Xiphentedon nimba, Gumovsky, 2023

Gumovsky, Alex, 2023, Revision of Xiphentedon Risbec, 1957 and Colpixys Waterston, 1916 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with descriptions of new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 905, pp. 1-83 : 66-68

Xiphentedon nimba sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D2132D04-A94A-4313-91E2-79F244CB2D4B

Fig. 32

Diagnosis

As for the group and also: scape pale basally, pedicel plus flagellum dark ( Fig. 32E ); flagellars short, robust and connected by very short peduncles, moderately clavate and hairy; head dorsally 2.3 × as wide as long, head width 1.2 × pedicel plus flagellum; interantennal space without a process ( Fig. 32D ); gena moderately bulging; pedicel plus flagellum 2.6× as long as scape; fore tibiae with two pale stripes, mid and hind tibiae darkened only on about basal ½, first three tarsomeres pale and pretarsi dark ( Fig. 32A ); axillular projection bidentate ( Fig. 32B ); anterior margin of mesoscutellum evenly curved ( Fig. 32C ); median propodeal strip wide Y-shaped, with tiny carinulae; propodeal submedian areas smooth ( Fig. 32C ); metasomal petiole short, robust, slightly wider than long ( Fig. 32C ); gaster only slightly longer than broad, ovate, syntergum triangular, slightly broader than long ( Fig. 32A ); CC asetose; WIP with broad red field along apical margin, followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes.

Etymology

The species is named after the Nimba Mountain, the forested area where it was collected. The specific epithet is a noun that does not change with a changing generic gender.

Type material examined

Holotype

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • ♀; Mt Nimba , Zié forest, gallery forest of Zié , near ‘ Station de Pompage Zié’ , Gouan Camp; 1250 m a.s.l.; 07°40′23″ N, 08°22′24″ W; 3 Oct. 2011; A. Hernard and D. Van den Spiegel leg.; canopy of trees, under-story shrub layer, Nimba 050, fogging 01; MRAC.

Paratypes

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MRAC.

Description

Female

Length 1.7 mm. Mesosoma dark green, face with bronze tint, metasoma bright metallic; trochanters pale, femora mostly dark, fore tibia with two pale stripes, mid tibia dark in about proximal ½–⅔ and hind tibia in about proximal ½–¼, rest of tibiae pale; fore tarsi and two terminal tarsomeres of mid and hind legs dark brown, first three tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi pale; antenna with scapus pale on proximal half, rest of antenna dark metallic; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; OMA dark, traced mainly by sculpture.

Head in dorsal view about 2.3× as wide as long. Ocelli of moderate size, MDO: OOL: OCL in ratio 32.5: 33: 19, POL nearly 2.7× OOL. Occipital margin traced as a sharp carina raised laterally into small peaks.

Head in frontal view about 1.2× as wide as high. Smooth area above frontal sutures reaching nearly distance between cross point of frontal sutures and level of their junction with eye orbits. Eye height and interocular distance in ratio 162:150. Eye densely pubescent along its posterior margin, eye height nearly 3.0× malar space. Surface between traceable scrobal depressions weakly raised. Width of oral fossa 1.6× malar space. Antenna inserted at level of ventral eye margin.

Scape sub-cylindrical, about 4.5 × as long as wide, about 1.6× eye height; head width 1.2× pedicel plus flagellum; pedicel plus flagellum 2.6× as long as scape; pedicel about 2.0× as long as wide, slightly longer than F1. The latter and F2 1.8×, F3 1.2×, clava about 2.0 × as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma nearly 1.6 × as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate; mesoscutum 2.4× as broad as long, notaular depressions hardly recognizable; mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad, 1.6 × as long as mesoscutum. Axillula with a sessile bidentate projection.

Propodeum with median propodeal strip wide Y-shaped, with tiny carinulae, other areas smooth; submedian areas nearly flat, smooth and shiny. Spiracular elevation of propodeum weakly convex, with short tubercle posteriad. Lateral propodeal sulcus complete, with a fovea in middle. Supracoxal flange relatively narrow. Spur of hind tibia as long as width of tibia.

Fore wing 2.0× as long as wide. CC asetose, about 5.0 × as long as wide, SC with two setae on dorsal margin; MV slightly longer than CC, PMV as long as STV. Speculum open below. Apical marginal fringe as long as width of PR at its widest part.

Metasomal petiole short, robust, slightly wider than long, about ¼ of propodeum. Gaster 1.6× as long as wide, syntergum about 1.6× as long as wide, about 1/8 of length of entire metasoma.

Male

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

Guinea (Conakry).

Remarks

This species resembles X. sangha sp. nov., but is easily distinguishable, mainly by the color of the scape (pale basally, not entirely as in X. sangha ).

Figures

Fig. 32. Xiphentedon nimba sp. nov., ♀, holotype (Guinea; MRAC). A. Habitus in dorsal view. B–C. Mesosoma in dorso-lateral (B, the axillla is arrowed) and dorsal (C) views. D–E. Head in dorsal (D) and frontal (E) views.