Monodontomerus verdigris Chitty & Duran, 2025

Monodontomerus verdigris Chitty & Duran sp. nov.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: individualCount: 1; sex: female; occurrenceID: 00D62C41-F3DB-5741-9AC7-3C205462B72D; Location: higherGeography: North America; country: United States of America; stateProvince: Idaho; county: Fremont; locality: Saint Anthony’s Dunes ; verbatimLocality: USA ID: Fremont Co. / Saint Anthony’s Dunes / 44.117199, - 111.650936; verbatimLatitude: 44.117199; verbatimLongitude: - 111.650936; Event: samplingProtocol: V-shaped flight intercept trap; eventDate: 2022-06 - 26 to 2022-06 - 28; verbatimEventDate: 26-28 June 2022; habitat: sand dune; Record Level: institutionID: http://grscicoll.org/institution/smithsonian-institution-national-museum-natural-history; institutionCode: NMNH; basisOfRecord: PreservedSpecimen

Description

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4

Body length 3.7 mm, excluding ovipositor (5.0 mm with ovipositor). Colour metallic greenish-black and, under certain lighting, with shining bluish-green highlights, especially on hind coxae and femora; scape, apices of pro- and mesofemur, tibia and tarsi pale testaceous. Pedicel black and with green reflections under certain lighting, flagellum black. Apices of tarsi black.

Head: Face transverse in outline, width: height ratio 5: 4; clypeus lying within imaginary line drawn between lateral corners of oral fossa; intermalar distance about 4.0 x malar distance; malar sulcus present; lower face not bulging in profile; toruli about own diameter above ventral margin of eye; eye with setae, shorter than those on genae (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Antenna: Antennal formula is 11173 and typical of genus, scape not reaching mid-ocellus, about 3 x length of pedicel; funicular segments subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Mesosoma: Mesepimeron highly polished overall, except for sculpture above ventral margin and striation on anterodorsal margin, striation of anterodorsal mesepimeron not reaching transepimeral sulcus, transepimeral sulcus not extending to ventral margin (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ); frenal area about 0.4 x length of scutellum, sculptured overall, apical rim produced posteriorly with punctures larger at apex, not emarginate (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ); dorsellum medially carinate, dorsally splits into two distinct carinae that form an open V, scarcely projecting ventrally as tooth, surface lateral to carina convex, with distinct pits on dorsal margin of dorsellum, pits do not extend down to ventral margin along sides of carinae (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ); propodeum with median depression triangular and extending to nucha, lateral margins converging strongly, lateral areas with reticulate sculpture; median carina dorsally slightly divided (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ).

Forewing: Costal cell on anterior margin above with setal row in distal half and lacking setae proximally, below with two complete apical setal rows and additional setae in distal 1 / 3, cubital and basal veins with setae; basal cell with setal row, dorsal admarginal setae reaching marginal vein, but not parastigma, discal setae extending to mid-point of basal area; stigmal area faintly stained around stigma, stigma and uncus elongate; marginal vein about 0.4 x length of costal cell, post marginal vein about 0.6 x length of marginal vein, distal portion of postmarginal vein subequal to length of proximal portion (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

Leg: Metacoxa width is about 0.6 x its height; hind femur about 3 x as long as wide; hind femoral tooth as in Fig. 1; tibia and femur subequal in length, longest hind tibial spur about 0.33 x length of basitarsus (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

Metasoma: Mt 1 reticulately sculptured; Mt 5 acutely curved in profile; ovipositor 0.4 x length of body (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 )

LATERAL (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ) Measurements – 669 pixels per 1 mm

All dimensions in mm.

Body length – 3.709 mm, Ovipositor length – 1.554, Mesepimeron height – 0.515, Mesepimeron width – 0.238, Mesepisternum height – 0.661, Mesepisternum width – 0.269, Postmarginal vein length – 0.334, Marginal vein length – 0.534, Costal cell length – 1.232, Meta femur length – 1.082, Metafemur width – 0.323, Metacoxae height – 0.904, Metacoxa width – 0.469, Meta tibia length – 0.972, Metatarsi length – 0.972, Basitarsus length – 0.313, Metatibial spur length – 0.137, Flagellum length – 0.828, Pedicel length – 0.131, Eye height – 0.513.

DORSAL (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ) Measurements – 669 pixels per 1 mm.

Scutellum length – 0.691 Frenal area length – 0.274.

ANTERIOR (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ) Measurements – 1190.966 pixels per 1 mm.

Malar distance – 0.168 Intermalar distance – 0.789 Scape – 0.323 Pedicel – 0.111.

Diagnosis

Monodontomerus verdigris sp. nov. (Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ) can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by the following combination of characteristics: F 1 - F 7 subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), striation in the anterodorsal corner of the mesepimeron which does not reach transepimeral sulcus (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), carina of dorsellum which splits into two distinct carinae that form an open " V " (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), median depression of propodeum narrowly triangular to nucha which it intercepts with nearly parallel lateral margins, a projecting rim of the scutellum which is not emarginated and a reticulately textured Mt 1 (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ).

It can be distinguished from Monodontomerus brevicrus by possessing the following combination of characteristics: Intermalar distance 4 x malar distance, F 1 - F 7 subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), possessing a diagonal band of sculpture in anterodorsal corner of mesepimeron, transempimeral sulcus not extending to ventral margin (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), apical rim conspicuously produced posteriorly and with punctures of rim of scutellum wider at apex (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ), median carina of dorsellum dorsally splitting into two distinct carinae that form an open V (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), median carina of dorsellum not subtended by grooves (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), strongly defined median carina of propodeum (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ), stigmal area faintly stained only immediately around stigma, distal portion of post marginal vein are subequal to proximal portion instead of two-thirds its length and Mt 5 acutely curved in profile (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

It can be distinguished from Monodontomerus dianthidii by possessing the following combination of characteristics: greenish-black body, intermalar distance 4 x malar distance, F 1 - F 7 subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), possessing a diagonal band of sculpture in anterodorsal corner of mesepimeron (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), frenal area not polished under any lighting, apical rim of scutellum is not emarginate (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ), carina of dorsellum dorsally splitting into carinae that form an open V (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), lacking setae basally on anterior margin above of costal cell, admarginal setae reaching marginal vein, but not parastigma and hind femoral tooth more elongate (see Fig. 1 View Figure 1 and fig. 37 from Grissell (2000 )).

It can be distinguished from Monodontomerus dentipes by possessing the following combination of characteristics: intermalar distance about 4 x malar distance, setae covering eyes not denser than those of genae or head, F 1 - F 7 subquadrate, toruli only 1 x own diameter above ventral margin of eye (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), sculpture on anterodorsal margin of upper mesepimeron not extending to transepimeral sulcus (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), frenal area sculptured throughout (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ), median carina of dorsellum dorsally splitting into two distinct carinae that form an open V, dorsal margin of dorsellum not lacking pits, area lateral to carina of dorsellum convex instead of flat or concave, tooth of dorsellum not projecting into carina of propodeum, median carina of propodeum not dorsally greatly forked (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), costal cell on anterior margin above with setal row only in distal half, costal cell on anterior margin below lacking additional setae in basal fifth, discal setae not extending into basal area as parallel rows, hind femoral tooth clearly more than own length from apex and Mt 5 acutely curved in profile (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

It can be distinguished from Monodontomerus minor by possessing the following combination of characteristics: intermalar distance about 4 x malar distance, toruli only 1 x own diameter above ventral margin of eye, F 1 - F 7 subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), possessing a diagonal band of sculpture in anterodorsal corner of mesepimeron (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), frenal area not polished, apical rim of scutellum not interrupted posteriorly at median margin by polished area (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ), surface lateral to carina of dorsellum not concave, tooth of dorsellum not projecting into carina of propodeum (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), median carina of propodeum not deeply V-shaped (Fig. 1), costal cell on anterior margin above with setal row only in distal half and also lacking additional row in apical third, costal cell below not with extra setae in basal fifth, discal setae not extending into basal area as parallel rows, stigmal area faintly stained around stigma and not any further, hind femoral tooth is shorter and projecting straight (not at 45 degree angle, see Fig. 1 View Figure 1 and fig. 19 from Grissell (2000 )), Mt 1 reticulately sculptured and Mt 5 acutely curved in profile (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ).

It can be distinguished from Monodontomerus tectus by possessing the following combination of characteristics: F 3-7 subquadrate (Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ), striation in anterodorsal corner of mesepimeron not reaching transepimeral sulcus (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ), carina of dorsellum dorsally splitting into carinae that form an open V (Fig. 4 View Figure 4 ), carina of dorsellum projecting ventrally as tooth, median depression of propodeum narrowly triangular to the nucha, which it intercepts with strongly convergent lateral margins, transverse carinae of propodeum not as heavy and median carina of propodeum dorsally lacking distinct V-shaped raised area composed of fine longitudinal carinae (Fig. 2 View Figure 2 ).

In addition, see modified key couplets of Grissell (2000) below.

Etymology

Monodontomerus verdigris is named for the colour of the hind coxae and femora which possess bright bluish-green reflections. Verdigris is the word for copper salts that commonly form on copper statues, derived from Old French (“ verte grez ” for green-grey). The word verdigris also starts with " V " and a " V " - shaped structure on the dorsellum which is one of the species' defining features.

Distribution

Little is known about this species, as it is based on a single specimen, not observed in life and collected via a passive trapping device, a V-FIT (i. e. “ V ” - shaped Flight Intercept Trap). Given that the habitat of the St. Anthony’s Sand Dunes is a unique section of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem comprised of large aeolian sand dunes and short vegetation, it is likely to be a specialist on a sand-dwelling host species.