Ooderella spinositegula Gibson, 2017, n. sp.
Creators: name: Gibson, Gary A. P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eupelmidae
Ooderella
Ooderella spinositegula

description: Ooderella spinositegula n. sp.
Figs 118–136
Type material. Holotype ♀ (USNM). “ECUADOR: NAPO Res. Ethnica | Waorani, 1km S. Onkone Gare | Camp, Trans.Ent. 10 Oct. 1994 | 220 m, 00°39'10”S 076°26'W | T.L. Erwin, et al. / insecticidal fogging of mostly bare | green leaves, some with covering | of lichenous or bryophytic plants in | terre firme forest At Trans 4, | Sta. 3 Project MAXUS Lot 942 / HOLOTYPE | Ooderella | spinositegula | Gibson”. Holotype point-mounted by mesosternum; entire; uncontorted.
Allotype ♂ (USNM). Same data as holotype except collected 21.VI.1994, at 7 x-trans., 58m mark, Project MAXUS Lot 695 / ALLOTYPE | Ooderella | spinositegula | Gibson.
Paratypes (15♀, 1♂). Costa Rica. Puntarenas, Manuel Antonio N.P., 23–28.VIII.1986, L. Masner, coastal rainforest s.s. (1 ♀, 1♂ Photo 2016-99, both CNC). Ecuador. Same data as holotype except collected 25.VI.1994, at 4 x-trans: 12m mark, Project MAXUS Lot 720 (1♀ USNM), 20m mark, Project Maxus Lot 722 (1♀ USNM), 80m mark, Project MAXUS Lot 726 (1♀ USNM); same data as holotype except collected 9.X.1994, at Trans 5, Sta. 2, Project MAXUS Lot 911 (1♀ USNM). Orellana, Tuputini Biodiversity Station, 00°37'55"S 076°08'39"W, 216m, T.L. Erwin et al., insecticidal fogging of mostly bare green leaves, some with covering of lichenous or bryophytic plants: 6.II.1999, lot 2068, Transect #7 (3♀ USNM, 1♀ CNC Photo 2016-91), 8.II.1999, lot 2037, Transect #4 (2♀ USNM, CNC Photos 2016-89 & 2016-90). Napo, Puerto Misahualli, 18–22.II.1983, M. Sharkey (1♀ CNC). Peru. Madre de Dios, Rio Tambopata Res., 30 km (air) SW Pto. Maldonado, 12°50'S 69°17'W, 290m, 7.XI.1983, T.L. Erwin et al., Smithsonian Institution Canopy Fogging Project, 01/02/072 (3♀ USNM). Venezuela. Mérida, Santa Rosa, 1200m, 23.IV.1988, S.A. Marshall (1♀ CNC).
Etymology. A combination of the Latin words spinosus (thorny) and tegula (tile), in reference to the strongly setose tegula of females, one of the differentiating features of the species.
Description. FEMALE (habitus: Fig. 121). Length = 2.6–3.3 [3.2] mm. Head (Figs 118–120) dark with variably distinct and extensive green to blue or reddish-violaceous lusters under some angles of light; in lateral view (Fig. 119) highly convex and broadest dorsally, subequally as long as high; in frontal view (Fig. 118) about 1.4× as wide as high; in dorsal view (Fig. 120) about 1.35× as wide as long with interocular distance slightly greater than 0.3× head width, and all but smallest individuals with variably distinct, usually light-colored, sulcate ocellocular mark, and OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 11: 19: 15: 8. Frontovertex with vertex finely coriaceousalutaceous to or near level of posterior ocelli medially, but smooth and shiny posterior and/or lateral of ocelli and on frons except for sparse setiferous pits in line along inner orbit and longitudinally on either side of anterior ocellus (Fig. 120). Scrobal depression (Fig. 118) dorsally carinately delimited from frons, broadly Π-shaped with lateral margin curved out from torulus toward lower inner orbit such that parascrobal region lacking or only very slender, and dorsal margin broadly arched between inner orbits and separated from anterior ocellus by about 2.5× ocellar diameter; meshlike coriaceous to coriaceous-imbricate similarly to interantennal prominence. Interantennal prominence and lower face with brownish, slender-lanceolate setae and parascrobal region, if evident, with line of hairlike setae along inner orbit. Mandible (Fig. 123) tridendate, with acute ventroapical tooth and angularly incised dorsoapical margin. Labial and maxillary palps brown. Antenna (Fig. 122) dark except scape longitudinally yellow with dorsal margin and ventral margin along broader basal region dark, and usually narrowly dark apically and/or basally, and sometimes with green luster on pedicel and under some angles of light on variable number of basal flagellomeres, and then often with more distinct, white-reflective setae; length of pedicel + flagellum about 1.8× head width; scape moderately compressed basally with ventral margin sinuate so as to be broadest subbasally and narrowed apically; length[width] of scape: pedicel: funiculars: clava = 67[17]: 20[10]: 13[8], 31[8], 36[9], 38[10], 30[12], 16[13], 16[14], 15[15]: 42[16].
Mesosoma (Figs 124–126) dark brown except mesoscutal lateral flanges yellowish-hyaline and propleuron usually yellow to brownish-yellow at least mediolongitudinally, and with variably distinct and extensive greenish luster, most commonly on scutellar-axillar complex (Fig. 125) but also often on mesonotum (Fig. 124) and propodeum, and under some angles of light sometimes pronotum (Fig. 124) and acropleuron (Fig. 126). Legs (Fig. 121) mostly similar in color to mesosoma but at least mesotibia basally and apically and mesotarsus paler, more yellowish, and following usually also paler: trochanters, trochantelli, protibia dorsolongitudinally, metatibia basally and apically, and metatarsus, and sometimes mesofemur apically. Pronotum in dorsal view (Figs 120, 124) transverse-quadrangular with dorsal surface almost bare with very sparse, inconspicuous dark setae, and flat but inclined anterolaterally on either side of deep mediolongitudinal furrow such that anterolateral corners project tubercle-like toward head. Mesoscutum (Fig. 124) flat anteriorly and with lateral lobes carinately angled only within posterior quarter or less; meshlike reticulate; with inconspicuous posteriorly directed setae of similar color as cuticle except dense lanceolate white setae forming reflective patches antero- and posteromedially, the anterior region consisting of posteromedially directed setae forming contiguous patch, and the posterior region with posteromedially directed setae extending to posterior margin. Scutellar-axillar complex (Fig. 125) 1.25× as long as basal width with hairlike setae of similar color as cuticle along lateral margins of axillae and scutellum; axillae and scutellum longitudinally reticulate-strigose, and scutellum elongate tear-drop shaped, about 3.6× as long as greatest width, with frenal area distinctly coriaceous. Tegula with dense, long dark setae along inner margin posteriorly forming conspicuous setal tuft obviously longer than apical width of tegula (Figs 121, 124, 126). Fore wing (Fig. 125) extending to or slightly over base of gaster, about 3.4× as long as greatest width, flat or slightly upcurved only near posterior margin, hyaline; submarginal vein extending about half length of wing with comparatively long, pale setae; costal cell, membrane behind submarginal vein, and apically narrowed membrane distal to submarginal vein bare except sometimes for one or more minute marginal setae apically. Mesopleurosternum (Fig. 126) with region of dense white lanceolate setae forming setal tuft anteriorly on acropleuron and dorsally on mesopectus, and mesopectus ventral to setal tuft with similar though somewhat less dense region of white lanceolate setae, including sometimes some noticeably longer setae along acropleural sulcus; acropleuron smooth and shiny medially but longitudinally reticulate-strigose beyond setal tuft to level almost equal with posterior margin of tegula, much more finely, longitudinally coriaceous-strigose widely along dorsal margin, and broadly meshlike coriaceous along posterior margin. Metacoxa (Fig. 126) densely setose with white lanceolate setae dorsally and ventrolongitudinally, but bare mediolongitudinally on outer surface. Propodeum (Fig. 125) comparatively long with anterior and posterior margins similarly incurved at midline such that recurved margins contiguous and forming median carina over most of length; meshlike coriaceous-alutaceous, and with a couple of white lanceolate setae anterior to spiracle and region of dense white lanceolate setae posterolaterally.
Gaster (Figs 121, 127) similarly dark as mesosoma except ovipositor sheaths beyond syntergum yellow and tergites usually with green to bluish-green lusters under some angles of light; quite distinctly meshlike coriaceous with long, comparatively sparse brownish setae, mostly in single transverse row dorsally across tergites except for more extensively setose syntergum; syntergum (Fig. 127) usually about as long as basal width but longer than penultimate tergite, with dorsal surface in similar plane such that syntergal flange poorly differentiated as posteriorly rounded bare region behind setae; ovipositor sheaths projecting only slightly beyond syntergal flange.
MALE (habitus: Fig. 130). Length = 1.4–[2.0] mm. Head (Figs 128, 129) dark brown with variably distinct greenish luster except scrobal depression with distinct, light-colored line extending between interantennal prominence and dorsal margin of depression near ventral margin of anterior ocellus, and sometimes with small reddish-violaceous region at dorsal limit of interantennal prominence; vertex coriaceous-alutaceous behind posterior ocellus and medially within ocellar triangle, frons smooth and shiny except for scattered setiferous pits and face finely coriaceous-alutaceous except for smoother and shinier scrobes. Head in frontal view (Fig. 128) with ventral margin of torulus distinctly above lower orbit, vtd: dtd = 28: 22; scrobal depression transversely oval, not extending to inner orbits though without distinct parascrobal regions. Head in dorsal view (Fig. 129) with interocular distance about 0.5× head width; OOL: POL: LOL: MPOD = 5: 13: 7: 9; without distinct ocellocular mark. Mandibles tridentate (Fig. 128). Labial and maxillary palps pale (Fig. 128) Antenna (Fig. 131) dark brown except scape with some metallic lusters; length of pedicel + flagellum about 3.6× head width; scape compressed and broadest subbasally; length[width] of scape: pedicel: fl2–fl8: clava = 29[11]: 10[6]: 27[5], 31[6], 31[6], 29[7], 27[7], 27[7], 23[7]: 40[7]; flagellomeres with multiple rows of mps consisting mostly of apically free portion so as to appear as long, straight to slightly curved setae projecting at acute angle relative to flagellomere (Fig. 132).
Mesosoma (Figs 133, 134, 136) mostly dark brown with at most only very slight, inconspicuous metallic lusters. Legs similarly dark brown as mesosoma except trochanters, trochantelli, and tibiae very narrowly basally pale, and pro- and mesotibiae and pro- and mesotarsi sometimes lighter brown then respective femora. Mesoscutum (Figs 133, 134) entirely coriaceous-reticulate to shallowly reticulate; about 0.6× as long as wide (Fig. 133). Fore wing (Fig. 135) hyaline; about 2.7× as long as wide with mv about 0.6× width (paratype male); disc dorsally with broad speculum anterior to setose mediocubital fold and beyond basal fold though speculum variably distinct depending on whether or not obscured by setae on ventral surface; cc: mv: stv: pmv = 75: 61: 20: 33.
Distribution (Map 2A). Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela.
Remarks. Ooderella spinositegula, O. thegalea and O. melanosceles comprise a species trio, as discussed under the latter species. Because of their longer fore wings, females of O. spinositegula (Fig. 125) more closely resemble those of O. melanosceles (Fig. 52) than those of O. thegalea (Fig. 153), but are distinguished by conspicuously longer tegular tufts of setae (cf. Figs 126, 51) and the metacoxa being bare mediolongitudinally (Fig. 126) rather than the outer surface being almost entirely setose (Fig. 51). Females are also differentiated by color over some of their range, the females from Ecuador and Peru having the propleura at least partly pale as well as more extensively pale legs than for O. melanosceles. The two females from Costa Rica and Venezuela have the propleura entirely dark and mostly dark legs though both females have the mesotibia distinctly pale basally.
Males described as O. spinositegula are differentiated from those of all other species by their flagellar mps structure, consisting mostly of a long, apically free portion such that convex, longitudinal mps appear to be lacking and each mps superficially looks like a long seta projecting at an acute angle from the flagellomere (Figs 131, 132). If O. spinositegula, O. thegalea and O. melanosceles form a monophyletic group then the unknown males of the other two species likely have similar flagella with seta-like mps. The CNC has two males from Brazil and one from Bolivia not associated with females that have similar flagella to the two O. spinositegula males except the convex basal portion of the mps along the flagellomere is much longer, with the apically free, seta-like portion only about one-half or less the total length. This mps structure is thus intermediate between that of O. spinositegula (Fig. 132) and the mps structure shared by O. setosa (Fig. 85: insert) and O. smithii (Fig. 105).
description: Published as part of Gibson, Gary A. P., 2017, Revision of world Ooderella Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), with description of the first males for the genus, pp. 1-74 in Zootaxa 4289 (1) on pages 48-52, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.828791