Striastigmus bicoloratus Rasplus, Boehmova & Jansta, 2022

Boehmova, Julie, Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Taylor, Gary S. & Jansta, Petr, 2022, Description of two new Australian genera of Megastigmidae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) with notes on the biology of the genus Bortesia, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90, pp. 75-99 : 75

Striastigmus bicoloratus Rasplus, Boehmova & Jansta sp. nov.

Fig. 1A-G

Material examined.

Holotype: Australia • ♀; Queensland, Wooroonooran NP, Palmerston section; 17.5896°S, 145.7042°E; 26 Nov. 2018; Cruaud A., Rasplus J.-Y. leg.; deposited in QMB (JRAS08291_0201).

Etymology.

Species name refers to the bicolored petiole, mesoscutellum, metanotum and legs, as well as the bicolored setae on head and mesosoma.

Diagnosis.

Same as for the genus.

Description.

Female. Holotype. Body length excluding ovipositor 2.65 mm; length of ovipositor 1.30 mm. Color: Head, pronotum and mesonotum brown with upper face dorsally, lower face, vertex, lateral panel of pronotum, mesonotum distally, and lower mesepisternum dark brown to black. Axilla, foveate-septated line between axillae and mesoscutellum, frenum, lateral panel of metanotum, metapleuron and propodeum black to very dark brown. Mesoscutellum except frenum and marginal rim of mesoscutellum bright yellow. Axillula, metapleuron distally and adpetiolar stripe brownish. Antenna bright brown. Hind coxa and all femora and tibiae mostly black. Fore- and midtibiae apically, tibial spurs and tarsi pale yellow to white. Wings slightly infuscated with venation bright brown. Petiole bicolored, black in proximal part and pale yellow distally. Rest of metasoma and ovipositor sheath black except brown distal-most part of gaster and base of ovipositor sheath. Ovipositor stylet brown.

Head. Vertex and entire face with concentric striated sculpture except almost smooth scrobes and clypeus coriaceous medially; genae and temples smooth. Head circular frontally, 1.00 × as broad as high; 1.44 × as broad as long; 1.21 × as broad as mesonotum at its widest part in dorsal view (Fig. 1C, D ). Temples relatively long, 0.31 × as long as eye (Fig. 1C ). Eyes separated by 0.61 × their own height; eye 1.60 × as high as long. Scrobes shallow, in shape of elongated narrow triangle, its dorsal edge not reaching median ocellus; interantennal process inconspicuous, not reaching above dorsal edge of toruli. Vertex and upper face with sparse long black setation except a row of shorter bright brown to white setae along each side of scrobal cavity. Lower face striated, with short white setae except two setae on clypeus and two on lower face lateral to clypeus being about 2.00 × longer than white ones, longer setae bright brown (Fig. 1D ). Clypeus bilobed ventrally. Malar space 0.45 × as long as breadth of oral fossa and 0.42 × as long as eye height. Ocelli with POL 1.50 × as long as OOL, OOL 1.25 × as long as POD. Occipital carina distinct, with its dorsal margin on top of head; setation on occiput short and bright. Both mandibles with three teeth. Antenna (Fig. 1F ) inserted very low on face, lower margin of toruli at level of lower eye margin. Scape short, reaching at most dorsal margin of scrobes, 5.00 × as long as broad. Pedicel 2.20 × as long as broad. Combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.37 × as long as breadth of head. Anellus slightly transverse to quadrate, its breadth slightly narrower than F1 breadth. Relative length/breadth (ratio) of funiculars as follows: F1 16/10 (1.60), F2 19/10 (1.90), F3 19/10 (1.90), F4 17/10 (1.70), F5 16/10.5 (1.52), F6 15/11 (1.36), F7 14/13 (1.08). Clava with relative length/breadth (ratio) 30/16 (1.87); micropilosity area small on last claval segment. Setation of scape, pedicel and F1 dark, rest of flagellum bearing white setae.

Mesosoma. Setation of mesosoma as described above in the diagnosis. Mesosoma 2.53 × as long as broad; pronotum 0.82 × as broad as mesoscutum and about 1.13 × as broad as long. Pronotum with pronotal collar delimited by transverse pronotal carina with 9 additional transverse carinae in its anterior half. Entire mesoscutum coarsely cross striated. Notauli well developed, foveate-septate, with row of setae along them. Mesoscutellum circular in dorsal view, 1.14 × as long as broad; frenum densely reticulate and occupying half the length of mesoscutellum; frenum finely reticulate almost smooth; mesoscutellum with two pairs of setae, the first pair in anterior half and second pair on frenum (Fig. 1B ). Propodeum (Fig. 1G ) 1.72 × as broad as long, area between spiracles coarsely cross striated in proximal part, striae in distal part of propodeum turning backwards medially to propodeal foramen; callus with long white setae; postspiracular furrow present. Supracoxal flange weakly developed. Metapleuron with no setae. Hind coxa rounded and bare dorsally, with transverse carinae dorsally, reticulated laterally. Metatibia with two spurs, shorter spur minute, about 0.2 × as long as longer spur; longer spur shorter than basimetatarsus. Fore wing 2.60 × as long as broad (Fig. 1A ); clear with bright brown venation. Setae on disc dense and brown. Basal cell bare with basal setal line complete, basal vein weakly sclerotized but still visible. Marginal vein 1.14 × as long as postmarginal vein and 3.23 × as long as stigmal vein; stigma enlarged, ovoid, 1.46 × as long as broad; uncus with 3 uncal sensilla.

Metasoma. Metasoma without ovipositor almost as long as mesosoma (Fig. 1A ). Petiole about 0.80 × as long as propodeum. Gastral tergites with shallow alutaceous sculpture; Gt1-Gt4 incised medially. Tip of hypopygium reaching to about 0.70 × of length of gaster. Ovipositor upturned, about 1.25 × as long as metasoma; OI 1.90.

Male. Unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Australia: Queensland, Wooroonooran NP.

Condition of the holotype.

Holotype mounted on a rectangular card with left wings glued on a separate card. Very good condition, with legs, antennae and yellowish parts of the body slightly translucid due to DNA extraction and subsequent drying using HMDS ( Heraty and Hawks 1998).

Figures

Figure 1. Striastigmus bicoloratus holotype, female A habitus, lateral view B mesosoma, dorsal view C head and mesosoma, lateral view D head, frontal view E antenna, lateral view F venation G propodeum, dorsal view. Scale bars: 200 µm except for habitus (1 mm).