Description of new species of genus Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Anacharitinae) from Brazil

Descrição de uma nova espécie do gênero Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897 (Hymenoptera: Figitidae: Anacharitinae) do Brasil

Abstract

A new Acanthaegilips species is described from Brazil, Acanthaegilips atlanticus sp. n. The morphological similarities and differences with Acanthaegilips truncatus are also presented.

Keywords:
Cynipoidea; Neotropical; apple orchard; Parana; Atlantic Forest

Resumo

Uma nova espécie de Acanthaegilips é descrita para o Brasil, Acanthaegilips atlanticus sp. n. As semelhanças e diferenças morfológicas com A. truncatus também são apresentadas.

Palavras-chave:
Cynipoidea; Neotropical; pomar de maçã; Paraná; Floresta Atlântica

1. Introduction

Figitidae is cosmopolitan, and the Neotropical fauna has significantly contributed to the taxonomic structure of this family. However, biology studies still have many questions. Members of this family are, when biology is known, internal parasitoids of other holometabolan insects, and in at least one group, hyperparasitoids (Buffington et al., 2020). Among the subfamilies, anacharitines are endoparasitoid cenobionts of the larvae of Hemerobiidae and Chrysopidae (Neuroptera) (Buffington and Ronquist, 2006).

The Anacharitinae genus Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897, was proposed by Ashmead (1897) from a single species, Acanthaegilips braziliensis Ashmead, 1897, described a female specimen collected in Brazil (Mato Grosso, Chapada). Later, Weld (1921) provided a more complete characterization of the female holotype of A. braziliensis (Ros-Farré et al., 2000). Díaz (1983) presented a key for the identification of the genera of the Anacharitinae, with the taxonomic recognition for the Acanthaegilips specimens.

In Ros-Farré et al. (2000), all morphological characters of the genus were redescribed. The revision of Ros-Farré et al. (2003) described eleven new species, and a key to species was presented. Pujade-Villar et al. (2009) described two more especies. Mata-Casanova et al. (2014) described a new species from Venezuela. An updated key of Acanthaegilips is presented in Mata-Casanova et al. (2017), with the description of four new species from Colombia.

Until now, Acanthaegilips distribution is entirely restricted to region Neotropical (Ros-Farré et al., 2003; Pujade-Villar et al., 2009; Mata-Casanova et al., 2014; Mata-Casanova et al., 2017). Despite the great diversity of the fauna, only A. braziliensis and A. carinatus Ros-Farré and Pujade-Villar, 2003, were described from Brazil (Ros-Farré et al., 2003). This new species has very distinct features that will contribute to improving the taxonomic key of Acanthaegilips species.

2. Material and Methods

The material examined was collected in an apple orchard environment adjacent to native fragments of the Atlantic Forest in the county of Porto Amazonas, State of Parana, Brazil (-25.544283S, -49.888472W), with a Yellow Moericke trap in 2013.

The subfamily of insects was identified after Buffington and Ronquist (2006), and the genera were based on Díaz (1979) and Mata-Casanova et al. (2016). To morphological terms for the determination and description of specimen were used Harris (1979), Ros-Farré et al. (2000), Ros-Farré et al. (2003), Mata-Casanova et al. (2014), and Mata-Casanova et al. (2017).

A Leica stereomicroscope, model SAPO, with coupled camera, model MC 170 HD (Leica Microsystems, Taiwan), was used to identify the insect. The species was photographed using a Leica MC170 HD camera coupled to a Leica M205C stereomicroscope, using the z-stacking method. We capture the images using Leica Application Suite V3.7 Ink and process them using LEICA LAS 4.12 software. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) pictures were obtained with the Microscope FEI, model Quanta 250, using low vacuum mode without coating. The type specimen was deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (DCUB) of the Federal University of São Carlos, UFSCar.

3. Results

Key to the species of Acanthaegilips Ashmead, 1897 (modified from Mata-Casanova et al., 2017)

• 1 Mesoscutum smooth; notauli tenuous and incomplete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

• Mesoscutum carinate or areolate; notauli complete, although in some specimens are hard to distinguish from the heavily areolate sculpture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

• 2 Scutellum shorter than mesoscutum in dorsal view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. timidus Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2017

• Scutellum longer than mesoscutum in dorsal view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

• 3 Radial cell closed; post-ocular furrow absent; malar furrow slightly curved (onlymale known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. boyacensis Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2017

• Radial cell open, post-ocular furrow present; malar furrow strongly curved and reaching the post-ocular furrow (only female known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. curvis Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2017

• 4 Mesoscutum transversely carinated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

• Mesoscutum areolate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

• 5 Malar furrow strongly curved; median mesoscutal impression not divided . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. colombiensis Pujade-Villar & Restrepo-Ortiz, 2010

• Malar furrow strongly curved; median mesoscutal impression not divided. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. venezuelensis Ros-Farré & García, 2010

• 6 Scutellum concave, strongly inclined on each side of the median scutellar carina; male flagellomeres never modified, propodeum with three longitudinal ridges without any sculpture between; notauli not formed by a row of cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. alienus Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• Scutellum flat; male antennae with some flagellomeres from F1 to F6 dorsolaterally expanded; propodeum areolate, notauli consisting in a row of cells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

• 7 Radial cell open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

• Radial cell closed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

• 8 Malar furrow straight to slightly curved, usually connected with post-ocular furrow .. 9

• Malar furrow strongly curved, post-ocular furrow absent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

• 9 Scutellar foveae with an internal longitudinal carina (foveal carina) dividing them into two areas each; pronotal plate variable, produced or not into a sharp and strongly raised dorsal tooth in lateral view; petiole as wide as long, sometimes slightly wider than long . . . . . . . . 10

• Scutellar foveae without any internal longitudinal carina dividing them; pronotal plate with a small and short dorsal tooth in lateral view; petiole 1.5 to 2 times wider than long . . .14

• 10 Pronotal plate with a small and short dorsal tooth in lateral view; scutellum truncated, shorter than mesoscutum in dorsal view, very short spine; mesopleural impression with internal transverse carinae (Figure 1a-f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. atlanticus Chappuis sp. n.

  

  Figure 1
  Acanthaegilips atlanticussp. n.: a, lateral view of head and pronotal plate (arrow, structure of the central part); b, dorsal view of head, mesoscutum and scutellum; c, dorsal view of mesoscutum and scutellum (arrow, internal longitudinal carina); d, lateral view of scutellum; e, mesopleuron; f, propodeum.
  

• Pronotal plate produced into a sharp and strongly raised dorsal tooth in lateral view; scutellum and spine not as above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

• 11 Malar and post-ocular furrows strongly impressed; foveal carina reaching the posterolateral margin of the scutellar foveae (only female known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. dentis Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• Malar furrow effaced; post-ocular furrow weak but witha line of hairs running below the post-ocular and malar furrows; foveal carinae less evident and not reaching the posterolateral margin of the scutellar foveae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

• 12 Lateral surface of pronotum with coarse transverse carina in ventral part and with areolate sculpture in dorsal part . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. carinatus Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• Lateral surface of pronotum completely areolate; lateral pits of scutellar fovea presents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

• 13 Median mesoscutal furrow 1/4 to 1/3 of mesoscutum length; two or three foveal carinae present; lateral pits of scutellum absent; scutellar spine curved downwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. notobiellus Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2014

• Median mesoscutal furrow 1/4 or less than mesoscutum length, one foveal carina present, lateral pits of scutellum present; scutellar spine straight in lateral view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. occultus Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• 14 Scutellum shorter than mesoscutum in dorsal view; scutellar spine blunt-ended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. truncatus Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2017

• Scutellum as long as mesoscutum in dorsal view, sometimes longer; scutellar spine spike-ended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

• 15 Scutellar disc narrows abruptly posteriorly and the scutellar spine is entirely slender; scutellar spine straight in lateral view; lateral pit of scutellar fovea deep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. huggerti Sporrong & Ros-Farré, 2003

• Scutellar spine narrowing abruptly before apex; scutellar spine curved downwards in lateral view; lateral pit of fovea superficial and indistinct (only male known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. exiguus Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• 16 Scutellar carina visible, in lateral view, running from pronotum to median sulcus; scutum in profile with a distinct hump; pronotal plate with a pointed dorsal tooth when viewed laterally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. braziliensis Ashmead, 1896

• Scutellar carina absent; scutum curved in profile but not humped; pronotal plate dorsally raised but not ending in a pointed dorsal tooth when examined laterally . . . . . . . . . 17

• 17 Mesoscutum completely areolate; malar area smooth (only female known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. levis Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• Mesoscutum surface between notauli and parapsidal signum smooth; coriaceous line present anterior in front of malar furrow (only female known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. palmirae Mata-Casanova & Pujade-Villar, 2013

• 18 Pronotal plate ending dorsally in a small tooth; petiole laterally costate (only female known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. masneri Sporrong & Ros-Farré, 2003

• Pronotal plate rounded dorsally; petiole laterally entirely smooth or slightly carinate anteriorly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

• 19 Scutellar foveae smooth anteriorly; reticulate posteriorly (more clear on females), male placodeal sensilla present and abundant from F1 to the end of the antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. macropennis Sporrong & Ros-Farré, 2003

• Scutellar foveae entirely smooth; male placodeal sensilla dorsally absent on F1 and dorsally scarce or absent on at least some of the following flagellomeres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

• 20 Notauli complete; mesoscutum with weak areolatesculpture, smooth between parapsidal signum and parascutal impression; parapsidal signum strongly raised and conspicuous; male placodeal sensilla present on F1, dorsally absent from F1 to F5 and sparse from F6 to F7 (only male known) . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. diazae Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

• Notauli incomplete or not even present, reaching 1/2 the length of mesoscutum; mesoscutum coarsely areolate; parapsidal signum quite conspicuous and not raised; male placodeal sensilla dorsally absent on F1 and F2, sometimes also on F3; and very scarce on F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A. ashmeadi Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar, 2003

Acanthaegilips atlanticus Chappuis sp. n. (Figures 1, 2).

Figure 2
Acanthaegilips atlanticussp. n.: a, body lateral view; b, forewing.

• Diagnosis. Species close to Acanthaegilips truncatus Mata-Casanova and Pujade-Villar, 2017, to which shares a truncated scutellum, shorter than the mesoscutum. It differs from A. truncatus by having a pubescent head, longitudinal carinae in the pronotal plate and the sculpture not rugose like in A. truncatus; a hair line on the anterior and lateral margins of mesoscutum is present; scutellar foveae have internal longitudinal carinae; a non-narrow mesopleural impression and internal transverse carinae are present; wings are not entirely pubescent; the radial cell of the forewing is shorter (only 2.8 times longer than wide); and the third and fourth abdominal tergum are not visible in dorsal view.

Type material: Holotype ♀ (DCBU): Brazil, Parana, Porto Amazonas, 18.IV.2013, Constantino apple orchard, L B Monteiro col., Yellow Moericke trap.

• Length. Body 2.7 mm. Wing 2.3 mm. Antenna 2.0 mm.

• Colour. Head wholly black. Pronotum, mesopleural triangle and metanotum reddish brown. Mesoscutum, mesopleuron, propodeum and gaster dark reddish brown. Scutellum and petiole dark brown. Antennae yellowish brown. Legs yellowish brown with darker hind coxa. Mandibles light yellowish with dark reddish brown teeth. Wing veins light yellowish brown (Figure 2a, b).

• Head. Head with short, sparse hyaline hairs (Figure 1a, b). 1.1 times wider than high in anterior view, 2.2 times wider than long in dorsal view. Malar furrow curved and connected with post-ocular furrow, both well impressed (Figure 1a). Occipital and genal carinae absents. Malar space 0.65 times of compound eye height. Transfacial line as long as compound eye height. Diameter of toruli bigger than intertoruli and ocular-torular distance. Compound eyes glabrous. Length relative POL: OOL: LOL is 7.3: 6: 2.8. Ocelli diameter 3.1.

• Antennae. Flagellomeres cylindrical, glabrous. Female antennal formula: 11.9(4.5), 5.0(3.5), 12.1(2.5), 10.6(2.6), 8.9(2.9), 8.5(2.8), 7.3(2.9), 7(3.1), 6.5(3.6), 6.2(3.7), 6.1(3.8), 5.6(3.7), 9.7(3.6). Placodeal sensilla starting at F2.

• Mesosoma. Lateral pronotal carinae not dorsomedially projected to form a raised tooth. Central pronotal plate transversely carinate with short longitudinal carinae in the ventral area (arrow, Figure 1a). Central pronotal plate separated from laterals by two longitudinal carinae that almost reach the posterior margin of the pronotal plate. Laterals with another longitudinal carinae with some ramifications. Pronotum pubescent, lateral surface with areolate sculpture (Figure 1a). Mesoscutum with areolate sculpture, 1.3 times wider than long in dorsal view. Median mesoscutal impression short, less than 1/4 of mesoscutum total length. Notauli complete, comprised by cells. Mesoscutum pubescent, hair on anterior and lateral margins present. Parapsidal signum present (Figure 1b, c). Scutellum in dorsal view 0.8 times of mesoscutum total length in dorsal view. Scutellar foveae smooth with an internal longitudinal carina dividing them into two areas each (arrow, Figure 1c), with a few sculptures near its posterior margin. There is sculpture at the area compressed between the end of scutellar foveae and the apex of short spine. Scutellar disc in lateral view descends gradually towards the tip. Lateral pit of scutellar foveae present. Scutellar spine short, truncated, about 1/4 of scutellar length (Figure 1d). Mesopleural impression straight, wider on the basal part, narrows towards the apex, and with transverse carinae (Figure 1e). Mesopleural triangle smooth and pubescent. Propodeum areolate with an irregular median carina (Figure 1f).

• Wings. Basal part of the forewing without pubescence, costal cell sparsely pubescent. Pubescence of the wing starting about near from R1. Marginal pubescence of the wing starting from R1. Radial cell sparsely pubescent, margin of the radial cell densely pubescent. Radial cell of forewing open, 2.8 times longer than wide (Figure 2b).

• Metasoma. Petiole as long as wide, third coxa about 2.4 times longer than petiole. Third, fourth and fifth abdominal terga not visible in dorsal view. Petiole dorsally smooth with two dorsolateral furrows, laterally and ventrally costate.

• Biology. Unknown.

4. Discussion

A. truncatus Mata-Casanova and Pujade-Villar, 2017, was the only known species of Acanthaegilips with both a truncated scutellum shorter than mesoscutum, areolate mesoscutum, complete notauli, and an open radial cell, like A. atlanticus Chappuis sp. n. Acanthaegilips timidus Mata-Casanova and Pujade-Villar, 2017, also has a truncated scutellum but has smooth mesoscutum, tenuous and incomplete notauli, does not present an interfoveal line, and has a closed radial cell of forewing. Regarding the other described Acanthaegilips species, the scutellum is longer than the mesoscutum and projected, forming a spine (Mata-Casanova et al., 2017). This is the first record of the genus Acanthaegilips in the southern region of Brazil, especially collected in a fruitful environment with Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), with the Moericke trap located at the edge, between the forest and the apple orchard. It should be noted that the collection period in this biodiversity lasted twenty-one months; even so, only one individual was captured.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia dos Hymenoptera Parasitoides (INCT-HYMPAR, CNPq and FAPESP) and the UFPR│INRA agreement that financed the project, the undergraduate and graduate students of the Integrated Pest Management Laboratory (LAMIP) at UFPR, and Luciana Bueno dos Reis Fernandes for the pictures.

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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  04 July 2025
• Date of issue
  2025

History

• Received
  22 Sept 2024
• Accepted
  07 Mar 2025