Research Article
Print
Research Article
Discovery of the genus Formosiepyris Terayama, (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) in Vietnam, with a description of a new species
expand article infoKentaro Tsujii, Toshiharu Mita§, Mamoru Terayama|, Hong Thai Pham, Shûji Okajima
‡ Tokyo University of Agriculture, Kanagawa, Japan
§ Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
¶ Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), Hanoi, Vietnam
Open Access

Abstract

Formosiepyris vietnamensis sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is described based on material collected from Da Lat, southern Vietnam. This is the first record of Formosiepyris Terayama from Vietnam. The new species can be distinguished from other Formosiepyris species by a narrow and rounded clypeus; a mandible with three teeth; a second metasomal tergite having small, sparsely distributed punctures and smooth interspaces, except for anterior 2/5, which is microreticulate; and a head length : width aspect ratio of 10 : 11. A key to the Oriental species of Formosiepyris is provided.

Keywords

Epyrinae, key, new record, Oriental region

Introduction

The genus Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae: Epyrinae) was initially described based on three species, namely, F. marishi Terayama, 2004 from Thailand, F. shiva Terayama, 2004 from India and F. takasago Terayama, 2004 from Taiwan (Terayama 2004). Subsequently, F. rugulosus Xu & He, 2005 was described from Fujian Province, China, (Xu and He 2005). While all of these species are distributed in the Oriental region, Mugrabi and Azevedo (2010) and Azevedo et al. (2010) recorded several unidentified species of Formosiepyris in the United Arab Emirates and Madagascar, implying that the distribution and diversity of this genus require clarification.

In the course of our study on the hymenopteran fauna of Vietnam, we collected a male Formosiepyris specimen from Da Lat, Lam Dong Province, in southern Vietnam. Here we describe a new Formosiepyris species based on this male, and provide an updated key to the Oriental species.

Material and methods

The terminology follows that of Evans (1964), Azevedo (2001), and Terayama (2006). The following abbreviations were used in the description: HL, head length; HW, head width; WF, width of frons; LM, length of mesosoma; LPD, length of propodeal disc; WPD, width of propodeal disc; FWL, forewing length; TL, total body length; EL, eye length; POL, minimum distance between posterior ocelli; AOL, minimum distance from a posterior ocellus to nearest eye margin; OOL, minimum distance from a posterior ocellus to nearest eye margin; WOT, distance across and including posterior ocelli.

The holotype of F. takasago deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Science Tsukuba, Japan, and a paratype of F. marishi in the Terayama Collection were also examined for comparison. Character evaluations of the other two species, F. shiva and F. rugulosus, were based on the original descriptions (Terayama 2004; Xu and He 2005).

The holotype designated in this study has temporarily been deposited in the Laboratory of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture Atsugi, Japan, but it will be transferred to the Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Taxonomy

Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004

Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004: 91. Type species: F. marishi Terayama, 2004.

Diagnosis

Head rounded; mandible with three or four teeth; median lobe of clypeus rounded or triangular; lateral lobe of clypeus undeveloped; eye covered with minute setae, large and convex; antenna with 13 antennomeres; posterior margin of pronotal disc and mesoscutum with transverse groove; posterolateral corner of propodeal disc with two pairs of small projections (Terayama 2004).

Distribution

Oriental region and Afrotropical region (Species listed in the latter are not identified) (Terayama 2004; Xu and He 2005; Mugrabi and Azevedo 2010; Azevedo et al. 2010).

Host

Unknown (Terayama 2004; Xu and He 2005).

Formosiepyris vietnamensis Tsujii, Mita, Terayama, Pham & Okajima, sp. n.

Figs 1–5

Type

Holotype: male, Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., Da Lat, near Tuyen Lam Lake, 11°53'00.1"N, 108°24'29.9"E, ca. 1420m, 15. III. 2013, collected by yellow pan trap, K. Tsujii leg.

Diagnosis

Mandible with three teeth; anterior margin of clypeus rounded (Fig. 1); surface between median carina and inner submedian carina of propodeum without longitudinal striae; second metasomal tergite with sparse small punctures, and with smooth interspaces except anterior 2/5 sparsely microreticulate (Fig. 5).

Figures 1–5. 

Formosiepyris vietnamensis sp. n., holotype male. 1 Head in full face view 2 head in lateral view 3 forewing in dorsal view 4 mesosoma in dorsal view 5 metasoma in dorsal view.

Description of male

Measurements. HL 0.99 mm; HW 1.10 mm; WF 0.58 mm; LM 1.96 mm; LPD; 0.65 mm; WPD, 0.78 mm; FWL 2.78 mm; TL 4.90 mm. EL 0.56 mm; Malar space 0.89 mm. Hind wing 2.08 mm. Hind leg 2.68 mm.

Coloration. Body black, except dark brown apical half of mandible and yellowish brown tarsi. Wings faintly tinged with brown.

Head. Head 0.9 times as long as wide, with convex posterior margin in frontal view; frons and vertex densely and strongly punctated and microreticulate interspaces; maximum diameter of punctures ca. 0.3–0.5 mm. Posteroventral corner of gena forming dully projection (Fig. 2). Mandible with three teeth (Fig. 1). Anterior margin of clypeus rounded. The ratio of first five antennomeres as follows; 16: 7: 11: 11: 11. WF 1.05 times EL. Ocelli forming obtuse triangle; OOL 1.24 times WOT.

Mesosoma (Fig. 4). Pronotum punctated with microreticulate interspaces; punctures sparser than head; median longitudinal carina absent. Scutum punctated with microreticulate interspaces. Propodeal disc 0.83 times as long as wide, with five discal carinae; surfaces between carinae of propodeum without longitudinal striae; posterolateral corner of propodeal disc with two pairs of distinct projection; sublateral carina present. Hind femur 5.6 times as long as wide in lateral view. Hind leg with two tibial spurs as long as half of first tarsomere. Tarsal claws simple. Fore wing with short metacarpus, 0.4 times as long as pterostigma; transverse-median vein convex posteriorly.

Metasoma. First tergite 0.5 times as long as wide, smooth; second tergite 0.5 times as long as wide; second and third tergites punctated with sparsely located small punctures and smooth interspaces except microreticulated anterior 2/5 (Fig. 5).

Female. Unknown.

Etymology

The specific name is from the type locality, Vietnam.

Hosts

Unknown.

Distribution

Oriental region: Vietnam (Lam Dong Province).

Remarks

This species is similar to F. marishi based on the convex posterior margin of the head in full-face view; having a punctated pronotum with microreticulate interspaces; punctures on pronotum sparser than those on head; and absence of longitudinal striae on propodeum surface between median carina and inner submedian carina. However, this species can be distinguished from F. marishi by having a weakly rounded anterior margin of the clypeus; head wider than long; ocelli forming an obtuse triangle; second antennomere shorter than third antennomere; and second and third tergites with small sparsely located punctures and smooth interspaces, except for microreticulated anterior 2/5.

Key to species of Oriental Formosiepyris

Female (females of F. takasago and F. vietnamensis are unknown)

1 Anterior margin of clypeus triangular F. marishi Terayama, 2004
Anterior margin of clypeus rounded 2
2 Mandible with three teeth; posterior margin of head convex in full-face view; second antennomere as long as third antennomere; surface between median carina and inner submedian carina of propodeum with longitudinal striae F. shiva Terayama, 2004
Mandible with four teeth; posterior margin of head straight in full-face view; second antennomere shorter than third antennomere; surface between median carina and inner submedian carina of propodeum without longitudinal striae F. rugulosus Xu & He, 2005

Male (males of F. shiva and F. rugulosus are unknown)

1 Anterior margin of clypeus triangular; ocelli forming a right triangle in full-face view F. marishi Terayama, 2004
Anterior margin of clypeus rounded; ocelli forming an obtuse triangle in full-face view 2
2 Head as long as wide, with posterior margin straight in full-face view; second metasomal tergite densely punctate F. takasago Terayama, 2004
Head wider than long, with posterior margin convex in full-face view (Fig. 1); second metasomal tergite sparsely punctated except anterior 2/5 covered with microreticulate (Fig. 5) F. vietnamensis sp. n.

Acknowledgements

The authors express cordial thanks to K. Konishi (Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan), T. Ueno (Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan) and V.-T. Hoang (Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam) for their kind supports in our field survey, to A. Shinohara (National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba, Japan) for loan of the holotype of Formosiepyris takasago and to K. Watanabe (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, Odawara, Japan) for his critical reading of an early manuscript. This study was financially supported by KAKENHI (24405028; head investigator: S. Okajima).

References

  • Azevedo CO (2001) Systematics of the Neotropical Dissomphalus Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) of the bicavatus group. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 45(3): 173–205.
  • Azevedo CO, Alencar IDCC, Barbosa DN (2010) Order Hymenoptera, family Bethylidae. Arthropod Fauna of UAE 3: 388–411.
  • Evans HE (1964) A synopsis of the American Bethylidae (Hymenoptera: Aculeata). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 132(1): 1–222.
  • Mugrabi DF, Azevedo CO (2010) Insecta, Hymenoptera, Bethylidae: Range extension and filling gaps in Madagascar. Check List 6: 62–63.
  • Terayama M (2004) Formosiepyris, a new genus of the family Bethylidae (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea) from the Oriental Region, with a proposal of a new synonymy of genus. The Research Bulletin of Kanto Gakuen University, Liberal Arts 12: 91–99.
  • Terayama M (2006) The Insects of Japan: Bethylidae (Hymenoptera). Touka Shobo, Fukuoka, 319 pp.
  • Xu Z, He J (2005) A new species of Formosiepyris Terayama, 2004 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from China. Zootaxa 959: 1–4.
login to comment