Octomicromeris Huber, gen. n.
Creators: name: Huber, John T.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Mymaridae
Octomicromeris

description: Octomicromeris Huber, gen. n.
(Figs 191–220)
Type species. Octomicromeris compacta Huber, by present designation.
Diagnosis. Within Gonatocerini, the species of Octomicromeris are distinguished by the following combination of features: propodeum with a sublateral carina between submedian carina and metapleural sulcus; female antenna with funicle short, the segments at most not much longer than wide, with mps apparently only on fl5 and fl7; parastigma short, at most half as long as submarginal vein, and with almost truncate apex; ovipositor sheaths at most as long as metatibia.
Description. FEMALE. Medium to large, compact specimens, 770–1410 Μm in length. Colour. Almost entirely dark yellow to almost entirely brown. Fore wings uniformly hyaline. Head. Head (Figs 191, 199, 205–208) 1.46 – 1.94× as wide as long and 1.24–1.46× as wide as high; in lateral view with anterior surface convex below torulus, then strongly receding to mouth. Face about 0.86 – 1.3× as wide as high; subantennal sulci present, slightly converging ventrally, the distance between them at mouth margin about the same as their distance from preorbital sulci; preorbital sulcus almost straight, appressed against eye at level of torulus, then separated from eye and continuing to mouth margin, and meeting malar sulcus just lateral to mediolateral angle of mouth (Fig. 205). Toruli touching or almost touching transverse trabecula. Eye in lateral view slightly longer to slightly shorter than high, dorsally extending to back of head or almost so, then diverging sharply from back of head. Malar space about 0.5× eye height; malar sulcus present, straight or very slightly curved and extending from ventral angle of eye to mouth. Gena in lateral view narrow or absent dorsally, wide ventrally and merging smoothly into occiput. Vertex in lateral view usually strongly oblique and forming an obtuse angle with face but sometimes almost horizontal, at almost right angle to face (separated by transverse trabecula), posteriorly separated from occiput by ill-defined angle and transverse sulcus behind and between ocelli. Ocelli with LOL about 0.3 – 0.5× POL, and OOL about 0.5× POL. Occiput entire. Labrum with about 6 setae. Mandible with 3 normal teeth (Fig. 209). Antenna. Scape about 5.0× as long as wide, with radicle distinct, narrow, about 0.29–0.34× scape length; pedicel about 0.19 – 0.22× scape length, distinctly longer than fl1; funicle 8-segmented, all the segments at most not much longer than wide, often shorter than wide (particularly fl8); fl5 and fl7 only with 2 mps; clava at least 0.75× funicle length, with 7 mps. Mesosoma. About 1.2 – 1.8× as long as wide, 1.3–1.4× as long as high, and 0.9–1.1× wide as high. Pronotum in dorsal view very short, just visible medially, longitudinally divided by a short, fine longitudinal suture, the lobes closely abutting medially, in lateral view with anterior surface separate from lateral surface by a fine line, and with median surface almost vertical. Pronotal spiracle small, about same size as propodeal spiracle. Propleura normal. Prosternum triangular, divided posteriorly by longitudinal suture extending less than half its length. Mesoscutum in dorsal view with fine (barely visible in micrographs), almost straight to slightly curved and diverging notauli. Transscutal articulation almost straight. Scutellum about as wide as long. Axilla normal. Prepectus extremely narrow, thread-like. Mesopleuron oval and truncate at both ends, with fine line separating mesepimeron from mesepisternum. Metanotum with dorsellum rectangular, its posterior margin evenly convex. Metapleuron triangular, separated from propodeum by thin, slightly curved sulcus or carina. Propodeum in lateral view sloping strongly, in almost same plane as dorsellum or at an obtuse angle; in dorsal view with four carinae—slightly curved and dorsally converging submedian carinae and almost straight, strongly diverging sublateral carinae (originating at lateral margin of petiole) nearer to submedian carina than to junction with metanotum. Propodeal spiracle small, separated by about its diameter from metanotum. Wings. Fore wing at most about 3.0× as long as wide and covered with microtrichia to base of parastigma, though not always evenly behind venation. Venation almost 0.4× wing length. Submarginal vein with the usual basal setae (1 macrochaeta and 1 hypochaeta) and a fairly short hypochaeta apically, next to proximal macrochaeta of parastigma. Remaining venation (parastigma + stigmal vein) about 0.5× length of submarginal vein, with 1 hypochaeta about midway between proximal and distal macrochaeta, and about 1 or 2 shorter setae between the macrochaetae. Stigmal vein with apex slightly oblique (somewhat truncate). Hind wing normal. Venation about 0.4× wing length. Metasoma. Petiole short, wider than long. Gaster about 1.0–2.2× as long as high. Terga often with narrow, white membrane visible between them. Ovipositor sheaths much shorter than gaster and shorter than metatibia to almost as long as gaster and longer than metatibia, and at most very slightly exserted, with 1 subapical seta.
MALE. Body length 998–1152. Colour. Body in yellow species where male can be associated, the dark colour generally more extensive than in female. Antenna. Scape about 3.1× as long as wide, with radicle not very distinct, about 0.32× scape length; pedicel about 0.47× scape length and shorter than fl1; flagellomeres about 2.3× as long as wide, each with about 8 mps. Metasoma. Petiole up to 1.3× as long as wide. Genitalia with short aedeagal apodemes and apodeme of genitalia sternite absent (Figs 197, 198).
Discussion. Only 19 specimens of Octomicromeris were seen. Two species are described below. There appear to be two additional species. They are not described here because more material is needed to differentiate them properly.
Etymology. From Greek “okto” meaning eight, “mikro-” meaning small, and “meris” meaning part. The name refers to the eight small funicle segments in the female antenna and, incidentally, to the very short parastigma + stigmal vein, and short ovipositor sheaths. The gender is feminine.
Distribution. Octomicromeris species occur only in Madagascar.
Hosts and habitat. Hosts are unknown. Specimens have been collected in forests.
Included species:
Octomicromeris brevis Huber; holotype ♀ in CAS. TL: Madagascar, Fianarantsoa, Ranomafana National Park,
Vatharanana River, 1100 m.
Octomicromeris compacta Huber; holotype ♀ in CAS. TL: Madagascar, Antsiranana, Ampasindava, Forêt
d’Ambilanivy.
description: Published as part of Huber, John T., 2015, World reclassification of the Gonatocerus group of genera (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), pp. 1-184 in Zootaxa 3967 (1) on pages 51-52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3967.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/288712