Paridris psydrax Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2012, Paridris Kieffer of the New World (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 233, pp. 31-90 : 70-72

Paridris psydrax Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 567-7080 Morphbank45

Description.

Female body length: 1.63-2.15 mm (n=5). Male body length: 1.79-1.93 mm (n=4).

Number of basiconic sensilla on A8: 1.

Color of head: brown; black; reddish brown. Distal margin of clypeus: serrate. Width of clypeus: wider than interantennal process. Lateral corner of clypeus: projecting into acute angle. Development of interantennal process ventrally: not reaching clypeus. Number of mandibular teeth: two; one. Length of mediofacial striae: not extending above midpoint of eye. Shape of gena in dorsal view: not receding or slightly bulging directly behind compound eye. Striae on gena: pronounced. Length of striae on gena: extending above ventral margin of eye. Form of microsculpture on head: pustulate. Distribution of microsculpture on head: present throughout dorsal head. Length of OOL: greater than 2 ocellar diameters. Occipital carina above foramen magnum: absent. Anterior margin of occipital carina: rounded. Setation of postgena: sparse. Ventral extent of occipital carina: extending to base of mandible.

Color of mesosoma: brown; black. Dorsal half of pronotal cervical sulcus: present as line of small to minute cells. Ventral half of pronotal cervical sulcus: present as line of small to minute cells. Transverse pronotal carina: present in posterior half of pronotum. Shape of pronotal shoulder in dorsal view: narrow and striplike. Form of pronotal suprahumeral sulcus: areolate; punctate rugulose. Macrosculpture of anterior medial mesoscutum: absent. Density of punctation on anterior medial mesoscutum: sparse. Reticulate microfissures on anterior half of medial mesoscutum: absent. Pustulate microsculpture on anterior mesoscutum: present. Density of punctation on posterior medial mesoscutum: sparse. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a line of punctures. Orientation of notauli: converging posteriorly. Shape of notaulus at posterior apex: ovoid. Macrosculpture of mesoscutellum: punctate rugose along margins, smooth medially. Postacetabular sulcus: crenulate. Mesopleural carina: present, complete. Punctures on posterodorsal mesepimeral area: absent. Sculpture of mesopleuron anteroventral to femoral depression: finely punctate. Sculpture of posterior mesepimeral area: smooth. Form of metascutellum in female: obscured by horn of T1. Form of metascutellum in male: transverse punctate rugulose lamella, posterior margin approximately straight. Paracoxal and metapleural sulci: separate. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex. Setation between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: absent. Sculpture between metapleural triangle and metapleural sulcus: faintly rugulose. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Anterior propodeal projection: absent. Setation of metasomal depression: absent. Lateral propodeal area: raised above plical area and indicated by sparser setation. Plical carina: present. Shape of lateral propodeal area: continuous with prespiracular propodeal area. Sculpture of lateral propodeal area: punctate rugulose.

Color of metasoma: brown; reddish brown; yellowish brown. Macrosculpture of T1: rugose reticulate. Interstitial sculpture of T1: finely rugulose. Adornment of horn on T1 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: reticulate rugose throughout; reticulate; longitudinally strigose throughout. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally strigose; weakly reticulate rugose. Microsculpture on T2: present. Setal patch of lateral T2: present throughout lateral surface of tergite. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: weakly convex. Carina along posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 in male: present. Carina along posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2 in female: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Macrosculpture of T3 medially in female: absent; reticulate. Macrosculpture of T3 laterally in female: absent; longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of T3 medially in male: absent. Macrosculpture of T3 laterally in male: weakly longitudinally striate; absent. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Macrosculpture of T4 medially in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T4 laterally in female: absent; longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: absent. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Constriction of apical T6 in female: present. Punctation of T6 in female: densely and finely punctate throughout; sparse along longitudinal midline and anterior margin, dense and fine laterally. Form of S2 felt field: longitudinal row or patch of setigerous punctures. Macrosculpture of S2 medially: crenulate. Macrosculpture of S3: absent.

Wing development: macropterous. Basal vein in hind wing: spectral. Setation of hind wing: reduced anad of submarginal vein. Length of postmarginalis: approximately half of length of stigmalis. RS+M in fore wing: spectral.

Diagnosis.

Paridris psydrax is a distinct species that is superficially similar to Paridris pallipes and Paridris gongylos in the dense microsculpture of the head and mesosoma. Females of Paridris psydrax may be identified by the large horn that obscures the metascutellum and the presence of a carina that posteriorly borders the transverse sulcus of T2. Males are best identified by the spherical shape of the antennal flagellomeres, the transverse carina on T2, and the presence of microsculpture on the head and mesosoma.

Etymology.

The Greek epithet psydrax, meaning “blister”, is given to the species for the pustulate microsculpture of the head and mesosoma. The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Link to distribution map.

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Material examined.

Holotype, female: ARGENTINA: Formosa Prov., 50km NW Clorinda, herbaceous vegetation, 90-121, Río Pilcomayo National Park, 19.XII.1990, sweeping, S. Peck & J. Peck, OSUC 181374 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: (7 females, 5 males) MEXICO: 1 male, OSUC 218772 (INHS). PARAGUAY: 3 females, OSUC 334217, 404962-404963 (OSUC). UNITED STATES: 3 females, 4 males, OSUC 181273-181274, 181276-181278 (CNCI); OSUC 181275 (LACM); OSUC 436207 (USNM). VENEZUELA: 1 female, OSUC 181378 (CNCI).