Chalcis ornatifrons Saguiah & Molin & Tavares 2020, stat rev.
Creators: name: Saguiah, Pâmella Machado
name: Molin, Ana Dal
name: Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Chalcididae
Chalcis
Chalcis ornatifrons

description: Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron), stat rev.
Figs 8 a–f, 9a–d, 10a–d
Smicra ornatifrons Cameron, 1909: 425. Type Data: Mendoza. Lectotype ♀ (NHMUK type no. 5-168, images examined), lec-totype designation by Delvare (1992: 189).
Chalcis ornatifrons (Cameron): De Santis (1967: 214).
Chalcis pilicauda (Cameron): Delvare (1992: 189) (incorrect synonymy).
Diagnosis. Both sexes. Antennal scape with inner face sinuous (Fig. 8d); metatibia with spine shorter than the apical width of metatibia (Fig. 9b). Female. Tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare, pubescence very distinct from basal tarsomeres (Fig. 8f); protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width (Fig. 8f); protarsal claws only slightly curved, ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae (Fig. 9a). Male. Ventral plaque on distal quarter of antennal scape and with indistinct elongate sensillum (Fig. 10b); hypopygium with U-shaped distal notch, the medial portion of the notch straight (Fig. 10d).
Description. FEMALE. Length 5.7–6.9 mm. Color: Body predominantly black, with yellow spots and some light brown areas as follows (Figs 8 a–c, 9b). The following parts yellow (size of the yellow areas may vary): spot on parascrobal area (Fig. 8c) (additional spot may be present on the inferior portion of the parascrobal area), interantennal projection (Fig. 8c), posterior margin of pronotal collar (Fig. 8b), median lobe of mesoscutum with a Vshaped spot on posterior margin, mesoscutellum posteriorly (Fig. 8b), tegula, outer face of metafemur dorsally and anteroventrally (Fig. 9b), metatibia subbasally (Fig. 9b), petiole dorsally and posterolaterally, Gt1 with a medially interrupted band, Gt2–Gt6 each with a complete band. The following parts light brown: ocelli, inner face of scape, (Fig. 8d) pedicel, flagellum ventrally (Fig. 8d), labrum, mandibles, maxillary and labial palps, fore and middle legs, metafemur (Fig. 9b); metatibia, tarsi, hypopygium. Wings infuscate (Figs 8a, b).
Head. Lower face not bulging above clypeus, with elongate umbilicate fovea enclosed by diagonal irregular carinae; parascrobal area densely foveate, interstices raised as irregular diagonal rugae, median intumescence present; malar space 0.6–0.7× eye height (Fig. 8c); malar sulcus obliterate, internal carina absent, external carinae fine and irregular, at most present near eye; gena rugose, genal carina absent; mandibular formula 2:3; antennal scrobe from coriaceous ventrally to strigulate dorsally and with transverse carina below median ocellus (Fig. 8c); interantennal projection with median carina dorsally, carina extending to median ocellus midway. MOD:POL:APL:OOL = 0.14:0.38:0.14:0.32. Scape 4.5 – 5.2× as long as wide, inner face sinuous (Fig. 8d); anellus about 0.5× as long as wide; Fu1 longer than all other funicular segments, about 1.3× as long as wide and 1.2× as long as Fu2 length (Fig. 8d).
Mesosoma. Mesoscutum with interstices coriaceous and dull, narrower than diameter of umbilicate foveae; mesoscutellum convex, frenal carina forming two sublateral lobes; mesopleuron with mesepisternum densely punctate, interstices from smooth and shiny to finely coriaceous (Fig. 8e); propodeum with irregular median carina, submedian carina absent, anterior and posterior costulae irregular, adpetiolar area with a narrow and irregular areola medially, anterosubmedial area areolate-rugose (Fig. 9c); tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare (Fig. 8f), mostly smooth and shiny, with inconspicuous short and sparse pubescence, distinct from basal tarsomeres; protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally without pairs of distinct peg-like spines (Fig. 8f), but with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width; protarsal claws only slightly curved, ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae (Fig. 9a); mesocoxa densely pubescent posteriorly; mesotibial spur 0.4× as long as the width of the mesotibial apex; metacoxa punctate-rugose dorsally, inner face pubescent; metafemur with outer face very densely punctate and interstices weakly coriaceous, ventrally without inner basal tooth but with 10–12 teeth along outer margin, outer basal tooth the largest and distant from second tooth, the other teeth increasing in size up to fifth tooth (Fig. 9b); metatibia with spine triangular and shorter than the apical width of metatibia (Fig. 9b); metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than any of tarsomeres 2–5. Fore wing SMV:MV:PMV = 1.86:0.74:0.83.
Metasoma. Petiole about 1.8–2.5× as long as wide, dorsal face flat and with dorsolateral carina along basal third (sometimes irregularly carinate), ventrally with median carina along basal half; hypopygial median projection apically with dense set of short and appressed bristles, ventrally with some bristles, the latter bristles about as long as the width of hypopygial projection in lateral view (Fig. 9d); ovipositor sheath rounded apically, without some long setae (Fig. 9d).
MALE. Length: 6.8 mm. Similar to females (Fig. 10a), except: antennal scape with ventral plaque on distal quarter and with indistinct elongate sensillum (Fig. 10b); all tarsomeres distinctly pubescent; tarsal claws bifid and pectinate (Fig. 10c); hypopygium with concave surface and U-shaped distal notch, the medial portion of the notch straight (Fig. 10d).
Material examined. Type material. Smicra ornatifrons, ♀ (NHMUK), ‘ Type’ ‘ P. Cameron Col. 1914-110’ ‘ Smicra ornatifrons Cam. Type Mendoza [Argentina]’ ‘B.M. Type Hym. 5.168a’ Lectotype /Delvare, 1989’ ‘[QR Code] NHMUK 013456438 ’.
Other specimens examined (11♀ and 1♂). Argentina. Córdoba. Sierra Córdoba, 8.I.1930, S.J. Williner col. (1♀, MACN). La Rioja. Patquía, XII.1932 - I.1933, J.J. Hayward col. (7♀, 1♂, NHMUK). Mendoza. Mendoza, 6.XI.1906, J. Haarup col. (1♀, NHMUK); [no other data] (2♀, MACN).
Biology. Unknown.
Distribution. ARGENTINA (Cordoba, La Rioja, and Mendoza).
Remarks. Cameron (1909) described Octosmicra pilicauda, Smicra ornatifrons and S. spinicoxu s based on differences in the distribution of yellow spots on the body and number of metafemoral teeth. Delvare (1992) considered that these differences represented intraspecific variation and placed S. ornatifrons and S. spinicoxus as junior synonyms of C. pilicauda. However, we found features that indicate C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda are separate species, and therefore re-establish C. ornatifrons as a valid species. Cameron (1909) also described S. spinicoxus based on a single male specimen, which matches the color patterns and metafemoral teeth pattern described for C. pilicauda, described above.
Chalcis ornatifrons differs from C. pilicauda by the smaller body; median lobe of mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with yellow spots adjacent or fused medially (Fig. 8b) (widely apart medially in C. pilicauda, Fig. 14b); antennal flagellum ventrally brown (Fig. 8d) (black in C. pilicauda, Fig. 14d); Gt7+8 black (yellow in C. pilicauda); mesepisternum densely punctate (Fig. 8e) (puncticulate-coriaceous in C. pilicauda, Fig. 14e); metafemur ventrally with 10–12 teeth along outer margin (Fig. 9b) (7–9 teeth in C. pilicauda, Fig. 15b); metatibia with apical spine shorter than the apical width of metatibia (Fig. 9b) (longer in C. pilicauda, Fig. 15c); female tarsomeres 4 and 5 of all legs almost bare, mostly smooth and shiny (Fig. 8f) (pubescent laterally and with the pair of distal setae in C. pilicauda, Fig. 14f); female protarsomeres 4 and 5 ventrally with distal spines distinctly shorter than the tarsomere width (Fig. 8f) (about as long as the tarsomere width in C. pilicauda, Fig. 14f); female protarsal claws ventrally with 2 or 3 basal denticles followed by 3 curved setae (Fig. 9a) (3 or 4 basal denticles followed by 3 peg-like setae in C. pilicauda, Fig. 15a); petiole ventrally with median carina (with submedian carina in C. pilicauda); male antenna with ventral plaque on distal 1/4 of scape (Fig. 10b) (on distal third in C. pilicauda, Fig. 16b); and male hypopygium with the U-shaped distal notch transverse (Fig. 10d) (concave in C. pilicauda, Fig. 16c).
Among the New Word species, C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda are similar to C. divisa (Walker, 1962) and C. lasia Burks, 1940, from Mexico and California, respectively, as they present similar yellow spot patterns (face, pronotum, mesoscutellum and metafemur), protarsal claws ventrally with few basal denticles followed by 3 setae, and similar ventral teeth along outer margin of metafemur. Chalcis lasia differs from C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda by the pronotal dorsum with yellow spot interrupted medially; mesoscutum and gaster entirely dark, without spots or bands (in males, Gt1 has one subapical yellow spot medially); profemur robust, not clavate; mesoscutellum flat and frenal lamina without sublateral lobes; metafemur with outer basal tooth not as developed; metatibial apical spine short and apically recurved toward tarsomeres; petiole dorsally with dorsolateral carina; and males with hypopygial margin shallowly concave distally, without U-shaped notch. Chalcis divisa differs from C. ornatifrons and C. pilicauda by the gaster entirely red-brown, without transverse bands dorsally; mesoscutellum with median depression or central hollow, frenal carina without sublateral lobes; and ovipositor sheath obliquely truncate apically.
description: Published as part of Saguiah, Pâmella Machado, Molin, Ana Dal & Tavares, Marcelo Teixeira, 2020, The South American species of Chalcis Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), pp. 353-383 in Zootaxa 4885 (3) on pages 365-368, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4885.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4296699