1100–1200 m, VIII.1980, N.L.H. Krauss, 1♂ ( AMNH) ; GUATEMALA: Guatemala: 3 mi S Amatitian , 26.XI.1972, B. & C. Dasch, 1♀ ( AEIC) ; MEXICO: Quintana Roo: X-can, VIII.1963, E. Welling, 9♀, 4♂ ( CNCI) ; PERU: Ica: Chanchamayo , 8.VIII.1949, J.M. Schunke, 1♀ ( BMNH) ; Loreto: Avispas, nr. Marcapata , IX.1972, L.E. Pena, 1♀ ( AEIC) ; SURI- NAME: Paramaribo : 24–28.IV.1964, D.C. Geijskes, 1♀ ( AEIC) ; TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Morne Bleu , 7– 28.VIII.1969, H. & A. Howden, 1♀ ( AEIC) ; St. George, St. Augustine , 15.VII–13.VIII.1976, J.S. Noyes, 2♀ ( BMNH) ; VENEZUELA: Aragua: Rancho Grande, Portachuelo , 1100 m 13. VI.1981, F. Fernandez, 1♀ ( MIZA) ; 2 km N Ocumare de la Costa , 21–22. VI.1976, A.S. Menke & D. Vincent, 1♂ ( USNM) ; Bolívar: km 38, El Dorado, Santa Elena, 31.VIII.1957, F. Fernandez, 1♀ ( MIZA) ; Cojedes: El Pao. Higuerotal , 9º49'27"N 68º2'50"W, 376 m, 10–17.V.1995, 7–14.VI.1995, A. Alemán, 3♀ ( MIZA) ; Falcón: Cerro Galicia , 1500 m, 4.XII.1971, J. & B. Bechyne, 1♀ ( MIZA) .

Comments. The three female s yntypes of G. brachychaetum were not found and presumably were lost with part of Schrottky’s collection ( De Santis 1996; Rasmussen et al. 2009). The locality data cited by Schrottky (1906) in the description is PARAGUAY: Villa Encarnación, 30.I.1905, 6.II.1905, 8.II.1905. The main character in Schrottky’s description used to identify G. brachychaetum was the very short ovipositor.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Gasteruption brachychaetum. 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.