Platygaster multicostata, Buhl, 2016

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2016, New European species of Platygastrinae, with an updated list of Latvian species of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), Latvijas Entomologs 53, pp. 3-13 : 3-4

Platygaster multicostata sp. nov. ( Figs 1-4 )

Holotype ♀ MZH: Finland, Satakunta region, Huittinen (6799:266), 30.05.1993, Martti Koponen .

D e r i v a t i o n o m i n i s: The name refers to the many distinct costae between the two large carinae on T1.

D i a g n o s i s: Head 2.15 times as wide as long; occiput with fine oblique striation; female A4-A6 combined distinctly longer than A7-A8 combined; A9 1.2 times as long as wide; notauli complete; female metasoma 1.2 times as long as rest of body, T1 with two strong and six short carinae, T2 striated to 0.45 of length, medially shorter, T6 as long as wide.

Description: ♀. Body length 1.5 mm. Black; antennae, mandibles, tegulae and legs dark brown; most of fore legs, base of mid and hind tibiae, and segments 1-4 of all tarsi lighter brown. Head from above ( Fig. 1 ) 2.15 times as wide as long, 1.1 times as wide as mesosoma; occiput with very fine oblique striae which medially meet in an acute angle pointed forwards, striation obscured by fine reticulate-coriaceous sculpture which becomes dominant towards sides; hyperoccipital carina absent but occiput antero-medially with a few weak transverse carinae behind ocellar area; vertex finely reticulate-coriaceous (not transversely so); frons finely but distinctly transversely striated, towards upper sides mixed with reticulation, with a smooth longitudinal medial impression. OOL = 1.15 LOL. Eyes bare. Head in frontal view 1.2 times as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 2 ) with A1 0.8 times as long as height of head, hardly noticeable shorter than distance between inner orbits; A9 1.2 times as long as wide. Mesosoma 1.4 times as long as wide, 1.1 times as high as wide. Sides of pronotum dull reticulate-coriaceous (not longitudinally so), smooth in about lower half and along wide hind margin. Mesoscutum with very sparse, scattered setae, distinctly and almost uniformly reticulate-coriaceous (a few longitudinal elements postero-medially, and lateral lobes smoother just inside tegulae); notauli strong and complete, smooth; mid lobe ending in a fine point which nearly reaches base of scutellum, at each side with only about three inconspicuous setae over scuto-scutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth except for a few weak wrinkles just below tegulae. Scutellum ( Fig. 3 ) evenly convex, above level of mesoscutum, with only few setae, most of them laterally, distinctly reticulate-coriaceous, along middle with longitudinal elements. Metapleuron dull, with moderately dense, adpressed pilosity almost all over. Propodeal carinae short, parallel; area between them transverse, smooth and shiny. Fore wing 0.8 times as long as entire body, overreaching metasoma by a distance equal to length of T6, 2.3 times as long as wide, faintly yellowish, in apical 0.55 with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia very short. Hind wing 4.7 times as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia 0.15 width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 4 ) 1.2 times as long as head and mesosoma combined, as wide as mesosoma. T1 with two strong longitudinal carinae over entire length, between them in anterior half with about six distinct longitudinal costae. T2 striated in basal foveae to 0.45 length of tergite, medially to about one-third, rest smooth. T3-T6 smooth, with setae inserted in shallow punctures (about 6 on T3, 10 on T4, 8 on each of T5- T6). T6 as long as wide.

D i ff e r e n t i a l d i a g n o s i s: This new species differs from P. singularis BUHL, 2006 in having longer basal flagellar segments and in sculpture of head and T1. P. multicostata differs from P. sagana WALKER, 1835 in having wider and more striated head, from P. borealis BUHL, 1998 in having more slender antennae, smoother mesosoma, more sculptured T1, and more pointed metasoma. P. multicostata differs from P. eriphyle WALKER, 1835 in sculpture of head and in having more slender antennae.

Figures

Figures 1-4. Platygaster multicostata sp. nov. holotype female. 1 – head from above; 2 – antenna; 3 – scutellum and propodeum in lateral view; 4 – metasoma from above.