Szelenyiopria chiriquiensis Araúz & Fernández-Marín, 2025

Szelenyiopria chiriquiensis Araúz & Fernández-Marín sp. nov.

Figs 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 , 9 View Figure 9

Type material.

Holotype • female (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ); “ PANAMÁ, Chiriquí, Boquerón, Cordillera ( 8°43'11.3"N, 82°35'52.4"W, 1200 m); 13.xii.2023. Emerged from a larva of Acromyrmex coronatus (nest # 03), Gabriel Araúz, Hermógenes Fernández-Marín and Anel Pérez leg. ” ( MIUP) GoogleMaps . Paratypes • 3 males and 4 females, with same labels as holotype GoogleMaps ; • 5 females, PANAMÁ, Chiriquí, Tierras Altas, Volcán ( 8°48'41.2"N, 82°39'11.5"W); 13.xii.2023. Emerged from a larva of A. coronatus (nest # 01), Gabriel Araúz, Hermógenes Fernández-Marín and Anel Pérez leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes location: 6 females and 2 males in MIUP; 3 females and 1 male in LIS.

Etymology.

The species name is refers to term “ Chiriquí ”, which means “ Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) ” to the Ngäbe and Buglé peoples, the native inhabitants of Chiriquí Province. Additionally, the species name refers to Chiriquí Province, where we discovered this species and which is one of the most beautiful, biodiverse, and agriculturally productive regions in Panama.

Diagnosis.

Szelenyiopria chiriquiensis differs from the all known species of the genus by the combination of the following characters: female antenna 11 - segmented, with nonabrupt clava; three apical segments of clava flattened ventrally; gena with dense postgenal cushion; lateral side of pronotum and mesopleura mainly covered with alutaceous sculptured; anterior scutellar pit semicircle, with three low longitudinal striae and four ridges inside; mesoscutum convex and with alutaceous sculpture; propodeum dorsally rugulose sculptured with median keel slightly raised anteriorly (Figs 6 View Figure 6 , 7E View Figure 7 ); side of propodeum and metapleuron reticulate rugose, covered with scattered, apically truncate and up-standing setae and short pubescence. T 2 – T 4 covered with numerous specialized setae (Fig. 7 F, G View Figure 7 ). Male antenna 14 - segmented; A 3 – A 14 each with a row of long setae.

Description.

Holotype, female (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). Body length 2.82 mm. Head, mesosoma and metasoma shiny, mesosoma nearly all covered with alutaceous sculpture. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black; antenna, tegula and legs pale brown.

Head (Fig. 7 A – C View Figure 7 ). Head subrectangular and slightly transverse, in dorsal view 1.29 × as wide as long ( 0.62 mm / 0.48 mm) with protruding antennal shelf and covered with long, scattered, truncate setae. Frons and face smooth. Temple subequal to width of compound eye ( 0.22 mm / 0.20 mm) in lateral view. Compound eyes ovoid, 1.05 × as high as wide ( 0.20 mm / 0.19 mm), with some scattered truncate setae. Ocelli large, forming almost equilateral triangle, POL: LOL: OOL = 4: 3: 10. Ocelli diameter 4 × ommatidium diameter; malar space 0.55 × as long as compound eye height ( 0.11 mm / 0.20 mm) in lateral view. Occipital carina narrow and smooth in dorsal view. Palpal formula 5: 2.

Antennae. Antenna 11 - segmented with nonabrupt clava, A 1 subcylindrical, broadened apically and covered with reticulate sculpture. Size of antennomeres (length / width in mm) in lateral view: A 1 0.51 / 0.11, A 2 0.13 / 0.08, A 3 0.15 / 0.07, A 4 0.14 / 0.07, A 5 0.13 / 0.07, A 6 0.13 / 0.07, A 7 0.13 / 0.08, A 8 0.13 / 0.09, A 9 0.15 / 0.14, A 10 0.16 / 0.15 and A 11 0.28 / 0.15. Clavomeres A 9 – A 10 subquadrate in dorsal view and flattened ventrally; A 11 subconical, flattened ventrally. All antennomeres with long, scattered, truncate setae and A 8 – A 11 covered with short pubescence.

Mesosoma (Fig. 7 D, E View Figure 7 ). Mesosoma 1.19 × wider than head at level of tegula ( 0.74 mm / 0.62 mm). Cervix longitudinally strigose. Pronotal cushion dense, pronotal collar with only scattered truncate setae. Mesoscutum slightly convex, shiny, with alutaceous sculpture along margins and sparse truncate setae. Mesoscutellar disc convex and covered with alutaceous sculpture; axilla 1.33 × as long as the scutellar pit ( 0.18 mm / 0.24 mm). Metanotum with alutaceous sculpture between longitudinal ridges on metascutellum and on metanotal trough, covered with short pilosity and scattered truncate setae. Metascutellum armed with three longitudinal ridges. Propodeum rugulose and covered by short pilosity, posterolateral corners strongly prominent and posterior margin deeply convex medially in dorsal view. Mesopleuron with scattered specialized setae and short pilosity, mainly covered with alutaceous sculpture and partly smooth in its middle part. Propleuron with alutaceous sculpture and covered with short and dense pilosity. Metapleuron and lateral sides of propodeum rugose, covered with short pale pilosity. Forewing 3.05 × longer than wide ( 2.78 mm / 0.91 mm); submarginal vein reaching proximal third of forewing length. Hindwing longer than wide ( 1.69 mm / 0.21 mm), with marginal vein. Legs long, covered with scattered truncate setae. Femora of all legs slender with long stalk.

Metasoma (Fig. 7 F, G View Figure 7 ). Petiole 1.47 × longer than wide ( 0.28 mm / 0.19 mm), longitudinally strigose and covered with short pilosity. Gaster 1.44 × longer than wide ( 1.01 mm / 0.7 mm) with dorsally numerous scattered, long, truncate setae and ventrally with two rows of long, truncate setae.

Variation. Mesoscutum in some parts up to completely alutaceously sculptured. Female body length 3.05–3.10 mm.

Male (Figs 8 View Figure 8 , 9 A – F View Figure 9 ). Body length 3.38–3.43 mm. Similar to female except for the following characters: eyes bare; antennae 14 - segmented; A 1 and A 2 subcylindrical, shortly pubescent; A 3 – A 14 each fusiform, its widest part slightly shifted towards apex with a row of long setae. Size of antennomeres (length / width in mm): A 1 (0.52 / 0.12); A 2 (0.10 / 0.10); A 3 (0.18 / 0.09); A 4 (0.20 / 0.10); A 5 (0.20 / 0.09); A 6 (0.18 / 0.10); A 7 (0.22 / 0.10); A 8 (0.23 / 0.10); A 9 (0.21 / 0.09); A 10 (0.22 / 0.10); A 11 (0.20 / 0.10); A 12 (0.19 / 0.09); A 13 (0.18 / 0.09) and A 14 (0.22 / 0.07).

Distribution.

Known from only the type locality.

Biology.

Szelenyiopria chiriquiensis sp. nov. is a larval endoparasitoid of the leaf-cutter ant Acromyrmex coronatus in Panama. We found that 62 % of all A. coronatus nests collected were parasitized ( n = 21). This diapriid species can be solitary (only one wasp per larva) or gregarious (up to five wasps per larva), with each wasp separated from the others by a septum. The ant workers protected, groomed, and transported the parasitized larvae as if they were healthy larvae. Once the wasps emerged, they tried to leave the nest quickly. If they did not, two or more ants used their mouthparts to hold them by the legs, antennae, and / or wings, and they dismembered the wasps.