Description of the female of Colocharis hungi Torréns (Hymenoptera, Eucharitidae) and identification key for the species of Colocharis
Author
Schoeninger, Karine
Author
Silva, Thiago S. R.
Author
Kawada, Ricardo
Author
Torrens, Javier
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-07-17
4446
2
265
272
journal article
29345
10.11646/zootaxa.4446.2.6
b73cb86b-9a7b-41c9-aedd-f6c3ad5ab7a1
1175-5326
1444163
31733F69-86BA-4093-B1CC-0AB37B94A405
Colocharis hungi
Torréns 2012
(
Fig. 1A‒E
)
Diagnosis.
The female is distinguished by a short FL2, 2.7× as long as greatest width and 1.3× as long as following flagellar segment (
Fig. 2B
); propodeal disc with weak, broadly areolate sculpture and petiole with rough surface (
Fig. 2C
) and two weak longitudinal carinae and a weak basal carina. The male has a shorter flagellum than
C. napoana
(1.3× height of head), a long fore wing (2.4× as long as broad), and the propodeal disc is sharply areolate.
Description.
Female.
Length
1.9
‒
2.3 mm
(
Fig. 2E
). Head, mesosoma, and petiole black; gaster dark brown; antennal flagellum, pedicel, scape, and legs white; wings hyaline; fore wing venation light brown.
Head
. 1.3
‒
1.4× as broad as high. Face, including genae, smooth and shining, with sparse, fine appressed hairs (
Fig. 2A
); vertex slightly rugose. Eyes separated by 1.9‒2.0× their height. Malar space 0.6
‒
0.9‒ height of eye. Scape 3.3
‒
4.7‒ as long as wide, elongate and smooth, with scattered semierect hairs in dorsal region; flagellum with 6 segments (
Fig. 2B
), length of flagellum 1.3
‒
1.5× height of head, FL2 2.7
‒
3.3× as long as greatest width, 1.3
‒
1.7× as long as greatest length of following flagellar segment; FL2 swollen in apical half; clava elongate, about as long as previous two segments combined (
Fig. 2B
).
Mesosoma.
Mesoscutum midlobe with irregular carinae radiating from midpoint to posterior margins, evenly covered with fine appressed hairs; lateral lobes smooth and shining, with sparse setae. Axillae and scutellar disc with parallel longitudinal carinae dorsally, lateral face of axilla with some irregular striae, axillula with oblique carinae; frenal process 2.1
‒
3.3× as long as broad. Propodeal disc with weak, broadly areolate sculpture, bordered by propodeal carina (
Fig. 2C
). Metacoxa 2.0
‒
2.1× as long as broad, smooth, shining, and bare. Metafemur smooth with semi-appressed setae (
Fig. 2D
). Fore wing 2.4
‒
2.5× as long as broad, stigmal vein subquadrate, 1.2
‒
1.4× as long as broad; postmarginal vein indistinct, but apparently a little longer than stigmal vein; entire wing pilose except for basal area.
Metasoma.
Petiole 4.7
‒
5.1×x as long as broad and 1.5× as long as metacoxa, cylindrical in cross section with rough surface, with two weak longitudinal carinae and weak basal carina. First gastral segment smooth and bare. Hypopygium with one seta on each side of mucro. Ovipositor sheath extending beyond cerci (and metasoma) by much more than one diameter of the cercus.
Distribution.
Argentina
and
Brazil
(
Mato Grosso do Sul
and
Roraima
).
Material
examined.
BRAZIL
:
Roraima
:
Amajari
,
Serra do Tepequém
,
1‒15.i.2016
,
Malaise Gressit-Gressit
,
Rafael
et al
. col.,
1♀
and
2♂
,
INPA
;
Mato
Grosso do Sul
:
Dourados
,
22°13’16’’S
/
54°48’20’’W
,
26.v.2015
,
Calhau
,
Kawada
&
Coelho
col.,
3♀
and
14♂
UFES
.
Remarks.
Colocharis hungi
is recorded, so far, from two distinct biogeographic provinces,
Paraná
Forest and Pantepui provinces (
Fig. 4
). Both provinces are structurally dissimilar, with a transition between savannas and humid forests in northern
Brazil
, with characteristic sandstone plateaus, representing the Pantepui province (
Morrone 2000
), and humid and seasonal forests representing the
Paraná
Forest province (
Morrone 2001
). Although both provinces present little similarity in fauna and flora (
Morrone 2000
,
2001
,
2014
), we cannot properly infer if historical events and regional characteristics shape eucharitid distribution, since their presence in a specific location could be constrained by other factors, such as host availability and preference for oviposition sites. As long as our knowledge on the biology of this group remains scant we will not fully comprehend the processes that explain their distribution.
According to
Heraty (2002)
, there are specimens of
Cholocharis
collected in
Peru
, but not for the described species, indicating that the diversity of this genus remains largely unexplored.
Undersampling can inhibit our ability to understand the species distribution in many genera of
Eucharitidae
. Sadly, we do not have standard procedures to enhance eucharitid sampling in poorly studied areas. We still do not have enough phylogenetic and taxonomic support to accurately establish causal relations between biogeographic events and current distribution in most eucharitid genera.