Notanisus kansensis Gibson, 2015, n. sp.
Creators: name: Gibson, Gary A. P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Pteromalidae
Notanisus
Notanisus kansensis

description: Notanisus kansensis n. sp.
Figs 29–36
Type material. Holotype ♀ (CNC). USA: KS [Kansas], Kiowa Co., 5 mi. N. Greenburg, 11–20.ix.2005, canopy trap, G.A. Salsbury [point mounted; entire].
Etymology. Named after the state from which it was collected.
Description. FEMALE (Fig. 29). Length about 1.9 mm. Head in frontal view (Fig. 30) green to somewhat bluish-green, but with variably distinct coppery luster above level of toruli under some angles of light and in dorsal view vertex more reddish-coppery to reddish-violaceous; frontovertex distinctly differentiated by difference in sculpture at level about two-thirds distance between toruli and anterior ocellus, with much finer, more isodiametric meshlike coriaceous sculpture compared to distinctly reticulate sculpture ventrad level; in lateral view lower face green with distinct meshlike sculpture, but gena near fine malar sulcus reddish-violaceous and with much finer, subeffaced meshlike sculpture; in dorsal view OOL twice maximum diameter of posterior ocellus. Antenna (Fig. 31) with scape, pedicel, and basal four funiculars yellow to yellowish-brown compared to darker brown terminal four funiculars and clava; fl1 very slightly longer than wide, fl4 about twice combined length of fl2 and fl3, and funiculars increasing in width and beyond fl4 decreasing in length such that apical funicular slightly transverse in dorsal view; apical funicular ventrally extending under clava as apically tapered, ventrally bare and shiny, fingerlike projection to level almost equal with apex of clava excluding slender, terminal, setose, spiniform process (Fig. 31, insert). Mandible bidentate with two similar teeth ventrally and obliquely angled margin dorsally (Fig. 30).
Pronotal collar in lateral view (Fig. 33) almost flat and in dorsal view not distinctly "shoulder-like" posterolaterally; mostly reticulate and green with coppery luster except for much more finely sculptured, meshlike coriaceous, elongate-triangular region posterolaterally, the posterolateral regions variably extensively and distinctly reddish-violaceous under different angles of light, but with scattered, distinct setae and with longitudinal inner margins differentiating quadrangular median sculptured region over length of collar, the median region minutely punctulate-reticulate anterior of posterolateral regions but with obviously larger meshlike reticulations over about posterior half of collar between inner margins of posterolateral regions. Mesoscutum (Fig. 33) anteromesally between incomplete notauli greenish with coppery luster under some angles of light and coarsely reticulate, the reticulations of similar size but deeper than on pronotum posteromesally, and more posteriorly with much larger meshlike reticulations and broadly reddish-coppery to reddish-violaceous along transscutal articulation and posteriorly on lateral lobes; scutellar-axillar complex (Fig. 34) green with coppery luster on axillae, axilla with reticulate dorsal surface transverse but longer than median crenulate region between axillae, and much longer obliquely angled surface meshlike coriaceous to smooth ventrally, and scutellum low convex (Fig. 33), almost uniformly, coarsely, punctate-reticulate. Tegula yellow. Macropterous; fore wing (Figs 29, 35, 36) marginal vein about 7.6× length of stigmal vein; apex of postmarginal vein distinct, extending at most to level of apex of uncus; uncus (Fig. 35) diverging from stigmal vein virtually at apex so distinct stigma not differentiated posterior to uncus and apex separated from posterior margin of postmarginal vein by distance greater than width of postmarginal vein but by slightly less than maximum height of stigma plus uncus; costal cell ventrally with single seta basally; disc (Fig. 36) with elongate-oval brownish region between venation and medial fold except narrowly hyaline behind much of marginal vein mesally, and with lighter, more inconspicuously brownish infuscation posterior to cubital fold, with distinct brownish setae, the setae shorter posteriorly but not spiculate, except for narrow bare band behind parastigma and about basal two-thirds of marginal vein, but dorsally without distinct bare band beyond stigmal vein (Fig. 35); marginal fringe present except anteroapically beyond postmarginal vein (Fig. 35). Prepectus with several, inconspicuous white setae posteriorly toward tegula. Mesepimeron bare along posterior margin (Fig. 32). Metapleuron bare, with about ventral half reticulate and dorsal half smooth and shiny (Fig. 32). Metasternum comparatively long, with base of mesocoxa distinctly anterior to, and apex of mesocoxa about level with, base of metacoxa. Legs, including coxae, yellowish-brown except basal three tarsomeres of each leg lighter, those of meso- and metatarsi white; metacoxa dorsobasally with single seta (Figs 32, 34). Propodeum (Fig. 34) with crenulate band along anterior margin recurved posteromedially into similarly but more finely sculptured slender band on either side of median carina along most of length; panels otherwise smooth and shiny, and callus almost completely smooth and shiny; callus anteriorly and propodeal panels posteriorly and laterally between foramen and spiracle variably extensively reddish-violaceous depending on angle of light, but callus posterior to spiracle and panels anteriorly green to bluish.
Petiole (Figs 32, 34) with greenish luster and dorsally sculptured, sides diverging slightly posteriorly, and about 1.8× as long as median width. Gaster (Fig. 29) uniformly dark brown; presyntergal tergites very finely meshlike coriaceous except posterior margins smooth and basal tergites more extensively smooth, with Gt2 similar in length to Gt1 or Gt3, not distinctively short.
MALE. Unknown.
Host. Unknown.
Remarks. The only known female of N. kansensis is one of the smallest oulmesiensis -group females examined, slightly less than 2 mm in length. It differs from N. oulmesiensis females most conspicuously in having a single, elongate-oval infuscate region behind the venation (Fig. 36) and only a single seta dorsally on the metacoxa (Figs 32, 34), but also in having only a single seta ventrobasally within the costal cell and the gena near the malar sulcus reddish-violaceous with subeffaced sculpture rather than similarly green and distinctly sculptured as the lower face. Most females of N. oulmesiensis examined are larger and have the infuscate region behind the venation quite obviously interrupted anteriorly by a hyaline region near the base of the marginal vein (Fig. 60) as well as having a patch of several setae dorsally on the metacoxa (Figs 66, 67) and more numerous setae ventrobasally within the costal cell. However, a female from Greece (NMPC) that is the same size as the N. kansensis holotype has only two dorsal metacoxal setae and the fore wing infuscate region less conspicuously interrupted than for larger females, which suggests that these two features could be correlated with size. Some females also have only 2 setae ventrobasally in the costal cell, demonstrating infraspecific variation also in this feature. However, observed females of N. oulmesiensis, including smaller ones, have the lower face and gena uniformly sculptured and similarly green to reddish-violaceous. The unique holotype of N. kansensis also has a longer OOL and more finely sculptured frontovertex than examined N. oulmesiensis, though smaller females have a longer OOL and more finely sculptured frontovertex than larger females, again indicating these two features are size correlated. Based on all observed differences I describe the female collected in Nebraska as a new species, but additional specimens and molecular studies are required to more confidently evaluate morphological variation and assess its status relative to N. oulmesiensis. Definitive resolution of its species status is important to answer the questions of how or why there is a species of Notanisus in Nebraska. Notanisus has been considered to be strictly an Old World genus, not native to either the Nearctic or Neotropical regions. The presence of N. sexramosus in eastern, coastal states of USA is readily explained by one or more relatively recent accidental introductions prior to 1982. Accidental introduction into a mid-western state such as Kansas might be considered less likely.
description: Published as part of Gibson, Gary A. P., 2015, The presence of Notanisus Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in North America and revision of the oulmesiensis species group, pp. 422-450 in Zootaxa 3948 (3) on pages 434-436, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3948.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/253777