Ariasina gigas Heydon, n. sp.
Creators: name: Heydon, Steven L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Pteromalidae
Ariasina
Ariasina gigas

description: Ariasina gigas Heydon, n. sp.
(Figs 8, 13, 14, 15)
Diagnosis. Females of Ar. gigas are the largest in the subfamily in Chile with the body length of the known female almost 5 mm. Males appear to be much smaller with the two known specimens less than 3 mm in length. Both have the microsetae of the body white, and the head and mesosoma are mostly dark brown to black, but with extensive white areas on the head (Figs 8, 13). The female antenna has the flagellum parallel-sided with all but the terminal flagellar segments appearing elongate (Fig. 14) and with the length of the pedicel plus flagellum 1.4× the head width.
Description. Holotype, female (MNNC). Color. Head dark brown, with face, gena, frons laterad of scrobes, and lateral margin of vertex along eyes white (Fig. 13). Mesosoma and gaster dark brown to black except lighter on pronotum laterally, inner edge of notauli, posterior lateral edge of mesoscutum, median lateral edges of axilla, and posterior lateral edges of dorsellum (Fig. 8). Body microsetae white. Legs pale except with dark mesal bands on femora, tarsi brown, hind coxa dark brown. Fore wing with submarginal vein pale reddish brown; remainder brownish yellow; membrane hyaline.
Sculpture. Metapleuron imbricate; propodeum nearly smooth anteriomedially, imbricate laterally, with multiple parallel carinulae posteriorly.
Structure. Body length 4.7 mm. Head width 1.1× height (38:34), 1.7× length (38:23); eye height 1.2× length (20:16.5), 1.8× malar distance (20:11), length 3.3× temple length (16.5:5); ratio of MOD, OOL, POL, LOL as 3:3:9:5. Antenna (Fig. 14) with length of pedicel plus flagellum 1.4× head width (53:38); scape not nearly reaching median ocellus, slightly flattened but not expanded, anterior edge rounded, bowed inward; flagellum slender, with sides parallel; relative lengths of scape, pedicel, A1–2, F1-6, club as 18:9.0:3.0:9.5:6.5:5.5:4.5:4.0:3.5:3.0:7.0; A1 length about 1.5× width; widths of F1, F6, club as 2.0:3.5:4.0; F1–4 appearing elongate, F5-6 more quadrate. Mesosomal length 2.3× width (76:33); propodeum smoothly arched from side to side; dorsal microsetae relatively dense, reclinate. Fore wing length 3.0× width (130:44); relative lengths of submarginal, marginal, postmarginal, and stigmal veins as 64:26:14:31. Gaster elongate; length 2.6× width (91:35), 1.1× combined length of head and mesosoma (96:91); hypopygium extending half gastral length.
Allotype, male. Coloration similar to female, but darker overall. Body length only 2.8 mm (paratype male 2.4 mm). Antenna (Fig. 15) with length of pedicel plus flagellum 1.4× head width (52:36); scape not nearly reaching median ocellus, slightly flattened but not expanded, anterior edge rounded, bowed inward; flagellum slender, with sides parallel; relative lengths of scape, pedicel, A1–2, F1-6, club as 16:8.0:2.5:7.5:5.5:5.0:3.5:4.0:4.0:3.5:9.0; A1 length about 1.5× width; widths of F1, F7, club as 2.0:4.0:4.5; F1–5 appearing elongate, F6-7 more quadrate.
Type material. Holotype, female (MNNC) was collected in CHILE, Región IX, at the polo field at Flor del Lago Ranch near Villarica, 39˚12.3’S 72˚8.3’W, elevation 280 m, on the 13.XII.2001, by E. Arias and the UC Berkeley staff, by canopy fogging (WT) off Nothofagus obliqua Roble (Arias 18). The allotype and paratype male (MNNC, UCDC) are both also from the Flor del Lago Ranch (39˚12.5’S 72˚8.1’W, 12.XII.2001, E. Arias and UC Berkeley staff, canopy fogging WT Nothofagus obliqua Roble).
Etymology. The species name comes from the Greek word gigas, meaning giant because the female is the biggest of New World species in this subfamily. It should be considered a noun in apposition.
Biology. This species has been taken repeatedly by fogging off of Nothofagus obliqua.
description: Published as part of Heydon, Steven L., 2014, Review of south temperate New World Coelocybinae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), pp. 420-434 in Zootaxa 3754 (4) on pages 426-428, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3754.4.4, http://zenodo.org/record/231015