Orasema mutata, Baker & Heraty, 2020

Baker, Austin J. & Heraty, John M., 2020, The New World ant parasitoid genus Orasema (Hymenoptera: Eucharitidae), Zootaxa 4888 (1), pp. 1-84 : 77

Orasema mutata n. sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B9E5D322-B7E5-4B89-AFF6-7EA9D619D4EA

( Fig. 42)

Diagnosis. This is the only known species of Orasema with 6 antennal funiculars ( Fig. 42D, E) and males without a stigmal vein. Additionally, the following combination of characters are diagnostic: scutoscutellar sulcus crossed by large carinae ( Fig. 42F), curvature of the mesoscutal lateral lobes discontinuous with the midlobe from dorsal view ( Fig. 42F), and male clava reduced to a single minute segment ( Fig. 42E).

Description. Female. Length 2.1–2.2 mm ( Fig. 42A). Color. Head and mesosoma dark brown with blue-purple iridescence. Scape yellow; pedicel and anellus pale brown; flagellum brown. Mandible brown with dark tips; maxilla and labium brown. Coxae brown with iridescence; femora mostly brown, tips pale; tibiae yellow. Fore wing hyaline; venation pale brown. Petiole same as mesosoma; gaster brown. Head ( Fig. 42B). Head in frontal view subcircular; HW:HH = 1.2–1.3; face rugose; scrobal depression shallow, laterally rounded, with transverse striae; longitudinal groove between eye and torulus absent; eyes bare, IOD:EH = 1.5–1.6; MS:EH = 0.7–0.8; malar depression absent; supraclypeal area about as long as broad, shorter than clypeus, weakly sculptured; clypeus weakly sculptured; epistomal sulcus distinct; anterior tentorial pit strongly impressed; anteclypeus distinct, broadly rounded. Labrum with 5 digits. Left mandible with 3 teeth, right mandible not observed; palpal formula 3:2. Occiput imbricate, emarginate in dorsal view, dorsal margin abrupt; temples present, rounded. Scape not reaching median ocellus. Pedicel globose, broader than F1. Flagellum with 6 funiculars; FL:HH = 1.2–1.3; anellus disc-shaped; F2L:F2W = 2.0, F2L:F3L = 1.0; following funiculars subequal in length, equal in width; clava subconical ( Fig. 42D). Mesosoma ( Fig. 42C, F). ML:MH = 1.3–1.4. Mesoscutal midlobe coarsely rugose-areolate, sparsely setose; lateral lobe transversely costate; notauli deep. Axilla areolate, dorsally rounded, on roughly same plane as mesoscutellum; scutoscutellar sulcus broad, crossed by carinae that extend into the axillar and scutellar sculpture, narrowly separated from transscutal articulation; mesoscutellar disc as long as broad, areolate; frenal line present as strong carina; frenum areolate; axillular sulcus indistinct; axillula rugose. Propodeal disc flat, without depression or carina, rugose-areolate ( Fig. 42G); callus nearly smooth, with several long setae. Propleuron convex, nearly smooth. Prepectus evenly triangular, weakly reticulate dorsally, rugose ventrally. Mesepisternum rugose-areolate laterally, smooth ventrally, broadly rounded anterior to mid coxa; postpectal carina weak. Upper mesepimeron smooth; lower mesepimeron rugose; transepimeral sulcus weakly impressed. Metepisternum laterally nearly smooth. HCL:HCW = 2.3, weakly rugose-reticulate; HFL:HFW = 6.7–6.8, weakly setose. FWL:FWW = 2.3–2.4, FWL:ML = 2.3–2.4; basal area bare, speculum, costal cell, and wing disc densely setose; marginal fringe relatively long; submarginal vein setose; marginal vein setose; stigmal vein 1.5–2.0 as long as broad, slightly angled toward wing apex; postmarginal vein several times longer than stigmal vein. Hind wing costal cell with a broad bare area medially. Metasoma. Petiole cylindrical, linear in profile, PTL:PTW = 3.8–3.9, PTL:HCL = 1.3–1.4, rugose, lateral margin rounded, ventral sulcus absent. Antecostal sulcus smooth; acrosternite posteriorly angulate; apical setae of hypopygium with one pair of long setae. Ovipositor strongly curved cephalad; subapical carina present; first (ventral) valvula with 6–8 small, narrowly separated teeth, second (dorsal) valvula with 8–10 annuli that are broadly separated dorsally by smooth area.

Male. Length 2.1–2.2 mm. HW:HH = 1.3–1.4; scape yellow; flagellum with 6 funiculars, FL:HH = 1.4–1.5; anellus disc-shaped; F2L:F2W = 2.7–2.8 ( Fig. 42E). Fore wing lacking stigmal vein. Fore and mid femora yellow, hind femur pale brown with yellow tips; tibiae yellow. PTL:PTW = 9.0, PTL:HCL = 2.1–2.2.

Hosts. Unknown.

Plant associates. Unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 38). Costa Rica: AL, LI. Specimens collected in April and October (2 specimens).

Material examined. Holotype. COSTA RICA. Limón: Sector Cerro Cocori , Fca. de E. Rojas, 150m, 10°35’34”N, 83°42’52”W, x.1991, E. Rojas [♀, deposited in INBIO: INBIOCRI00462110] . Paratype. COSTA RICA. Alajuela: San Carlos, P.N. Arenal, Sendero Pilón , 650m, 10 ° 39’0”N, 84 ° 21’0”W, 5.iii-20.iv.2001, G. Carballo, malaise, #62074 [1³, INBIO: INB03983200] .

Etymology. From Latin muta meaning “change” in reference to the mutated-looking antennae.

Discussion. This species was at first not going to be described because we believed that it was either a common species with a mutated antenna or a single strange specimen, but once we found a matching male and female from similar localities collected a decade apart, we realized that this likely represents a distinct species.