Liosphex maleku Lohrmann, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lohrmann, Volker
name: Ohl, Michael
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Rhopalosomatidae
Liosphex
Liosphex maleku

description: Liosphex maleku Lohrmann sp. nov.
(Figs 20, 50–52)
Holotype. Female. COSTA RICA: Limón, 16km W. Guápiles, 400m, I–IV 1991, col. P. Hanson (MUCR).
Paratypes. COSTA RICA: same data as holotype (1 Ƥ, MUCR); Alajuela, Estacion Biologica San Ramón, 900m, VIII–IX 1995, P. Hanson (1 Ƥ, MUCR); same data, but IV–V 2000, P. Hanson (1 Ƥ, MUCR); Heredia, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiquí, Estacion Biologica La Selva, 2–18 May 1993, M/01/96 (1 Ƥ, DZUP). MEXICO: mi. Fortin de Las Flores, 3400 ft., 20 August 1963, R. H. & E. M. Painter, Malaise trap (1 3, AEIC, paratype of L. varius).
Diagnosis. Females of L. maleku are unique among all Liosphex in the combination of the following characters: Flagellomere II 3.6–3.9× as long as wide; anterior margin of pronotum not notched; wings stramineous or pale brown; black/dark markings on vertex reaching down between toruli but not reaching far behind lateral ocelli; tergites III–V without asetose posteromedian area.
The males of L. maleku are unique among all Liosphex in the combination of the following characters: anterior margin of pronotum not notched; black/dark markings on vertex reaching down between toruli but not reaching far behind lateral ocelli; tergites III–V without asetose posteromedian area.
Description of the female. Head: Maximum width in frontal view 1.7 mm [1.7–1.8 mm]. UID 1.5× [1.45–1.5×] LID. Flagellomeres of moderate length (flagellomere II 3.7× [3.5–3.9×], flagellomere VII is 2.2× [2.1–2.3×] as long as wide). Apical bristles present on flagellomeres I–V, longer bristle on flagellomere I 0.55× [0.5–0.6×] its length. OOD 1.9× [1.85–2.1×], IOD 0.95× [0.8–0.95×], MOD 1.0× [1.0–1.2×] LOD. Mesosoma: Anterior margin of pronotum without median notch (Fig. 20).
Wings: Maximum length of forewing: 7.1 mm [7.1–8.1 mm], 2.35× [2.35–2.55×] as long as mesosoma. Forewing 1cu-a distad M by at least 2.5× [2.1–2.5×] its length. M-cu distinctly curved. 1Rs 2.3–2.4× as long as high, its basal angle clearly smaller than 90° (Fig. 9). Rs of hindwing reclivous.
Legs: Forebasitarsomere short, length of antennal cleaner [0.3–0.35×] its length. Hindtibia with two bristles on only one side of insertion of shorter apical spur (as in Fig. 22).
Metasoma: Tergite I 1.8× [1.6–1.8×] as long as wide.
Color (as in Figs 51–52): Basically stramineous or pale brownish except the following: Frons and vertex between upper parts of eyes black, except space within eye notch. Antennae pale brown to orange with black markings on lateral side of flagellomeres II–VIII. Teeth of mandible black. Pronotum medially black, black marking in some specimens divided into two lateral spots. Scutum except a posteromedian area, anterior section of scutellum and dorsal face of propodeum marked black. Wings stramineous or pale brown, more intensively on anterior part of the forewing.
Pilosity: Body, including legs, largely covered with dense setae. Setae slightly shorter on head, mesoscutum and scutellum, and lacking on following structures: occiput, ventrolateral side of pronotum, median area of mesepisternum, ventral part of metepimeron, anteroventral of metepisternum, median part of lateral side of propodeum and posteroventral half of hindfemur.
Description of the male. Head, mesosoma and metasoma as in female except the following:
Head: Maximum width in frontal view 1.4 mm. UID 1.55× LID. Flagellomere II 2.4×, flagellomere VII 1.9× as long as wide. Apical bristles present on flagellomeres I–VI.
Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma: 2.4 mm.
Wings: Maximum length of forewing: 5.6 mm, 2.35× as long as mesosoma. Forewing 1cu-a distad M by at least 1.55× its length. 1Rs cell 2.2× as long as high.
Legs: Tarsomeres II–IV with plantulae.
Metasoma: Tergite I 1.3× as long as wide.
Life history. Almost nothing is known about the life history of Liosphex maleku. The five females and one male known were collected at an altitude of 400– 900 m. The male specimen from Mexico was collected in a Malaise trap.
Etymological note. The specific epithet refers to ‘ Maleku ’, the indigenous people in Costa Rica; it is a noun in apposition.
Note. The type series of L. maleku includes one specimen, which was part of the original type series of L. varius Townes, 1977.
description: Published as part of Lohrmann, Volker & Ohl, Michael, 2010, World revision of the wasp genus Liosphex Townes, 1977 (Hymenoptera: Rhopalosomatidae), pp. 1-43 in Zootaxa 2384 on pages 25-27, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.193731