Leptacis sensillosa, 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 : 86-88

Leptacis sensillosa sp. n.

Figs 31–34

Etymology: Derived from the Latin sensillum; in reference to the unusually distinct sensillae on antennal club.

Diagnosis:A small species with weak hyperoccipital carina; A3–A4 small, about equal, each very slightly longer than wide, combined 0.75× as long as A2; antennal clava with strong sensillae; A9 slightly transverse; scutellar spine thin, half as long as propodeum; female metasoma at most 0.9× as long as rest of body.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.65–0.75 mm. Black, T1 sometimes brown; A1–A3, mandibles and legs including coxae light brownish yellow; A4–A10 and tegulae dark brown. Head from above ( Fig. 31 ) 1.85–2.00× as wide as long, 1.3× as wide as mesosoma, distinctly reticulate-coriaceous (only in one specimen transversely so); hyperoccipital carina incomplete and inconspicuous but vertex raised and angled. OOL equal to shorter diameter of lateral ocellus. Eyes with at most sparse and very short setae. Head in frontal view ( Fig. 33 ) wider than high (13:12). Antenna ( Fig. 34 ) with A1 0.75–0.85× as long as height of head, 1.1–1.2× as long as distance between inner orbits; A3–A4 small, about equal, each very slightly longer than wide, combined 0.75× as long as A2; A5 about 1.25× as long as A4; A9 very slightly transverse; antennal clava with unusually distinct sensillae. Mesosoma about 1.7× as long as wide, 1.2× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum reticulate-coriaceous (in one specimen slightly longitudinally so), smooth along wide hind margin. Mesoscutum with sparse, evenly scattered setae, uniformly reticulate-coriaceous, without notauli; hind margin straight, slightly brownish, covering scuto-scutellar grooves, with only two setae laterally above scutellar margins on each side. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 32 ) sculptured almost as mesoscutum, slightly more densely setose than this, with a thin, short, more or less brownish spine without lamella. Metapleuron smooth, bare medially only in anterior 0.25, and bare in about anterior half just inside upper and lower margins. Propodeal carinae translucent light brownish, fused. Fore wing hardly shorter than entire body, 3.15–3.30× as long as wide, faintly infuscated, with moderately fine (slightly thickened) and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.3–0.4× width of wing. Hind wing 11.3–12.0× as long as wide; marginal cilia 1.60–1.75× width of wing. Metasoma 0.8–0.9× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 1.05–1.15× as long as mesosoma, and as wide. T1 smooth and bare medially between the two moderately prominent longitudinal carinae, at each side with short, dense pubescence, continuing on ventral side and on the two small basal foveae on T2, rest of T2 as well as apical tergites virtually smooth and bare except for faint reticulation on T6.

Variation: The single specimen mentioned as additional material differs from the rest mainly in having strongly transverse sculpture on occiput and frons, and it is smaller and lighter coloured than the type specimens, A1–A6, mandibles and legs including coxae being yellowish brown.

Comparison: L. sensillosa runs to L. pallidispina Buhl, 2005 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but that species has the head perfectly rounded, longer A3–A4, higher and thicker scutellar spine in lateral view, propodeum less sloping, and wings less elongate. L. microcera is somewhat similar to L. sensillosa , but the head is 1.3× as wide as high, frons almost smooth, antennae more slender, sides of pronotum smooth, scutellar spine higher and thicker, fore wing has scattered long microtrichia, and marginal cilia of hind wing are only slightly longer than width of wing.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, E of Ounabe at the border between Préf. D’Amou and Préf. de Wawa, NW of Témédja, NW of Atakpamé, at creek Ofê (07°32'35"N 00°59'59"E), 19.iv. 2008, 705 m, remains of secondary rainforest at creek with coffee plantation, dense understorey, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 2♀ same data as holotype . Additional material: 1♀ 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 sun­exposed vegetable fields, some Cyperaceae , swept, M. von Tschirnhaus .

Figures

Figs31–34.Leptacis sensillosasp.n., female:(31) head indorsal view;(32) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (33) female head in frontal view; (34) female antennal clava. Scale bars = 100 μm.