Australosema verghetta Burks, 2017

Burks, Roger A., Heraty, John M., Mottern, Jason, Dominguez, Chrysalyn & Heacox, Scott, 2017, Biting the bullet: revisionary notes on the Oraseminae of the Old World (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Eucharitidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 55, pp. 139-188 : 148-149

Australosema verghetta Burks sp. n. Figs 7-12 , 13-14

Etymology.

Italian noun used in heraldry to refer to a line along the middle, referring to the longitudinal scutellar groove present in females.

Diagnosis.

Differs from other Australosema by the presence of a longitudinal median groove on the frenum of females, and similar to some of the included species, the frons is rugose-reticulate and the lower face smooth. The female also has F2 much narrower than F4, not longer than F3, with few longitudinal sensilla (Fig. 9 ). Males are very similar to those of A. valgius (Walker), but differ in having a mostly or entirely dark brown scape (Fig. 8 ), while that of A. valgius is almost entirely yellow.

Female.

Length 2.1-2.6 mm. Head and mesosoma metallic green to blue-green, metasoma brown with metallic green luster. Scape and pedicel dark brown; anellus pale brown; flagellum dark brown. Coxae metallic green basally, becoming brownish to yellowish apically, remainder of leg yellowish except femora mostly dark brown and with yellowish tips. Fore wing venation brown, setae dark. Gaster metallic green.

Head (Figs 8-9 ) 1.2-1.3 × as broad as high. Face mostly reticulate, smooth ventrally adjacent to mouthparts; vertex with weak carina posterior to ocellar triangle; scrobal depression narrow and impressed, without dorsal scrobal foveae; longitudinal furrow present amidst sculpture between torulus and eye; supraclypeal area and clypeus smooth and separated by only a very shallow depression, with short decumbent setae, supraclypeal area protruding, anteclypeus present. Labrum with 4 digits. Palpal formula 3:3. Flagellum 1.1-1.2 × height of head, with 7 funiculars, dark brown; anellus transverse; F2 1.7-2.3 × as long as broad, 0.7-1.0 × as long as F3, nearly parallel-sided and having few longitudinal sensilla (Fig. 9 , F2 ).

Mesosoma (Figs 10-12 ). Mesoscutum transversely rugose-reticulate, lateral lobe nearly smooth at posterior margin. Axilla rugose-reticulate and with longitudinal carinae that extend across the scutoscutellar suture; mesoscutellar disc rugose-reticulate except peripherally with many subparallel carinae; frenal line posteriorly carinate, frenum rugose-reticulate and with median longitudinal groove; axillular sulcus foveate, axillula with reticulate sculpture laterally, and with subparallel longitudinal carinae. Mesepisternum anterodorsally smooth and overlapping posterior lower margin of prepectus, posteroventral surface with horizontal shelf that is shorter than mesepimeron but swollen and smooth anterior to mesocoxa; upper and lower mesepimeron smooth, transepimeral sulcus foveate. Propodeal disc with a meandering median carina crossed by short transverse carinae, sublaterally smooth; callus smooth and with very short setae. Metacoxa basally rugose-reticulate, apically smooth. Fore wing 2.4-2.5 × as long as broad; costal cell ventrally setose in apical half; basal cell bare; speculum present; cubital fold setose ventrally posterior to basal cell but bare posterior to speculum; subcubital fold setose along speculum but bare posterior to basal cell; stigmal vein 1.5-2.0 × as long as broad, only slightly expanded at uncus; postmarginal vein about 5.0 × as long as stigmal vein. Hind wing costal cell setose in apical third, bare in basal two thirds.

Metasoma (Figs 11 , 13 ). Petiole 0.9-1.1 × as long as metacoxa, 2.4-3.1 × as long as broad, transversely rugose-reticulate and with a few short longitudinal wrinkle-like carinae; basally truncate with at most a weak basal flange. Antecostal sulcus of Gs1 smooth to finely sculptured laterally; acrosternite smooth. Cercus with 1 curved seta that is much longer than the others. Hypopygium with a few short setae and 1 longer posterolateral seta on each side (Fig. 13 , lhs). Ovipositor dorsal valve with 7-8 medially interrupted annuli; ventral valve with 4-5 weakly defined teeth, and with oblique subapical carina immediately basal to toothed apex (Fig. 13 , ocv).

Male.

Length 2.4-2.6 mm. Scape dark brown for most or all of its length (Fig. 14 ), yellowish in only a small basal area if at all; antennal flagellum densely covered with short decumbent setae, with longitudinal sensilla extending beyond funicular apices; F7 shorter than F6 and F8; entire antenna dark brown and scape with metallic luster. Frenum without longitudinal groove; axillula with reticulate sculpture and longitudinal carinae. Metatibia dark brown except at apices. Petiole 5.9-7.4 × as long as broad, 2.2-2.6 × as long as metacoxa, narrow at midlength, reticulate.

Material examined.

Holotype: Australia: SA: Mt. Barker , 511m, 35°04'00"S, 138°55'17"E, 22-23.i.1999, J. Heraty, Eucalyptus scrub [1♀, ANIC: UCRCENT00091308] . Paratypes: Australia: SA: Mt. Barker , 511m, 35°04'00"S, 138°55'17"E, 22-23.i.1999, J. Heraty, Eucalyptus scrub [14♂ 19♀, ANIC: UCRCENT00311977-81, UCRC: UCRCENT00091307, UCRCENT00091309, UCRCENT00311982-89, UCRC: UCRCENT00312042-59] .

Figures

Figures 7 - 12. Australosema verghetta. Paratype female: 7 habitus, lateral 8 head, anterior 9 antennae, dorsal 10 mesosoma, dorsal; 11 propodeum and petiole, dorsal 12 mesosoma, lateral. acs = antecostal sulcus; apc = anterior petiolar carina; axlg = axiullar groove; cal = callus; F = flagellomere; frg = frenal groove; lpr = lateral propodeal disc; not = notaulix; SSS = scutoscutellar sulcus; tsa = transscutal articulation.

Figures 13 - 14. Australosema verghetta. Paratype female: 13 ovipositor, lateral. Paratype male: 14 antenna, ventral. Fu = funicle; dv = dorsal valve; lhs = lateral hypopygial seta; ocv = oblique carina of ventral valvula; vv = ventral valve; vvlt = ventral valve lateral teeth.