Prochas theclae Walkley, 1959

Prochas theclae Walkley, 1959 View in CoL

( Figs 1C, F, I, L View FIGURE 1 ; 2B, C, F View FIGURE 2 )

Prochas theclae Walkley View in CoL in Short, 1959: 489 (orig. des., host); Short, 1959: 492 (larv.); Townes & Townes 1966: 154 (cat.); Townes 1970: 185 (key, redes.); Short 1978: 71 (larv.); Yu & Horstmann 1997: 178 (cat.); Onody & Penteado-Dias 2015: 498 View Cited Treatment (key); Yu et al. 2016 (cat.); Han et al. 2024: 4 (key).

Diagnosis. Clypeus apically black ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ); metapleuron with juxtacoxal carina forming a conspicuous single line ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ); propodeum anterior transverse carina intercepting lateromedian longitudinal carinae near area petiolaris, forming a trapezoid shape ( holotype) or a hexagon with posterior sides shorter than anterior ( Fig 1F View FIGURE 1 ); vein 1cu-a interstitial with M+RS; metasoma entirely dark brown except sternites II–III with white markings ( Fig. 1 I, L View FIGURE 1 ).

Redescription (Female)

Head. Lateral height of head 0.7–0.8× the height of mesopleuron; mandible with ventral flange far from teeth, upper tooth longer than lower; mandible 1.3–1.7× as long as basal width; malar space 0.5–0.7× as long as basal width of mandible; labial palps 4-segmented; maxillary palps 5-segmented; clypeus colliculate-rugose, anterior margin truncate and reflexed; face well developed, rectangular, width 1.4–1.5× height; face and orbital band finely colliculate; inner margins of eyes parallel near clypeus, weakly emarginate near antennal foramina; upper face between antennal foramina colliculate; lateral ocellus separated from eye by 0.4–0.6× its own diameter; interocellar distance 2.0–2.4× diameter of lateral ocelli; first flagellomere 3.5–4.0× as long as wide; second flagellomere 1.4– 1.8× as high as first; antenna with 32–34 flagellomeres, flagellomeres 8–12 rectangular.

Mesosoma. Pronotum with posterodorsal area weakly rugose-punctate; lateroventral area striate-punctate; epomia absent; mesoscutum finely colliculate-punctate; notaular area similarly sculptured but coarser; mesoscutellum colliculate with long pilosity; epicnemial carina arched, converging anteriorly toward mesopleuron; mesopleuron with speculum glabrous, sometimes weakly striate; lateroventral part of mesopleuron coarsely colliculate-punctate; sternaulus absent; posterior transverse carina of the mesosternum sinuous, forming two teeth ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ); metapleuron with juxtacoxal carina forming a conspicuous single line; juxtacoxal area nitid-colliculate; upper division of metapleuron colliculate-punctate; propodeum convex in profile, spiracle weakly elliptic, 1.1–1.2× as high as wide; anterior transverse carina intercepting spiracle, thickness equal to pleural carina; propodeum with dense short pilosity; lateromedian longitudinal carinae on area superomedia widely separated, usually delimiting a well-developed area superomedia; anterior transverse carina intercepting lateromedian longitudinal carinae near area petiolaris, forming trapezoid shape ( holotype) or hexagon with posterior sides shorter than anterior (other specimens) ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ); area superomedia and area petiolaris shiny, weakly striate; propodeal neck 0.2–0.3× length of hind coxa. Legs. Tarsal claws pectinate; hind coxa coriaceous-punctate; metafemur cylindrical, 4.0–4.6× as long as wide; distal width of metatibia about twice width of hind basitarsus. Wings. Fore wing 4.3–4.9 mm with pterostigma well developed, more than twice thickness of RA; marginal cell 0.3–0.4× as high as wide; vein 1cu-a interstitial with M+RS; vein 2rs-m longer than 1M; vein 3Cu joining 2Cu and cu-a near middle; vein 2m-cu inclivous; anal crossvein (AP) present; hind wing with nervellus slightly reclivous; posterior margin of anal cell confluent with subdiscal cell.

Metasoma. First tergite with petiole coriaceous-punctate; dorsolateral carina strong, reaching spiracle; postpetiole coriaceous-punctate, spiracle round; first tergite 1.4–1.9× as long as second tergite, 1.8–2.1× as long as third tergite; ovipositor sheaths spoon-shaped; ovipositor 1.0– 1.2 mm long, slightly upcurved.

Color. Body with silvery pilosity. Head entirely black; mandibles yellow with reddish-brown teeth and yellow ventral flange; labial and maxillary palps entirely yellow; scape and pedicel anteriorly yellow (sometimes dark orange) and laterodorsally dark brown; flagellomeres light brown basally, dark brown apically; mesosoma black; tegula black; fore leg with coxa black, trochanter usually light brown with dark brown marks, femur to tarsomere III light brown (sometimes dark orange), tarsomeres IV–V dark brown; mid leg with same pattern, tarsomeres dark brown with light brown bases; hind leg with coxa to basal part of femur dark brown, remaining femur dark orange, metatibia and tarsomeres usually dark brown, sometimes with dark orange markings; wing membrane hyaline, veins (including pterostigma) dark brown except basal ventral portion light brown; metasoma entirely dark brown, except sternites II–III with white markings; thyridium orange-brown; ovipositor dark yellowish brown.

Distribution. Trinidad and Tobago: Diego Martin. New Records. Brazil: Acre, São Paulo, Rondônia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, Tocantins ( Fig 2F View FIGURE 2 ).

Material examined: Holotype. TRINIDAD: Diego Martin, 6.viii.1943, E. McC. Callan col ( ♀ USNMENT 01520881, photographs) . Other specimens: BRASIL: Acre, Mancio Lima, Aldeia Puyanawa , 07°31'S, 73°01'W, 12.v.2021 and xi.2020, Malaise, RS Santos col. ( 3♀ DCBU 501184 View Materials , 504574 View Materials , 515034 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Mato Grosso do Sul: Campo Grande, Fazenda Escola U.C.D.B., 20°24'08.35"S, 54°36'43.83"W, 24.x.2011, Malaise, JBB Oliveira col. ( 1♀ DCBU 75231 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte , 19°52'30"S, 43°58'20"W, 23.ix–7.x.2013, Malaise, A Kumagai leg. ( 1♂ UFMG 1503083 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Estação Ambiental Peti - Cemig , 19°53'02"S, 43°22'21"W, 09– 16.xi.2012, Armadilha Luminosa, Lima, Kumagai & Dias leg. ( 1♂ UFMG 1528393 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Estação Ambiental Peti - Cemig , 19°53'02"S, 43°22'21"W, 21–28.v.2012, Armadilha Luminosa, Lima, Kumagai & Dias leg. ( 1♀ UFMG 1528382 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Estação Ambiental Peti-Cemig , 19°53'14"S, 43°22'06"W, 11–18.iv.2003, Malaise, A Kumagai leg. ( 1♀ UFMG 1525456 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Rondônia: Porto Velho, Reserva do Cuniã , 08°50'18.97"S, 63°52'21"W, 158,15m, 26.i.2011, Malaise GoogleMaps , AS Soares col. ( 2♀ DCBU 135932 View Materials , DCBU 135815 View Materials ) . Vilhena , POLONOROESTE, C Elias leg. ( 6♀ DZUP) . Santa Catarina: Nova Teutônia , F Plaumann leg. ( 1♀, 1♂ DZUP) . São Paulo: Campos do Jordão , 24.ii.2010, Malaise, ( 1♀ DCBU 186432 View Materials ) . Campos do Jordão, Usina Santa Izabel , 22°44'S, 45°30'W, 1100m, 27.ix–12.x.2002, Malaise, SAG Gomes col. ( 1♀ DCBU 343726 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Ribeirão Grande, Pq. Est. de Intervales , 24°16'28"S, 48°25'14.8"W, 840m, 22.x.2009, Malaise, NW Perioto et al. ( 3♀ DCBU 45979 View Materials , 132357 View Materials , 132387 View Materials ) GoogleMaps . Tocantins: Porto Nacional, Ribeirão São João , 10° 42'41.1"S, 48°22'23"W, 20–28.VI.2023 and 04–18.X.2023, Malaise, Krolow, T. K. e eq col. ( 2♀ CEUFT 006035 , 006036 ) GoogleMaps .

Comments: Porter (1998: 156) illustrated a specimen from Río Clarillo National Park ( Chile) which closely resembles P. theclae in the shape of the area superomedia and the relative length of the ovipositor. Based on this evidence, we consider it highly probable that P. theclae also occurs in Chile. Furthermore, some diagnostic characters proposed by Onody & Penteado-Dias (2015) from the holotype do not fully accommodate the intraspecific variation observed in the newly examined material. For instance, the number of flagellomeres varies from 32–34 ( holotype with 33), and the interocellar distance ranges from 2.0–2.4× the diameter of the lateral ocelli. These findings highlight the importance of examining additional specimens to refine the species diagnosis and account for morphological variation within P. theclae .