Parastephanellus khogis Aguiar, 2005

Aguiar, Alexandre P. & Jennings, John T., 2005, First record of Stephanidae (Hymenoptera) from New Caledonia, with descriptions of four new species of Parastephanellus Enderlein, Zootaxa 1001 (1), pp. 1-16 : 6-7

Parastephanellus khogis Aguiar , NEW SPECIES ( Figs 1 , 16–22 )

Holotype male ( INHS), verbatim label data: “ New Caledonia, Prov. Sud, Mt. Khogis , 17 Km NNE Nouméa, Malaise across path in rainforest, el. 425m; 24/ 25 January 1996, MEIrwin, DWWebb, EISchlinger, 22º10´34” S, 166º 30´17” E ”. Scutellum destroyed by pin; otherwise complete, well preserved.

DESCRIPTION. Length 10.3 mm; morphometric ratios in Table 1. Head. Frons ( Fig. 16 ) finely transversely subareolate­rugulose, paraocular strigation distinct only narrowly along eye margin, frontal carina absent. Antenna with 23 flagellomeres, ventrally with large oval tyloids restricted to apical 0.5–0.7 of flagellomeres 3–6, occurring along entire length of remaining flagellomeres, except absent from last 4. Coronal area radially strongly strigate, except transverse near anterior tubercle. Vertex with nearly 35 transverse strigae counted centro­longitudinally, from anteriorly coarse to posteriorly fine, reaching occipital carina and extending to temple, on genal stripe; dorso­longitudinal impression very weak, (apparently absent). Gena smooth and polished, genal angle in dorsal view distinctly prominent.

Mesosoma. Prosternum laterally smooth, mesally obliquely strigate, apex also alutaceous. Pronotum ( Fig. 18 , partially) entirely transversely strigate, on ventral area fine, oblique to longitudinal; neck centrally concave and weakly sculptured; pronotal fold stout, its anterior margin weakly collapsed; semiannular latero­posteriorly with sparse punctures; posterior corner subapically with distinct patch of white pilosity. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 18 ) anterior margin (area over which semiannular slides) transversely alutaceous, main area strongly rugose approximately in concentric U­shaped pattern, with subfoveolae in between; median sulcus and notauli weakly distinct, formed by aligned foveolae mixed in between main sculpturing. Axilla ( Fig. 18 ) concentrically strongly strigate. Mesepisternum dorsally and on anterior 0.3 covered with dense white short pilosity, hairs centrally and posteriorly sparse; transversely rugose. Mesopseudosternum obliquely strigate, discrimen deep and strongly crenulate. Propodeum ( Fig. 20 ) densely transversely areolate rugose, from finely anteriorly to broadly posteriorly; parapetiolar fovea indistinct, its likely position indicated by a weakly sculptured and concave area next to spiracle. Spiracular groove and carina ( Fig. 19 ) subtly indicated by coalescence of areolae, barely reaching antero­lateral corner; both spiracular plates transversely alutaceous. Metapleuron laterally with very sparse long hairs and very broadly areolate, dorsally and ventrally smooth and polished. Interfoveolar and post­foveolar areas weakly but distinctly crenulate. Hind coxa transversely strigate; hind femur basal end microscopically alutaceous, remainder obliquely alutaceous­strigulose, this sculpturing about the same on all sides; ventrally with 4–5 small tubercles between base and median tooth; with 2 weak tubercles between femoral teeth and 3 apically to apical tooth. Hind tibia laterally very strongly and densely alutaceous, much finer than on femur, dull; posteriorly with distinct, sharply carinate compression.

Wings. Front wing ( Fig. 22 ) vein M+Cu with several setae along its entire length, from more spaced and more perpendicular to wing basally, to a group of apical 6 setae distant from each other by about their own length, last one inserted at point of connection with vein 1M; veins 2r and 2+3R slightly irregular or sinuous; vein 1Rs slightly curved towards wing base; vein 2Cua nearly entirely tubular, except very apex nebulous, apical 0.3 bent towards wing apex; vein 2+3M tubular, except apex shortly nebulous, ending clearly before reaching wing margin, but not far from it; pterostigma not elongate, about 5.0 times as long as greatest width, apex curvilineous ( Fig. 22 ).

Metasoma. Petiole transversely strigate, basally coarse, then fine, apical 0.1 smooth and polished; ventrally more weakly sculptured than dorsally, with apical 0.7 smooth and polished; T3 smooth and polished, except centrally with weak, inconspicuous alutaceous; T4–6 with extremely fine and dense transverse strigulation, producing a noticeable dull texture; T7–8 alutaceous. Male genitalia ( Fig. 21 ): paramere long, not deeply concave, apex somewhat expanded and flat, round; aedeagus long and narrow.

Color. Dark brown to black, except as follows. Scape, pedicel and flagellomeres 1–3 light brown, pedicel lightest, remainder of antenna dark brown. Mandibles, except apex, and clypeus, yellow. Face along eye margin with narrow yellow stripe from base of antenna to lateral tubercle ( Fig. 16 ); genal stripe pale yellow, reaching and crossing temple, then bent backwards and widened, ending at occipital carina ( Fig. 17 ). Semiannular hind dorsal margin golden yellow ( Fig. 18 ). Wing membrane slightly infuscate, more intense on basal half; veins brown ( Fig. 22 ). Basal half of coronal tubercles, area in between and around ocelli, and on vertex laterally, red brown ( Figs 16, 17 , in part). Fore and mid legs dark brown but distinctly more lightly so than pronotum and mesopleuron; fore tibia apical 0.1, mid tibia basal 0.2 and apical 0.1, and mid t1 basal half, pale yellow; hind leg dark brown, hind tibia basal 0.1 and hind t1–2 entirely, white.

Female. Unknown.

Comments. Parastephanellus khogis is similar to P. delicatus , but differs from this species, and from P. mouensis , in having the frons without traces of a centro­longitudinal carina (vs. carina weak but present), axillae strongly and concentrically strigate (vs. areolate and foveolate), vein 2+3M complete and entirely tubular (vs. apical 0.3–0.4 spectral or absent), vein 2Cua entirely tubular (vs. basal 0.2 tubular, apical 0.8 nebulous), a distinct vein uniting cells 1Cu and 1M ( Fig. 22 ) (vs. absent, cells touching), T3 polished in relation to T4 (vs. both dull), and hind t1–2 white (vs. brownish yellow). Further, it differs from P. mouensis by having the face on each side with a longitudinal yellow stripe (vs. unicolorous), pronotal fold straight and weakly collapsed (vs. emarginate and distinctly collapsed), and from P. delicatus by having T3 basally smooth (vs. with strong and straight longitudinal rugae). This species is named after Mount Khogis, the holotype locality ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution records for Stephanidae in New Caledonia.

FIGURES 16–22. P.khogis, male holotype. 16, head, frontal. 17, head, dorsal. 18, mesonotum and axillae, dorsal. 19, propodeum and metapleuron, right (mirrored). 20, propodeum, dorsal. 21, genitalia, dorsal. 22, right front wing. Figures 23–28, P. sarramea, male holotype. 23, head, frontal. 24, head, dorsal. 25, axillae, scutellum and base of propodeum, dorsal. 26, pronotum, dorsal. 27, genitalia, dorsal. 28, pterostigma of fore right wing, median and apical portion, dorsal. Scale: width of figure 16 equivalent to 1.5 mm, figs 17–18, 20–21, 27–28 at same scale; fig. 19 width = 1.1 mm; fig. 22 = 4.5 mm; figs 23–24 width = 2.5 mm; fig. 25 width = 2.0 mm; fig. 26 width = 1.0 mm.