Leptacis cylindrica, Buhl, 2014

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2014, New species and new records of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae from Togo (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), African Invertebrates 55 (1), pp. 68-68 : 80-82

Leptacis cylindrica n. sp.

Fig. 18

Etymology: From Latin cylindrus (cylindric), in reference to the characteristic, rather cylindrical metasoma.

Diagnosis: Scutellum with one tiny translucent spine; female metasoma 1.25–1.30× as long as rest of body, with only one tergite behind the long T2.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.75–1.00 mm. Blackish, T1 medium brown, A1–A6 and legs including coxae light brown, A7–A10 and tegulae dark brown, A2 and A4–A6 sometimes darkened. Head from above ( Fig. 18 ) 1.7–1.9× as wide as long, 1.20–1.25× as wide as mesosoma; occiput distinctly and transversely reticulate-coriaceous; hyperoccipital carina evident medially; vertex and frons distinctly and more or less irregularly reticulatecoriaceous, with rather large meshes. Eyes virtually bare. OOL equal to diameter of lateral ocellus; LOL about 4× as long as OOL. Head in frontal view 1.1× as wide as high. Antenna with A1 0.85–0.90× as long as height of head, 1.2–1.5× as long as distance between inner orbits; A2 slightly longer than A3–A4 combined, sometimes A3–A4 combined only 0.7× as long as A2; A4–A5 subequal, each only slightly longer than A3 and A6; A7 1.3–1.5× as long as wide; A8 1.00–1.33× as long as wide; A9 about as long as wide. Mesosoma ( Fig. 18 ) 1.6–1.9× as long as wide, 1.25× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum reticulate-coriaceous (slightly longitudinally so), in upper 0.6 smooth in about posterior half. Mesoscutum evenly and moderately densely setose, finely and uniformly reticulate-coriaceous; notauli absent (sometimes very faintly evident, visible from certain angles in about posterior 0.7); hind margin straight, covering front edge of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves diminutive, without conspicuous setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum sculptured and setose much as mesoscutum, with a tiny translucent spine. Metapleuron with pilosity over most of surface, but very sparse at anterior margin, sometimes bare in anterior 0.4. Propodeal carinae brownish, very close together. Fore wing 0.75–0.85× as long as entire body, 3.1–3.4× as long as wide, almost clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia almost 0.3× width of wing. Hind wing 10–11× as long as wide; marginal cilia about as long as to slightly longer than width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 18 ) 1.25–1.30× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 0.7× as wide as mesosoma, 1.3× as wide as high. T1 with a transverse depression around midlength and several weak longitudinal carinae. T2 with a few crenulae in basal 0.1, rest of T2 as well as T3 smooth and bare, T2 4.5× as long as T3; T3 about 1.3× as long as wide, rest of tergites hidden or fused.

Comparison:Easily recognised on account of the combination of the two characters mentioned in the diagnosis. The Leptacis species of the Indonesian subgenus Cylindrotacis Buhl, 2008 , also have only three visible tergites, but these species have two scutellar spines, one on each posterior corner of scutellum.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, Manma­Kopé N of Gbadi Nkougna, SE of Badou (07°27'02"N 00°41'59"E), 25.iv. 2008, 660 m, plantation (coffee, oilpalm, Acacia ), swept above sawdust, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 2♀ Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, road from Atigba to Danyi–Apéyémé, at a tributary creek of river Danyi (07°11'04"N 00°41'31"E), 14.iv. 2008, 710 m, creek bank and below shrubs and bamboo, plantation, swept; 2♀ Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, near Dzogbégan, Monastière de l’Ascension, at river/creek Danyi (07°14'30"N 00°40'45"E), 14.iv. 2008, 725 m, abandoned plantation ground with three dominant plants ( Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn., Rhynchelytrum repens (Willd.) C.E. Hubb. , Cyperus sp. ), swept; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, near Atigba (07°09'52"N 00°41'33"E), 14.iv. 2008, 775 m, remains of secondary rainforest, underwood, forest plantation, road side with much Sida acuta Burm. F. , swept; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, Kpélé Bémé SW of Adagali (07°06'02"N 00°43'28"E), 290 m, 16.iv.2008, cultured land in a wide plain with Stachytarpheta indica Vahl (dominant weed) and grasses, swept. All M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Fig. 18. Leptacis cylindrica sp. n., female body in dorsal view. Scale bar = 100 μm.