Plutothrix kenobii Tselikh, Lee et Ku, 2024

Tselikh, E. V., Lee, J. & Ku, D-S., 2024, REVIEW OF THE SOUTH KOREAN SPECIES OF PLUTOTHRIX FÖRSTER, 1856 (HYMENOPTERA: PTEROMALIDAE), WITH DESCRIPTION OF THREE NEW SPECIES, Far Eastern Entomologist 508, pp. 1-18 : 3-8

Plutothrix kenobii Tselikh, Lee et Ku , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ E60F357F-D165-4655-A769-3463DD80DB1D

Figs 8–15

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype – ♀, South Korea: Gangwon-do , Yuggu-gun , Haean-myeon , Mandae-ri, 30.VII 2014, coll. H. T. Shin ( NIBR).

DESCRIPTION. FEMALE. Body length 4.30 mm; fore wing length 2.80 mm.

Head metallic bluish-green with diffuse violet lustre; antenna with scape and pedicel yellowish-brown, flagellum brown. Mesosoma metallic bluish-green, in dorsal view with diffuse coppery lustre, in lateral view with diffuse violet-coppery lustre; propodeum brown, laterally partly bluish -green. All coxa and all femora yellowish-brown; all tibiae and all tarsi yellow. Fore wing with dark fuscous cloud below stigmal vein, venation yellowish-brown. Metasoma with Mt2 basally metallic blue with diffuse violet lustre, apically brown, Mt3-Mt6 brown.

Head reticulate; clypeus smooth and shiny. Mesosoma reticulate, but scutellum finely reticulate; dorsellum and propodeum weakly alutaceous; upper mesepimeron with lower part alutaceous, upper part smooth; metapleuron alutaceous. Metasoma weakly alutaceous and shiny.

Head in dorsal view 2.07 times as broad as long and 1.33 times as broad as mesoscutum; in frontal view 1.15 times broader than high. POL 1.08 times OOL. Eye height 1.50 times eye length and 3.05 times as long as malar space. Distance between antennal toruli and lower margin of clypeus 0.67 times distance between antennal toruli and median ocellus. Antenna with scape 0.74 times as long as eye height and 1.10 times as long as eye length; pedicel 1.83 times as long as broad and 0.70 times as long as F1; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.20 times breadth of head; flagellum almost filiform; all anelli transverse; F1–F6 longer than broad; F1 with 3 rows of sensilla; clava 2.44 times as long as broad and shorter than F5-F6, with small micropilosity area on C3 and C4.

Mesosoma 1.45 times as long as broad. Scutellum 0.97 times as long as broad, frenal area distinct. Propodeum without nucha, 0.28 times as long as scutellum; median carina present. Fore wing 2.50 times as long as maximum width; basal cell pilose on upper part; basal vein pilose; speculum closed below; part below PST pilose; PST 0.78 times as long as M, M 0.74 times as long as P and 1.77 times as long as S.

Metasoma lanceolate, 2.90 times as long as broad, 1.57 times as long as mesosoma and 1.09 times as long as mesosoma and head; Mt2 deeply emarginate medially, Mt8 1.76 times as long as broad. Ovipositor sheath projecting beyond apex of metasoma.

MALE. Unknown.

DIAGNOSIS. Plutothrix kenobii sp. n. belong to a group of species that have a fore wing with dark fuscous cloud below stigmal vein. This species is very similar to P. coelius ; the differences between these species are given in the key. Plutothrix kenobii sp. n. is also similar to the Nearctic species P. ungutta (Girault, 1917) in having a clava with small micropilosity area on C3 and C4; fore wing with one dark fuscous cloud below stigmal vein; Mt2 deeply emarginate medially; but the new species has an eye height 3.05 times as long as malar space (vs eye height 2.50 times as long as malar space); F1 with 3 rows of sensilla (vs F1 with 2 rows of sensilla); mid coxa yellowish-brown (vs mid coxa metallic bluish-green).

BIOLOGY. Unknown.

DISTRIBUTION. South Korea.

ETYMOLOGY. The species is named in honour of George Lucas' “Star Wars” character – “Obi-Wan Kenobi”.

Figures

Figs 8–15. Plutothrix kenobii sp. n., holotype, female: 8 – body, lateral view; 9 – mesosoma, lateral view; 10 – head, dorsal view; 11– head, frontal view; 12 – mesosoma, dorsal view; 13 – antenna; 14 – wing; 15 – metasoma, dorsal view.