Amisega sertaneja Lucena, 2021

Lucena, Daercio A. A., Almeida, Eduardo A. B. & Zanella, Fernando C. V., 2021, Amiseginae and Cleptinae from northeastern Brazil, with the description of four new species (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 81, pp. 57-85 : 57

Amisega sertaneja Lucena sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 5

Diagnosis.

Dorsum of head and mesosoma densely striate, with sparse punctures inserted among striae; propodeum with rugose marks, becoming irregularly striate posteriorly, posterior declivity with some sparse punctures; lateral pronotal pit sulci-form; scapal basin transversely cross-ridged; metasoma brown, without blue nor purple highlights; legs light brown; malar space 1.7 × MOD. This new species can be readily distinguished from other species occurring in northeastern Brazil, Amisega boyi Lucena, sp. nov., Amisega flavipes Kimsey, and A. similis Kimsey, based on densely striate vertex and mesosoma; rugose marks on propodeum; and lack of blue or purple highlights on the metasoma in both genders. Furthermore, A. sertaneja sp. nov. has the lateral pronotal pit shallow and sulci-form (pit well-marked in A. flavipes ), and concolorous light brown legs in both sexes (bicolored in A. similis , and dark brown in males of A. flavipes ). The extensive transverse striation on dorsum of head and mesosoma also resembles A. striata Kimsey (Costa Rica). However, A. sertaneja sp. nov. is readily distinguished from A. striata by its relatively shorter body (3.1 mm vs. 4 mm), lack of reddish highlights on the legs, brassy tints dorsally on the body, and the entirely dark brown scape (paler ventrally in A. striata ).

Description.

Holotype, male. Body length: 3.1 mm (Fig. 4A ).

Head: 1.2 × higher than broad; toruli barely separated, inner margins slightly produced, forming a short lamellar projection (Fig. 4E ); scape long, cylindrical, slightly wider basally, 3.6 × longer than its maximum width; F1 length 3.1 × breadth, 1.3 × longer than F2, F2 1.3 × longer than F3; F4 slightly shorter than F3, F5-F10 subequal, progressively shorter; lower margin of clypeus evenly round; subantennal distance 0.4 × MOD; malar space 1.7 × MOD; OL 1.2 × POL, 7 × OOL; inner ocular margin convergent submedially, LID 1.1 × scape length; eye height 1.4 × breadth.

Mesosoma: anterior declivity of pronotum with shallow medial pit, lateral pit near pronotal lobe sulci-form, lobe slightly separated from tegula (Fig. 4C ); scutum notaulus barely distinguishable, impressed only basally; parapsidal line deeply impressed; M with first abscissa gently curved submedially, diverging at 1cu-a (e.g., Fig. 5F ); Rs very short, spectral trace gently curved towards costal wing margin; dorsal surface of propodeum posteriorly limited by discrete transverse groove (Fig. 4I ).

Metasoma: lateral margins of T1-T3 sharp, but not carinate (Fig. 4H ); first metasomal segment with discrete ventral keel; posterior margin of S1 concave, posterior margins of S2-S4 nearly straight.

Coloration: head dark blue, with greenish highlights on frons, scapal basin, and gena; eye, antenna, and mouthparts light brown; distal flagellomeres light brown; mesosoma mainly dark blue, with greenish highlights dorsally; mesopleuron with ventral light brown tint, posterior margin with dark brown stripe; metapleuron-propodeum dark brown with marginal bluish highlights; tegula light brown; wing membrane light fuscous, veins brown; legs brown, darker on metacoxa; metasoma entirely brown (Fig. 4B ).

Sculpturing: frons and vertex heavily striate (Fig. 4G ), with sparse punctures inserted among striae; scapal basin densely cross-ridged; gena punctate; clypeus with small punctures on disc, impunctate marginally; scape densely punctulate dorsally, sparser ventrally, with medial polished stripe; dorsum of pronotum, scutum and scutellum densely striate (Fig. 4D, F ), with sparse punctures inserted among striae; lateral pronotum with sparse punctures; disc of propleuron impunctate, marginal border with sparse punctures; mesopleuron contiguously punctate, with broad impunctate stripe along posterior margin; disc of metanotum punctate; outer surface of profemur with sparse punctures; dorsum of propodeum with lateral rugose marks (Fig. 4I ), becoming irregularly striate marginally, posterior declivity with some sparse punctures; anterior border of T1 and most of laterotergite impunctate and polished, with marginal punctate stripe running from dorsum until dorsoposterior corner of laterotergite; T2-T4, including laterotergites, densely punctate, except by posterior impunctate stripes; S2-S4 densely punctate.

Vestiture: short sparse pale setation on vertex, gena, and frons, with relatively longer and denser setation on lateral border of face and occiput; mandible, clypeus and labrum with distinct long gold setation; antenna with very short, decumbent, pale setation; eye with sparse microtrichia; dorsum of mesosoma with short sparse light brown setation; lateral pronotum, posterior border of mesopleuron, dorsum of propodeum, and metapleuron-propodeum, glabrous; wing membrane entirely setose; outer surface of metatibia, and pro- and metafemora, with long dark setae; venter of tarsomeres with abundant irregularly-sized spines; T1-T2 mostly glabrous, except for sparse short setae placed marginally; T3-T5 with marginal stripe of long dense dark setae; S2-S5 abundantly setose.

Female (Fig. 5 ). Same as male, except: scape 4.4 × longer than its maximum width; F1 length 3.3 × breadth, 1.7 × longer than F2; LID 0.85 × as long as scape; transverse groove on dorsal surface of propodeum barely marked; metasoma dark brown becoming lighter ventrally; T2 with broad impunctate marginal area (Fig. 5C ); and denser punctation among striae on dorsum of mesosoma (Fig. 5D, E ).

Material examined.

Holotype: Brazil • ♂; Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró, "Faz. Sta. Júlia” [Fazenda Santa Júlia], Malaise 1, caatinga; 05°1'10"S, 37°22'56"W; 14.iv.2008; Fernandes, DRR & cols; RPSP • 9 paratypes same data as holotype (2♂ 1♀ RPSP; 1♂ 1♀ UNILA; 2♂ DZUP; 1♂ 1♀ MZSP) • 3 paratypes, same data as holotype, but collected in 06.iii.2007 (1♀ RPSP; 1♀ 1♂ BME) • 3♂ 1♀ paratypes; Paraíba, Santa Teresinha, Fazenda Tamanduá, Ciliar A 1; 05.iv.2010; Messias KDVS leg.; UNILA • 13 paratypes, same data as preceding, except: Reserva B 3; 01.iii.2010; 1♂ UFMG; Reserva B 1; 01.ii.2010; 1♂ UFMG; Reserva 2; 08.iii.2010; 1♂ MPEG 1♂ UFES 1♂ UFPB; Reserva 3; 07.vi.2010; 1♂ INPA; Reserva A 3; 21.iii.2010; 2♀ INPA 2♀ UFPB; Reserva B 3; 18.i.2010; 1♀ UFES; Reserva B 2; 17.v.2010; 1♀ MPEG; Ciliar; 12.vii.2010; Silva JKS leg.; 1♀ DZUP.

Distribution.

Brazil, PB: Santa Teresinha; RN: Mossoró.

Comments.

The holotype is missing F10-F11. This species is only known from localities in the core zone of the Caatinga dry region. It is sympatric with A. boyi Lucena, sp. nov. in Mossoró-RN, which suggests both species are endemic to Caatinga. All specimens of both new species were collected between January to May, which is the period of most intense rainfall in the region.

Variation.

Body size: 2.8-3.0 mm; F1 length 2.6-3.3 × breadth.

Etymology.

The name is a Brazilian gentilic adjective for person living in the semiarid region.

Host.

Unknown.

Figures

Figure 4. Amisega sertaneja Lucena, sp. nov., holotype, male A lateral habitus B metasoma, dorsal view C head and mesosoma, lateral view D dorsal habitus E head, frontal view F head and mesosoma, dorsal view G head, dorsal view H metasoma, lateral view I propodeum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 1 mm (A, D), 0.5 mm (F, G), 0.2 mm (B, C, E, H, I).

Figure 5. Amisega sertaneja Lucena, sp. nov., paratype, female A lateral habitus B head, frontal view C metasoma, dorsal view D head and mesosoma, dorsal view E dorsal habitus F forewing G inner margin of metabasitarsus. Scale bars: 1 mm (A), 0.5 mm (C, E, F), 0.2 mm (B, G).