Orgilus persimilis Muesebeck 1970

Idaho, Calif.

Orgilus persimilis

From capsicola, new species, which this form resembles very closely in structure it differs noticeably only in its darker color. In fact, the similarity between the two is so striking that it seems quite possible they may eventually prove to be the same species. On the basis of presently available material, however, I have considered it advisable to hold them distinct.

FEMALE.—Length about 3 mm. Head a little wider than thorax, in dorsal view twice as broad as long; face very slightly wider than eye height, smooth and polished, with only a few scattered punctures on upper half; clypeus smooth and polished, impunctate; anterior tentorial pits slightly below level of lower eye margins; malar space about one-fourth as long as eye height; maxillary palpi decidedly shorter than width of head; cheeks smooth, at most with a little faint shagreening near malar line; temples rounded, receding very gradually, about half as wide as eyes, smooth and polished; vertex smooth; ocellocular line about twice as long as diameter of an ocellus; occipital carina not strong but complete; antennae 23- or 24-segmented in the available specimens, even the shortest flagellar segments a little longer than broad, the apical segment with a barely visible terminal spicule.

Mesoscutum very shiny, with well-separated shallow punctures; notauli well impressed and finely foveolate; propodeum convex, rather strongly declivous caudad, closely rugulose; side of pronotum smooth and polished above the impression, weakly roughened below it; mesopleuron smooth and polished, the longitudinal furrow sinuate and foveolate; metapleuron largely smooth and shiny, sometimes faintly shagreened, and rugulose only at lower posterior margin. Hind coxa about 0.6 as long as hind femur, smooth and shiny, at most weakly shagreened on outer side; hind femur less than four times as long as wide; inner calcarium of hind tibia not more than half as long as metatarsus; tarsal claws simple. Radial cell on wing margin barely longer than stigma; second abscissa of radius about on a line with intercubitus; stub of third abscissa of cubitus punctiform; nervulus postfurcal by about half its length; hind wing about 4.7 times as long as wide; lower abscissa of basella about half as long as mediella.

Abdomen about as wide as thorax; first tergite about as broad at apex as long, confluently punctate or finely rugulose punctate, the dorsal keels indistinct, the spiracles almost twice as far from each other as from base of segment; second tergite about 0.6 as long as broad at base, sculptured like the first; third and fourth tergites similarly but somewhat more weakly sculptured; fifth tergite largely smooth; ovipositor sheath very slightly longer than abdomen.

Head dark brown to black; antennae and palpi darkened; thorax black; tegulae and wing bases usually darkened but sometimes brownish yellow, wings whitish hyaline; legs brownish yellow, the hind coxa and the hind tibia beyond its basal whitish annulus more or less darkened; abdomen black or blackish to largely dark brown.

MALE.—Similar to the female but usually darker, with the head black, the abdomen entirely black except for brownish shadings on the apical tergites, and the hind coxae black; also the abdomen narrower and less extensively sculptured, the first tergite noticeably longer than broad at apex, the third only partially and very weakly sculptured and the fourth and following smooth.

HOLOTYPE.—In the Canadian National Collections.

DISTRIBUTION.—California, Idaho. The type-series consists of 2 females (one the holotype) and 1 male collected at Helendale, California, in May 1955, by W. R. M. Mason; 1 female taken at Needles, California, in April 1918, by J. C. Bradley and 2 males collected near Grand View, Idaho, 17 June 1955, by W. F. Barr. One female, collected on Eriogonum in Inyo County, California, 1 July 1961, by G. I, Stage, seems to be this species but it is not included in the type-series since it is not as dark as the types and has 21-segmented antennae.