Xyela fusca Blank, Kramp & Shinohara, 2017

Blank, Stephan M., Kramp, Katja & Shinohara, Akihiko, 2017, Xyela fusca spec. nov. from Japan elucidates East Asian – North American relationships of Xyela (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae), Zootaxa 4303 (1), pp. 103-121 : 110-111

Xyela fusca Blank, Kramp & Shinohara , spec. nov.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3AB6F6EC-4685-4C3D-A793-4FDCE7637C93

Description. Female. Color. Head black, sometimes brown spots on vertex posterior of eye, distal edge of clypeus pale brown, labrum and mandible pale brown to white, maxillary palp pale brown ( Fig. 3 C). Scape, pedicel and base of synantennomere 3 brown, synantennomere 3 mostly dark brown, filament brown ( Figs 3 A–3B). Thorax and abdomen dorsally dark brown to black, brown ventrally, lateral parts of preapical terga, distal sterna and valvifer 2 pale brown, membranous base of valvula 3 pale brown to white, valvula 3 dark brown to black ( Figs 1 D, 3A–3B, 3D). Legs pale brown. Wing membrane almost hyaline, veins and pterostigma very weakly infuscated.

Morphology. Fore wing 2.9–3.7 mm long, 2.80–3.10 times as long as ovipositor sheath, vein Rs+M 110–260 µm long, 2r-m meeting vein Rs (60–)130–230 µm proximal to furcation of Rs1 and Rs2. Synantennomere 3 440– 580 µm long, antennomere 4 110–140 µm long and 4.5–5.5 times as long as wide distally. Article 3 of maxillary palp 300–400 µm long, 1.35–1.60 times as long as scape and wider than synantennomere 3. OOL: POL = 1.60– 1.75(–1.90): 1. Ovipositor sheath 1.00– 1.20 mm long, ventral outline straight, valvula 3 1.40–1.60 times as long as valvifer 2 and 4.2–4.7 times as long as wide at its base ( Figs 1 D, 3D). Valvula 3 of ovipositor compressed, pale membranous area about as long along ventral edge as basal width of valvula 3, dorsal edge of valvula 3 sloping down to narrowly rounded tip, distally with sensilla field exposed and directed caudally, bearing 3 setae ( Fig. 3 E). Ovipositor laterally compressed, straight ( Fig. 3 F). Valvula 1 with aulax terminating preapically, without preapical tooth on dorsal edge, with ca 12 oblique narrow-spaced annuli in distal half, without serrulae ( Fig. 3 G). Valvula 2 with smooth dorsal edge, tapering in distal 10 %, evenly sclerotized, with scattered sensilla campaniformia over most of its length, without annuli. Posterior tibia 0.65–0.85 mm long, claws with feeble subapical tooth.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♀: “(Shikoku) Mt. Kamegamori [33.783°N 133.200°E] Ehime Pref. 6.VI.1981 Y. Seiyama leg.”; “DEI-GISHym 5219”; [red:] “ Holotype Xyela fusca sp.n. det. S.M. Blank 2016 ”, EUMJ . Paratypes: 37♀, same collection data, including specimens with numbers DEI-GISHym 5220–5233 and 30909–30911, EUMJ, NSMT, SDEI, USNM.

Etymology. The species name fusca , an adjective, was chosen to refer to the predominately infuscate head and mesonotum.

Host plant. Supposedly Pinus parviflora P. Siebold & Zuccarini (see Discussion).

Remarks. See Discussion for species differentiation.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Ovipositor sheaths and penis valves of the Xyela julii group (X. pumilae [A, G], X. tecta [B, H], X. variegata [C, I]), X. fusca (D; DEI-GISHym 5231, paratype), and the X. curva group (X. japonica [E, J], X. kamtshatica [F, K]. The scale bar in F applies to A – F. Labels in I – K: EX—excision on lower edge of valviceps; DL—distal lobe of valviceps; LL—lateral lamella; ML—medial lobe; PL—proximal lobe.

FIGURE 3. Xyela fusca. A – B) Female, dorsal and lateral views (DEI-GISHym 5219, holotype). The scale bar applies to both images A and B. C) Head, frontal view (5219, holotype). D) Ovipositor sheath, lateral (5228). E) Sensilla field at tip of valvula 3 (5231, SEM image of uncoated probe). F) Ovipositor (5222). G) Distal section of ovipositor (5228, phase contrast imaging).