Leptacis elongaticeps, 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 : 82-83

Leptacis elongaticeps sp. n.

Figs 19–22

Etymology: from Latin elongare (elongate) and cephalicus (head); in reference to the characteristically narrow head.

Diagnosis: Head in frontal view as high as wide to slightly higher than wide, from above at most 1.6× as wide as long.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.70–0.95 mm. Black, T1 dark brownish;A1, mandibles and legs including coxae light brownish yellow, A2–A10 and tegulae medium to dark brown; in the paratype,A2–A6 are also light brownish, and thickened part of femora, of mid and hind tibiae, and last segment of tarsi faintly darkened. Head from above ( Fig. 19 ) 1.5–1.6× as wide as long, wider than mesosoma (12:11); occiput transversely and moderately strongly reticulate-coriaceous, more weakly reticulate on vertex and frons, meshes becoming transverse on lower half of frons; hyperoccipital carina weakly developed, disappearing laterally. OOL shorter than diameter of lateral ocellus. Eyes bare. Head in frontal view higher than wide (13:12), in paratype only as high as wide. Antenna ( Fig. 20 ) with A1 0.75–0.85× as long as height of head, 1.5× as long as distance between inner orbits; A9 1.2× as wide as long; A 4 in holotype as long as A2, in the smaller paratype slightly shorter than A2. Mesosoma 1.8–1.9× as long as wide, 1.2× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum reticulate-coriaceous (not longitudinally so) in about one-third of length from entire anterior margin and up to lower third of hind margin, the rest smooth. Mesoscutum with sparse, scattered and inconspicuous setae, weakly reticulate-coriaceous, smoother postero-medially, and medially on lateral lobes; notauli faintly evident almost to anterior margin (invisible on the smaller paratype); mid lobe posteriorly blunt, slightly prolonged to base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves triangular, each covered by three distinct, long setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 21 ) flat, dull, with a few setae, and having a short, brownish translucent spine. Metapleuron smooth and bare, with a small area of pilosity at hind margin. Propodeal carinae low, translucent, distinctly separated over whole length, very slightly diverging; area between them slightly longer than wide. Fore wing slightly surpassing tip of metasoma, 0.75–0.90× as long as entire body, 4.3× as long as wide, almost clear, with fine and rather dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.5–0.6× width of wing. Hind wing 9.2× as long as wide; marginal cilia 1.6× the width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 22 ) about 1.1× as long as head and mesosoma combined, about as wide as mesosoma. T1 with three almost complete, well developed longitudinal carinae, the two lateral ones converging, tergite laterally with inconspicuous pubescence. T 2 in anterior 0.1 with two basal foveae and a few longitudinal striae laterally of these, rest of tergite smooth. T3–T6 with reticulate microsculpture, almost without setae.

Comparison: This species runs to L. kryi Buhl, 2011 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key to Afrotropical species of Leptacis , but that species has a more transverse head, more elongate antennal clava, mesosoma only 1.5× as long as wide, smoother sides of pronotum, less elongate wings, and shorter but more pointed metasoma. Cf. also Buhl (2011 b).

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, N of Kessibo­Wawa, at the border to Ghana (N of Badou), at river Wawa (07°42'11"N 00°35'26"E), 24.iv. 2008, 180 m, forest understorey, cocoa plantation and sun-exposed vegetable fields, some Cyperaceae , swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratype: 1♀ same data as holotype .

Figures

Figs 19–22.Leptacis elongaticeps sp. n., female:(19) head in dorsal view; (20) antenna; (21) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (22) metasoma in dorsal view.