Chirotica parallela Townes 1983

Chirotica parallela Townes, 1983

(Figures 7B; 9B; 10B; 15A; 16B; 28)

Chirotica parallela Townes, 1983: 80. Holotype female, Brazil (EMUS, not examined) [Entomology Museum, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, United States of America]

Material examined. 2 females. Brazil. BA [Bahia], Jequié, Distrito de / Irrigação da Fazenda Velha / 13°52’51, 9”S / 40°10’42,6”W / Agroecossistemas, Malaise / 07.i.2006, Alves, F. P. leg.[coletores] (1 female, LRRP); same except 20.i.2006 (1 female, LRRP).

Diagnosis. Chirotica parallela can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Chirotica species by the combination of the following characters: (1) whitish-yellow median band on the antennae (Fig. 28A); (2) tergites 2 and 3 coriaceous (Fig. 28E); (3) lower valve of ovipositor with small teeth (Fig. 28F).

Additional description. Female. Body length (head to T8) 4.29 mm to 4.75 mm.

Head. Antenna length 2.36 mm to 3.64 mm; 24 flagellomeres. Frons convex, polished, with weak diagonal rugae, sparse punctuation and dense fine setae; median longitudinal sulcus present. Face polished, with punctuation with dense setae and small median tubercle. Clypeus with punctuation with sparse fine setae. Mandibular teeth with coarse punctuation and fine setae. Longitudinal sulcus between posterior ocelli not extending to the vertex. Frons width 0.44 mm to 0.47 mm. Face width 0.49 mm to 0.51 mm. Eye height 0.56 mm to 0.65 mm. Basal mandible width 0.05 mm. Malar space 0.15 mm to 0.17 mm. Ocellus diameter 0.06 mm to 0.08 mm. Shortest distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 0.07 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye 0.09 mm to 0.10 mm. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli 0.14 mm to 0.16 mm (Figs 28B and 28C).

Mesosoma. Pronotum polished, with punctuation and dense fine setae. Epomia present anteriorly. Epicnemium polished, rugose-punctuate, with short dense setae. Mesoscutum polished, granulate, with posterocentral striae and very sparse punctuation, sparse setae (Fig. 28D). Scuto-scutellar groove polished and smooth. Scutellum polished, with punctuation, sparse setae and without lateral rugae. Propodeum polished with rugose-punctuate and dense setae; area dentipara without teeth. Mesopleuron with sparse setae. Metapleuron with dense setae; area below juxtacoxal carina with rugae. Legs polished with fine punctuation and dense setae; fore and hind legs with two symmetrical tibial spurs, mid legs with two asymmetrical tibial spurs; tibiae and tarsus with denticles; tarsal claws simple. Fore wing length 3.23 mm. Hind wing length 2.34 mm to 2.48 mm.

Metasoma. Tergite 1 with fine rugae dorsal and on lateral part of apex postpetiole, clustered punctuation absent on basolateral part. Tergites 2 and 3 coriaceous, long sparse setae (Fig. 28E). Ovipositor with upper valve and lower valve with small teeth at apex (pre-apical region with dirt) (Fig. 28F). Tergite 1 length 0.66 mm to 0.76 mm. Basal width of tergite 1 0.13 mm to 0.15 mm. Apical width of tergite 1 0.45 mm to 0.57 mm. Tergite 2 length 0.35 mm to 0.52 mm. Basal width of tergite 2 0.64 mm to 0.65 mm. Apical width of tergite 2 0.75 mm to 0.76 mm. Tergite 3 length 0.27 mm to 0.49 mm. Basal width of tergite 3 0.72 mm to 0.77 mm. Apical width of tergite 3 0.35 mm to 0.68 mm. Ovipositor length 1.95 mm.

Coloration. Flagellomeres V–VII brownish. Mandibular teeth yellowish-orange.

Distribution. Brazil (Townes 1983) (Pernambuco, Bahia *) (Fig. 28G).

Host. Unknown.

Discussion. Chirotica parallela is similar to C. juquia sp. nov. having tergite 1 with sparse small punctuation and without lateromedian carinae; metapleuron and area below the juxtacoxal carina with rugae; and mesoscutum of both species with rugae, with a narrow frosted and granulated band (Figs 28D and 23D). However, C. parallela differs from C. juquia sp. nov. in the following characters: ovipositor with upper valve and lower valve with small teeth at apex (Fig. 28F) (versus C. juquia sp. nov. which has ovipositor with smooth and sinuous upper valve, sinuous lower valve with large teeth proximal at apex (Fig. 23F)); central part of the mesoscutum has postcentral striae (Fig. 28D) (versus C. juquia sp. nov. which has central part of the mesoscutum with postcentral rugae (Fig. 23D)); and epicnemium rugose-punctuate (versus C. juquia sp. nov. which has epicnemium with punctuation).