Spalangia dozieri Burks 1969

Spalangia dozieri

This species agrees with drosophilae Ashmead in lacking a crossline of punctures near the posterior margin of the pronotum, in having the thorax depressed and flattened, and in being small, less than 2.0 mm long. The two differ in that dozieri has the parallel, longitudinal striae of the mesopleuron, characteristic of drosophilae, much less well developed, and has a complete frenal crossrow of punctures on the scutellum, which is lacking in drosophilae; dozieri also has a prominent, median, dorsal, longitudinal groove on the pronotum, and this is lacking in drosophilae.

FEMALE.—Length 1.65–1.75 mm. Black, with base of each tibia and basal 4 segments of each tarsus pale tan or white; tegula and wing veins dark brown. Head smooth and shining, sparsely punctate; antennal scape minutely shagreened, mat; pronotum smooth, shining, sparsely punctate, scapulae shining; praescutum lightly and minutely sculptured on anterior three-fifths, this sculptured area bounded posteriorly by an irregular, transverse row of punctures, and surface of praescutum posterior to this crossline smooth; axillae, scutellum, and postscutellum shining; metepistemum strongly shagreened; propodeum smooth on each side of median, longitudinal sculptured area; petiole with strong and irregular, alveolate sculpture; first gastral tergum smooth, shining, following terga shining, but surface faintly sculptured; apices of ovipositor sheaths sculptured and mat. All coxae shining. Prepectus heavily and irregularly sculptured. Mesopleuron dorsally with minute, parallel and closely set, lineolate striae; another similar, oblique area of striae in median region and near posterior margin of mesopleuron; area near anterior and ventral margins of this sclerite smooth.

Eyes and head sparsely hairy; distinct groove extending from anterior ocellus into scrobe cavity; malar furrow distinct, its length two-thirds the eye height. Relative lengths of parts of antenna, scape, 42; pedicel, 12; first funicular segment, 5; second, 6; third to seventh, each 5; club, 20. All funicular segments wider than long, first only slightly wider than long, but segments gradually widening, so that seventh is twice as wide as long.

Dorsum of thorax depressed and flat, as in drosophilae Ashmead. Pronotum bearing scattered bristles and a median longitudinal groove; notaulices and lateral margins of scutellum with crenulate sculpture; margin of scutellar frenum set off by a complete crossrow of closely set punctures; posterior margin of scutellum incised, crenulate only laterally. First foretarsal segment as long as following three combined, middle and hind tarsi more elongate.

Propodeum with lateral and posterior margins irregular (Figure 1); a double arcuate row of coarse, rectangular punctures at base, these fusing before reaching apex. Petiole only slightly longer than wide, shorter than hind coxa. Gaster depressed dorsally, broader than thorax and shorter than thorax and propodeum combined; apices of ovipositor sheaths slightly exserted.

MALE.—Unknown.

TYPE-LOCALITY.—Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

HOLOTYPE.—USNM 69872.

Described from 19 female specimens as follows: Type and 16 paratypes, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, reared 26 August 1936 from the pupa of Sarcodexia sternodontis Townsend (Diptera, Sarcophagidae) by H. L. Dozier; 1 paratype, Punta Arenas, P.R., 12 March 1963, taken in bait trap, E. F. Legner; 1 paratype, Central Portugalata, Cuba, collected February 1928 by C. F. Stahl. All specimens in the USNM collection.