A new species of Colpoclypeus Lucchese (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Mexico
Author
Sánchez-García, José Antonio
Author
Pineda, Samuel
Author
Martínez, Ana Mabel
Author
Rebollar-Alviter, Angel
Author
Juárez-Gutiérrez, Ana Celestina
Author
Cruz, Ignacio López
Author
Salle, John La
Author
Figueroa, José Isaac
text
Zootaxa
2011
2830
64
68
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.277306
b6d8d53a-b7d8-4118-acd1-c9f9c66f1503
1175-5326
277306
Colpoclypeus
Lucchese
Colpoclypeus
Lucchese 1941
: 33
.
Type
species:
Colpoclypeus silvestri
Lucchese
, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Female antenna with two funicular segments (
Fig. 1a, c
); male antenna with 3 funicular segments; frons with transverse sulcus just ventral to anterior ocellus (
Fig. 1b
); notauli curving to meet apical corner of axilla and not extending to scuto-scutellar suture (
Fig. 1d
); scutellum without longitudinal grooves (
Fig. 1d
); clypeus broadly bilobed with a distinct median incision (
Fig. 1a
); propleura meeting medially for about half medial length, separated posteriorly so as to expose posterior part of prosternum.
Discussion.
Colpoclypeus
can be easily identified using the keys to eulophine genera of Europe (
Askew 1968
) and North
America
(
Schauff
et al.
1997
). It is more difficult to assign it to tribe, as is indicated by its recent placement in either the Eulophini by
Gauthier
et al.
(2000)
or the Cirrospilini by
Ubaidillah
et al.
(2003)
.
Gauthier
et al.
(2000)
separated the Eulophinae into three tribes (Eulophini, Cirrospilini, Elasmini) based on morphological and molecular data. One morphological synapomorphy was provided to support the Eulophini — the propleura meeting posteriorly along their entire medial margin and covering the prosternum (
Gauthier
et al.
2000
, fig. 7A). It was noted at the time that two genera,
Colpoclypeus
and
Dicladocerus
Westwood
, were assigned to the Eulophini that have the propleura slightly separated posteriorly, displaying an intermediate condition between the two states. Females of Eulophini all have either three or four funicle segments, with the exception of
Colpoclypeus
, which has two. The Cirrospilini were characterized by the face usually having a transverse sulcus about midway between the torulus and anterior ocellus (
Gauthier
et al.
2000
, fig. 8A −D), the propleura separated posteriorly so as to expose the prosternum (
Gauthier
et al.
2000
, fig. 7B), the postmarginal vein often equal in length or shorter than the stigma vein, and the female antenna generally with two or three funicle segments.
Colpoclypeus
has a transverse sulcus on the frons, but it is much closer to the anterior ocellus. It remains to be determined whether this sulcus is homologous with the transverse sulcus about midway between the torulus and anterior ocellus that characterizes Cirrospilini. With the exception of the aberrant position of this transverse sulcus,
Colpoclypeus
might best be classified in the Cirrospilini. However,
Gauthier
et al.
(2000
: 533) considered that it was more likely “just an aberrant member of the Eulophini”. The Eulophini and Cirrospilini were separated with a high level of support in the molecular trees, but unfortunately,
Colpoclypeus
was not included in the molecular data set.
Ubaidillah
et al.
(2003)
provided a cladistic analysis of the Cirrospilini based on morphological characters. A strict consensus tree based on their analysis showed both
Colpoclypeus
and
Dicladocerus
were placed in the Cirrospilini where they form a clade with
Pseudiglyphus
Girault. It
should be noted that
Dicladocerus
was included in the molecular data set analyzed in
Gauthier
et al.
(2000)
, where it was placed in the Eulophini.
The description of a second species of
Colpoclypeus
from
Mexico
confirms the validity and important diagnostic characters of this genus, as well as highlights the difficulties with its tribal placement. The addition of molecular data should help to resolve this issue.