Noumeasega Kimsey, 2014

Kimsey, Lynn S., 2014, Description of a new chrysidid genus from New Caledonia (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae, Amiseginae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 38, pp. 19-36 : 21-22

Noumeasega Kimsey gen. n.

Diagnosis.

Females of Noumeasega species most closely resemble those of Atoposega and less so Mahinda based on the acute or spine-like propodeal angles and forewing with an arcuate Rs vein ( Figs 2, 3 ). Male Noumeasega resemble male Mahinda , but differ in having the posterior propodeal declivity with an ovoid enclosure, which is absent in Mahinda . Both sexes differ from those of Atoposega in having the hindcoxa with a single longitudinal carina (two in Atoposega ), the mesopleuron lacking an omaulus or the omaulus represented by a simple carina or line along the edge of punctation separating the lateral from the ventral mesopleural surfaces ( Figs 4, 5 ) versus a well-developed and ladder-like omaulus in Atoposega ( Fig. 2 ); mesopleuron with parallel-sided posteromedial groove ( Figs 6, 7 ), which is dorsally carinate and U-shaped in Atoposega ( Fig. 5 ). Noumeasega can be distinguished from other amisegine genera by these characters and by the dentate tarsal claws, malar space with a vertical sulcus, female propodeum with acute or spine-like lateral angle, frons without transverse carina, vertex without longitudinal welt, pronotum with medial longitudinal pit and short sulcus and pit adjacent to lateral posterior lobe, mesopleuron without scrobal sulcus, metanotal dorsal enclosure usually V-shaped, and propodeum with two dorsomedial decumbent teeth, and propodeal declivity smooth and impunctate, with longitudinal medial carina.

Description.

Body length. 3-7 mm.

Head. Occipital carina present only dorsally; eyes with tiny sparse setulae; eye not encircled by carina; scapal basin flattened, narrow and cross-ridged; malar space with vertical groove; female flagellum short, fusiform and flattened on one surface, intermediate flagellomeres broader than long; male flagellomeres cylindrical, more than 3 × as long as broad.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with posteromedial groove and deep pit before lateral lobe; scutum with notauli present, sometimes obscured by sculpturing, without parapsides; mesopleuron evenly punctate; omaulus faint, indicated by simple carina or forming edge separating lateral from ventral surfaces; scrobal sulcus absent; metanotum elongate, subequal in length to scutellum, with triangular medial enclosure (except in neo caledonica); propodeum dorsal surface bending abruptly to posterior declivity, lateral angles long and spike-like; hindcoxa with single dorsobasal carina; tarsal claw with large medial tooth; female fully winged; forewing medial vein arising at or more often before cu-a, Rs extended at abrupt angle by dark streak in females; wings densely setose and often banded.

Metasoma. Terga highly polished with tiny widely scattered punctures (females) or denser, evenly dispersed punctures (males); sternum I produced into large basal keel.

Type species.

Noumeasega kaoriensis Kimsey, sp. n.

Etymology.

Noumea - the capital city of New Caledonia; sega - the name ending of most amisegine genera.

Distribution.

Noumeasega species are only known from New Caledonia ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks.

Sex associations are not easy to make in the subfamily Amiseginae . Females are often wingless and ant-like, with fully winged males. Even in winged forms males and females are generally structurally quite different, with different wing venation, punctation, antennal dimensions, thoracic and leg modifications, and coloration. In the New Caledonian Noumeasega sex associations are possible for two reasons. First, there is only one generic entity on the island. Thus the males and females are congeneric. Second it is possible to associate males and females in some of the species based on peculiarities of coloration, size and/or geography.

Key to the species of Noumeasega

1	Four external metasomal terga; antennal segments II-IX less than twice as long as broad; mandible apically simple, with acute apex; females	2
-	Five external metasomal terga; antennal segments II-IX more than twice as long as broad; mandible apically bidentate; males	5
2	Forewing with light and dark bands; propodeal angle elongate, spine-like	3
-	Forewing evenly brown tinted or untinted; propodeal angle forming short acute angle or tooth	4
3	Head, mesosoma and metasoma bright metallic blue, metasomal tergum II with large white sublateral spot; flagellum concolorous, pale orange to yellow; femora medially blue ( Fig. 13 )	Noumeasega decorata (Kimsey)
-	Head, mesosoma and metasoma black, often with coppery or metallic green highlights; metasomal tergum II without white spot; flagellum bicolored with medial articles dark brown, apical and basal segments whitish; femora medially red ( Fig. 14 )	Noumeasega bicolorata Kimsey, sp. n.
4	Flagellomere I 3 × as long as broad; malar space more than 3.5 midocellus diameters long; hindocellus separated from eye margin by 0.3-0.5 hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 32 )	Noumeasega kaoriensis Kimsey, sp. n.
-	Flagellomere I less than 3 × as long as broad; malar space less than 3 midocellus diameters long; hindocellus nearly touching eye margin, by less than 0.3 hindocellar diameter ( Fig. 30 )	Noumeasega neocaledonica Kimsey, sp. n.
5	Antenna as long or longer than body; flagellomere I more than 4 × as long as broad; flagellomere II more than 3 × as long as broad	6
-	Antenna shorter than body; flagellomere I less than 3.5 × as long as broad; flagellomere II less than 2.5 × as long as broad	7
6	Head and thoracic dorsum black with metallic blue highlights ( Fig. 12 ); malar space less than 2.5 midocellus diameters; flagellomere IX less than 5.5 × as long as broad ( Fig. 20 )	Noumeasega kaoriensis Kimsey, sp. n.
-	Head and mesosoma metallic blue ( Fig. 10 ); malar space more than 2.5 midocellus diameters long; flagellomere IX 6-7 × as long as broad ( Fig. 19 )	Noumeasega decorata Kimsey
7	Clypeus and flagellum dark brown to black; body length 2.5-3.0 mm; least interocular distance more than 0.5 × facial length in front view ( Fig. 17 )	Noumeasega bicolorata Kimsey, sp. n.
-	Clypeus and flagellum red; body length 4-5 mm; least interocular distance less than 0.5 × facial length in front view ( Fig. 21 )	Noumeasega neocaledonica Kimsey, sp. n.

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution map of Noumeasega species.

Figures 2 - 7. 2 - 4 Lateral view of body 5 - 7 Ventral view of mesopleuron and midcoxae.

Figures 12 - 15. Lateral view of female Noumeasega.

Figures 25 - 32. Noumeasega, dorsal view of head a = midocellar eye distance b = hindocellar eye distance c = postocular distance m = males f = females.

Figures 16 - 24. Noumeasega. Front view of face. 16 - 20 Males, with flagellomeres II-IX or III-IX removed 21 - 24 Females.

Figures 8 - 11. Lateral view of male Noumeasega.