Aspilota murieli Peris-Felipo, 2025

Aspilota murieli Peris-Felipo sp. nov.

Figs 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3

Type material.

Holotype: Argentina • ♀; Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Baradero ; 33°55'13"S, 59°37'26"W; 24 m; 10.xi.2022; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( MACN -En) GoogleMaps .

Paratypes: Argentina • 7 ♀♀; same location than holotype but: 2 ♀♀; 8.ix.2022; 33°56'16"S, 59°37'4"W; 16 m ( MACN -En; ZISP) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀; 5.x.2022; 33°55'16"S 59°37'42"W; 16 m ( MACN -En) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; 24.x.2022; 33°55'13"S, 59°37'26"W; 99 m ( NMB) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; 23.xi.2022; 33°56'15"S, 59°36'40"W; 19 m ( NMB) GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; 3.x.2023; 33°55'16"S, 59°37'42"W; 18 m ( PFEC) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Solis ; 5.x.2022; 34°12'10"S, 59°13'22"W; 31 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( MACN -En) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Solis ; 7.ii.2024; 34°11'29"S, 59°13'44"W; 29 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( PFEC) GoogleMaps • 2 ♀♀; Santa Fé Province, Partido de Teodelina ; 13.x.2022; 34°06'18"S, 61°27'25"W; 97 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( PFEC; ZISP) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Vedia ; 12.x.2022; 34°27'35"S, 61°48'46"W; 99 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( MACN -En) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀; Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Vedia ; 31.x.2022; 34°29'10"S, 61°47'12"W; 99 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( MACN -En) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Vedia ; 10.i.2024; 34°29'10"S, 61°47'12"W; 99 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( PFEC) GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, Buenos Aires Province, Partido de Vedia , 18.vii.2024; 34°29'25"S, 61°47'45"W; 99 m; Malaise trap (Peris-Felipo leg.) ( NMB) GoogleMaps .

Description.

Female (holotype). Length. Body 1.4 mm; fore wing 1.6 mm; hind wing 1.2 mm.

Head. In dorsal view, 1.85 × as wide as its median long, 1.5 × as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Eye in lateral view 1.6 × as high as wide and 0.9 × as wide as temple medially (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). POL 1.6 × OD; OOL ~ 3.0 × OD (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Face 1.7 × as wide as high; inner margins of eyes subparallel (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ). Clypeus 2.3 × as wide as high, slightly curved ventrally (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ). Paraclypeal fovea reaching inner margin of eye (Fig. 3 A View Figure 3 ). Mandible tridentate, weakly widened towards apex, 1.3 × as long as its maximum width (Fig. 2 D View Figure 2 ). Upper tooth distinctly shorter than lower tooth, small and rounded; middle tooth rather long and narrow, longer than lower tooth, acuminate apically; lower tooth widest, obtuse, subrounded distally, weakly curved downwards (Fig. 2 D View Figure 2 ). Antenna (Fig. 2 E View Figure 2 ) 15 - segmented, 0.8 × as long as body. Scape 2.0 × longer than pedicel. First flagellar segment 3.7 × as long as its maximum width, 1.2 × as long as second segment. Second flagellar segment 2.6 × as long as its maximum width; third to eleventh segments 1.7–1.8 × as long as their maximum width, 12 th segment 1.45 ×, and 15 th (apical) segment 2.0 × as long as their wide accordingly (Fig. 2 E View Figure 2 ).

Mesosoma. In lateral view, 1.2 × as long as high (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Mesoscutum (dorsal view) 0.75 × as long as its maximum width, smooth, without setae along tracks of notauli (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Mesoscutal pit absent (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Prescutellar depression smooth, with three carinae (Fig. 3 B View Figure 3 ). Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, short, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate in upper half, smooth in lower half (Fig. 2 C View Figure 2 ). Propodeum largely smooth, with pentagonal areola delineated by distinct carinae (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ). Propodeal spiracles weakly enlarged, its diameter 0.5 × distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum. (Fig. 3 C View Figure 3 ).

Wings (Fig. 3 F View Figure 3 ). Length of fore wing 2.5 × as long as its maximum width. Radial (marginal) cell ending at apex of wing, 3.7 × as long as its maximum width. Vein r 2 (3 - SR) 2.3 × as long as vein cuqu 1 (2 - SR); vein r 3 (SR 1) 3.1 × as long as vein r 2 (3 - SR). Nervulus (cu-a) distinctly postfurcal. Brachial (first subdiscal) cell closed distally, 2.6 × as long as its maximum width. Hind wing 6.7 × as long as its maximum width.

Legs (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ). Hind femur subclaviform, 3.8 × as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened towards apex, 9.2 × as long as its maximum subapical width, 1.05 × as long as its hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 2.4 × as long as second segment.

Metasoma. First tergite long, slightly widened towards apex, 2.0 × as long as its apical width, completely smooth (Fig. 3 E View Figure 3 ). Ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3 D View Figure 3 ) 1.3 × as long as first tergite, 0.4 × as long as metasoma, 0.5 × as long as hind femur, 0.3 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Body and antenna dark brown. Mandibles, palpi, pterostigma and legs yellowish brown. First metasomal tergite paler than second and third tergites. Wings hyaline.

Variation. Body length 1.3–1.7 mm; fore wing length 1.5–1.9 mm; hind wing length 1.1–1.5 mm. Face 1.60–1.75 × as wide as high. Mandible 1.3–1.4 × as long as its maximum width. Antenna 14–16 - segmented. First flagellar segment 3.6–3.7 × as long as its maximum width. Sixth flagellar segment 1.6–1.8 × as long as its maximum width. Vein r 3 (SR 1) 2.9–3.2 × as long as vein r 2 (3 - SR). Hind femur 3.65–3.80 × as long as its maximum width.

Male (Fig. 2 B, F View Figure 2 ). Body length 1.2 mm; fore wing length 1.9 mm; hind wing length 1.2 mm. Antenna slender, 18 - segmented, about as long as body. First flagellar segment 3.8 × as long as its maximum width. Second flagellar segment 2.6 × as long as its maximum width. Third and fourth segments 3.15 ×, 5 th – 11 th segments 2.8 ×, 12 th – 14 th segments 2.5 ×, and 15 th segment 3.0 × as long as its maximum width. Vein r 3 (SR 1) 3.0 × as long as vein r 2 (3 - SR). Otherwise similar to female.

DNA sequence data.

Sequences obtained as part of this study are deposited in GenBank, accession numbers PV 097239 and PV 097240.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of Julio Muriel, for his motivational influence, visionary inspiration and his key role as the driving force behind the success of this project.

Comparative diagnosis.

This new species is similar to A. stigmalis from Colombia ( Papp 2012) (Neotropical) and A. spiracularis from Mexico (Nearctic) (Fischer 1970). Aspilota murieli sp. nov. differs from A. stigmalis on having the eye in dorsal view as wide as temple medially (0.8 × as wide as in A. stigmalis ) and in lateral view 0.9 × as wide as temple medially (1.1 × in A. stigmalis ), mandible 1.3–1.4 × as long as its maximum width (1.6 × in A. stigmalis ), scape 2.0 × longer than pedicel (2.5 × in A. stigmalis ), and vein r 3 (SR 1) 2.9–3.2 × as long as vein r 2 (3 - SR) (2.3 × in A. stigmalis ). On the other hand, this new species differs from A. spiracularis on having the head in dorsal view 1.85 × as wide as its median long (1.33 × in A. spiracularis ), first flagellar segment 3.6–3.7 × as long as its maximum width (5.0 × in A. spiracularis ), vein r 2 (3 - SR) 2.3 × as long as vein cuqu 1 (2 - SR) (1.4 × in A. spiracularis ), hind femur 3.65–3.80 × as long as its maximum width (4.0 × in A. spiracularis ), and first metasomal tergite 2.0 × as long as its apical width (1.7 × in A. spiracularis ).