Aspicera kerzhneri Ros-Farre & Pujade-Villar 2011

Aspicera kerzhneri (Kovalev, 1974)

(Figs 4a &b)

Heteraspidia (Euheteraspidia) kerzhneri Kovalev, 1974: 286

Paraspicera kerzhneri (Kovalev) Pujade-Villar & Ros-Farré, 2008: 115

Aspicera kerzhneri (Kovalev) Ros-Farré & Pujade-Villar 2011a: 55

Type material: (1♀). HOLOTYPE female deposited in ZIN with the following labels: Khovd aymag (Mongolia): Fuente Nariyn-Bulak, north-oriental end of the mountains Ih-Havt-Giyn-Nuruu, 24-VIII-1970 (К.).

Diagnosis. A. kerzhneri and A. foveata are the only Aspicera species having scutellar spine almost absent, represented only by a distal elongation of the circumscutellar carina. According to the figures of Kovalev (1974) both species can be differentiated by the scutellar foveae: in A. kerzhneri they are well defined, about 1/3 scutellum length and with three longitudinal carinae inside while in A. foveata they are very shallow, at least 1/2 scutellum length and with two longitudinal carinae inside. The original description of A. foveata (Belizin, 1952) and A. kerzhneri (Kovalev, 1974) provide more characters to distinguish this species: in A. foveata the occiput and the lateral surface of propodeum are not carinate, the mesoscutum has some punctuations, while in A. kerzhneri the occiput has longitudinal carinae dorsally and transverse carinae ventrally, the lateral surface of propodeum is carinate transversely and the mesoscutum has transverse carinae.

Length. Female 3.68 mm.; male unknown.

Coloration. Head black except mandibulae dark brown. Scape and pedicel blackish brown, antennomeres medium brown except last one brown basally and darkish apically. Mesosoma light brown except basal part of pronotum, mesopleuron and metasoma which are black. Legs light brown except coxae dark brown to black dorsally, last tarsomeres also darker. Metasoma black. Wing veins brown.

Head. Frons rugose, sharper dorsally than ventrally, shiny dorsally and slightly xagrinate ventrally. Lateral frontal carinae present, sharp, divergent. Area between compound eye and lateral frontal carinae with weak transverse carinae. Gena in lateral view rounded, not expanded, transversely carinate near compound eye, with oblique carinae near margin. Vertex straight in frontal view, in dorsal view with carinae from lateral to central ocellus. Ocelli slightly prominent. Occiput very slightly xagrinate, with sharp longitudinal carinae dorsally, transverse carinae ventrally.

Antenna. Filiform. Antennal formula: 11(6): 4(4.5): 10(4): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 9(4.5): 19(4.5).

Mesosoma. Lateral surface of pronotum slightly xagrinate with transverse carinae. Subpronotal plate not projected, dorsal margin pubescent. Mesoscutum shiny, slightly xagrinate near notauli, with dull transverse carinae, stronger between notauli, with piliferous points between lateral line and parascutal sulcus. Lateral line conspicuous, incomplete. Antero-admedian lines dull, reaching 2/3 scutum length, parallel; median ridge dull. Notauli quite narrow with transverse carinae on posterior half. Median mesoscutal furrow wide, short with transverse carinae. Area between notauli not prominent in lateral view. Parascutal sulcus ending just in front of tegula, smooth. Mesopleuron striate basally and on anterior 1/3. Scutellum 0.65 times scutum length, emarginate laterally and posteriorly. Scutellar foveae large, deep, with longitudinal carinae. Interfoveal carina quite prominent, very slightly noticeable in lateral view, continuing along scutellar disc until posterior margin. Scutellar disc swollen posterior to scutellar foveae, coriaceous, carinate longitudinally, sloping towards posterior margin in lateral view. Scutellar spine only represented by a blunt point.

Wing. Wing membrane hyaline. Radial cell 2.0 times longer than wide. Wing pubescence reduced. Marginal pubescence absent. R1 long. R2 straight slightly curved near margin of wing. Rs+M indistinguishable.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Eastern Palaearctic: Mongolia (Kovalev, 1974).

Comments: There are other genera of Figitidae characterized having scutellar spine that include species almost without any trace of spine, like the figitines Neralsia pseudoneralsia Jiménez & Pujade-Villar, 2006 and Xyalophoroides quinquelineata (Say, 1836). For this reason, A. foveata can be included in Aspicera.