Orasema tolteca Mann

Baker, Austin J. & Heraty, John M., 2020, The New World ant parasitoid genus Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), Zootaxa 4888 (1), pp. 1-84 : 40-43

Orasema tolteca Mann

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( Figs 19, 20)

Orasema tolteca Mann 1914: 183–184 .

Orasema tolteca ; Gahan 1940: 444–445. Redescription and identification key.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from O. castilloae by features given in the key.

Description. Female: Length 3.4–4.9 mm ( Fig. 20A). Color. Head and mesosoma range from black to dull green to bright iridescent green. Scape brown with strong iridescence; pedicel and anellus dark brown. Femora mostly dark brown with iridescence, yellow distally. Gaster green to dark brown with strong iridescence. Head ( Fig. 20B). HW:HH = 1.2–1.3; IOD:EH = 2.0–3.0; MS:EH = 1.1–1.7. Labrum with 4–8 digits. FL:HH = 1.2–1.6; F2L:F2W = 1.3–2.0, F2L:F3L = 0.9–1.3 ( Fig. 20D). Mesosoma ( Fig. 20C, F). ML:MH = 1.0–1.3. Axilla areolaterugose; axillular sulcus vaguely indicated by a longitudinal carina; axillula areolate. Propodeal disc areolate-reticulate ( Fig. 21G); callus reticulate. Prepectus weakly reticulate. Upper mesepimeron rugose-reticulate. HCL:HCW = 1.1–2.0; HFL:HFW = 5.4–7.0. FWL:FWW = 2.3–2.6, FWL:ML = 2.1–2.5. Metasoma. PTL:PTW = 1.4–2.5, PTL: HCL = 0.8–1.2, rugose-reticulate, ventral sulcus present with margins widely separated. Ovipositor with second (dorsal) valvula with 8–10 annuli that are broadly separated dorsally, the carinae weakly coalescing.

Male. Length 3.5–4.6 mm. HW:HH = 1.1–1.3. FL:HH = 2.1–2.6; F2L:F2W = 1.6–2.4 ( Fig. 20E). Femora mostly dark brown, yellow distally. PTL:PTW = 3.7–9.2, PTL:HCL = 1.5–2.5.

Planidium. Length 0.18 mm ( Fig. 19 A–C). Head with two pairs of dorsal cranial setae. Antenna, labial plates absent. Tergopleural line vaguely indicated. Tergites I and II separate. Tergites I, II, and III with dorsal setae. Tergites II and VI with lateral setae. Tergites I, III, V, and VII with ventral setae. Tergites IV–VII with posteriorly pointing ventral projections. Tergite IX with separated leaflike ventral plate. Caudal pad present; caudal cerci present, about as long as tergites X+XI+XII.

Orasema tolteca is the only species within the genus known to possess a tergopleural line, albeit vaguely indicated. The planidium of Orasemorpha didentata (Girault) is the only other known member of the subfamily Oraseminae to have a tergopleural line, which is more strongly indicated ( Heraty 2000, fig. 27).

Pupa ( Fig. 19D). Fits the general description for Oraseminae pupae provide by Heraty (1994), with three large tubercles along the dorsal margin of the petiole being the most diagnostic feature of the subfamily. This species has a dorsal longitudinal ridge on the gaster as well as incomplete dorsolateral ridges on the apical segments. It lacks distinct sublateral processes on the gaster as well as distinct tubercles on the mesosoma.

Hosts. Collected from nest of Pheidole hirtula Forel ( Mann 1914) .

Plant associates. Oviposits into bracts of Buddleia ( Loganiaceae ), Melanopodium ( Asteraceae ), Sphaeralcea ( Malvaceae ), Dalea ( Fabaceae ), and Lippia ( Verbenaceae ) ( Heraty 1990). Swept from Sphaeralcea angustifolia (Cav.) G. Don ( Malvaceae ), Eysenhardtia polystachya (Ortega) Sarg. ( Fabaceae ), Lantana ( Verbenaceae ), acaciacactus scrub.

Distribution ( Fig. 17). Mexico: AG, CH, CO, DF, DG, GT, JA, MO, NL, OA, PU, QT, SI, SL, TM, VE, ZA. Collected March–November.

Material examined. Syntypes. MEXICO. Hidalgo: San Miguel, 20 ° 54’36”N, 100 ° 44’24”W, W. M. Mann [3♀, deposited in USNM: UCRCENT00416732–33, UCRCENT00318645]. Larval slides. MEXICO. Oaxaca: 4.8 km SE Matalan, 2015m, 16°49’59”N, 96°21’36”W, 17.vii.1987, J. Heraty, oak scrub-Lantana, host plant: Lantana [5?, UCRC: UCRCENT00436245–48, UCRCENT00436250]. San Luis Potosi: 7.2 mi E San Luis Potosi, 22 ° 09’36”N, 100 ° 52’12”W, 3.vii.1987, J. Heraty, host plant: Sphaeralcea angustifolia [8?, UCRC: UCRCENT00436233–39, UCRCENT00436243]. Additional material examined. 93 specimens, see supplementary material.