Trissolcus valkyria Johnson & Talamas, 2015

Talamas, Elijah J., Johnson, Norman F. & Buffington, Matthew, 2015, Key to Nearctic species of Trissolcus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), natural enemies of native and invasive stink bugs (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 43, pp. 45-110 : 81-83

Trissolcus valkyria Johnson & Talamas sp. n.

Figures 104-108

Description.

Female body length: 0.97-1.11 mm (n=6). Color of radicle: yellow; brown; pale brown. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Number of clypeal setae: 6. Facial striae: absent. Shape of gena in lateral view: receding posteriorly. Genal carina: extending dorsally from base of mandible. Macrosculpture of frons outside of antennal scrobe: absent; irregularly rugose. Orbital furrow: narrow to absent near malar sulcus. Hyperoccipital carina: absent. Preocellar pit: present.

Epomial carina: present. Netrion sulcus: complete. Mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: indicated by cells. Mesoscutal humeral sulcus: indicated by cells. Pattern of mesoscutal microsculpture: antero-posteriorly uniform. Macrosculpture of mesoscutum: coriacious. Area bounded by axillar crescent: smooth. Parapsidal line: absent. Notaulus: present. Median mesoscutal carina: absent; present. Median mesoscutal sulcus: absent.

Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of cells. Shape of episternal foveae: round; antero-posteriorly elongate. Number of episternal foveae: 3-5. Course of episternal foveae ventrally: abutting cells of postacetabular sulcus. Course of episternal foveae dorsally: extending dorsally to mesopleural pit. Sculpture of anterior mesepisternum: smooth or with shallowly impressed microscu lpture. Mesopleural epicoxal sulcus: comprised of cells. Mesopleural carina: complete. Speculum: transversely striate. Paracoxal sulcus in ventral half of metapleuron: absent or indistinguishable from sculpture. Anteroventral extension of metapleuron: short, not reaching mesocoxa. Line of pits along metapleural carina: present. Setation of metapleuron: present. Metapostnotum: invaginated near edge of metascutellum and separating metanoum from propodeum. Color of legs beyond coxae: yellow; femora brown, otherwise variably yellow to brown. Metasomal depression: punctate or crenulate dorsally.

Sublateral setae on T1: absent. Setation of laterotergite 1: absent. Sculpture of T2 posterior to antecostal sulcus: smooth or with very faintly impressed striation; distinctly striate posterior to basal costae.

Diagnosis.

Trissolcus valkyria is most similar to T. thyantae with which it shares a mesoscutellum without microsculpture and a narrow gena. Trissolcus valkyria may be separated T. thyantae and T. occiduus by the presence of a complete and well defined mesopleural carina. From T. occiduus it may also be separated by the narrow gena.

Etymology.

The epithet “valkyria” is Old Norse for "chooser of the slain" and refers to the female figures in Norse mythology that selected which soldiers would die in battle. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Link to distribution map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=344497]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: UNITED STATES: WI, Juneau Co., North Rynearson site, Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, 21.VI-11.VII.1996, flight intercept trap, R. H. Williams, OSUC 542457 (deposited in OSUC). Paratypes: UNITED STATES: 5 females, OSUC 405747, 76433 (OSUC); OSUC 144848-144849, 145646 (USNM).

Comments.

Trissolcus valkyria , was previously recognized by Johnson but remained undescribed due to a dearth of specimens. A small number of additional specimens are now known, providing in our opinion a sufficient basis for the description of this species.

Figures

Figures 104 - 108. 49 Trissolcus valkyria, female holotype (OSUC 542457) 104 head, mesosoma, metasoma, dorsal view 105 lateral habitus 106 head and mesosoma, lateral view 107 head and mesosoma, ventrolateral view 108 head, anterolateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.