Glenosema tyheli Azevedo & van Noort, 2019

Azevedo, Celso O. & Noort, Simon Van, 2019, Review of Afrotropical Glenosema Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) with description of 13 new species, Zootaxa 4585 (3), pp. 401-437 : 429-431

Glenosema tyheli Azevedo & van Noort , sp. nov.

Fig. 15

Description, holotype Ƌ. Body length 1.8 mm. Forewing length 1.15 mm.

Colour. Head, clypeus, mandible and mesosoma infuscate yellowish castaneous, palpi, scape and pedicel yellowish castaneous more strongly infuscate, flagellomeres blackish castaneous, legs infuscate yellowish castaneous with femora and tibiae more infuscate, metasoma dark castaneous; wings hyaline, veins light castaneous; metasoma dark castaneous.

Head. Mandible 0.46 × LH, wider distally, distal teeth small. Clypeus with trapezoidal median lobe, its surface inclined at more than 45 o, median area elevated but forming carina, apical margin straight in both dorsal and frontal view, lateral lobe short. Antennal foramina distant each other about 1.2 × antennal foramen diameter. First four antennomeres in ratio 20:6:15:15. Antenna reaching metasomal tergite II, pedicel slightly longer than wide, flagellomeres more than twice as long as wide; flagellar pubescence dense, short and subappressed with some suberect outstanding setae; sensilla pale, elongate, dense, aligned in longitudinal series of about 3 in each flagellomere. Eye subcircular, small, placed at mid-dorsal area of head in lateral view, with sparse and short setae. Frons coriaceous, punctures very small, inconspicuous, shallow, very sparse one another; frontal line sulcate and short. LH 1.25 × WH. WF 0.72 × WH. WF 1.49 × HE. OOL 2.05 × WOT. VOL 1.21 × HE. Distance of posterior ocellus to vertex crest 2.0 × DAO. Distance of anterior ocellus to supra-ocular line 2.58 × DAO. Frontal angle of ocellar triangle acute; ocellar triangle compact, POL 1.0 × DAO. Vertex shortly straight medially, sides of head posterior to eye converging posterad. Occipital carina complete and conspicuous, visible in dorsal view. Malar space 0.34 × as long as wide. Hypostomal carina almost straight, somewhat thickening mesad, not angled medially.

Mesosoma. Mesothorax slightly less coriaceous than frons. Dorsal pronotal area subtrapezoidal, wider than long; disc depressed forward, anterior discal margin not outlined. Mesonotum divided into anteromesoscutum and mesoscutellar-axillary complex, clearly separated by transscutal fissure. Anteromesoscutum short, shorter than mesoscutellum, notauli absent, parapsidal signal almost complete. Mesoscutum-mesoscutellar suture conspicuous, deep, anterior and posterior margins straight medially and curved laterally, posterior margin not notched medially, lateral end dilated and rounded. Metapectal-propodeal disc areolate, almost glabrous, surface flat centrally and very convex peripherally, median length 1.34 × median width, metapostnotal median, metapostnotal-propodeal, paraspiracular carina absent; lateral carina complete but weak; transverse posterior carina complete but very weak, almost imperceptible medially; spiracle small, subcircular, placed below lateral carina. Propodeal declivity weakly areolate, surface subvertical and badly convex, median carina absent. Lateral surface of metapectal-propodeal complex weakly areolate. Prosternum median-sized and flat. Mesopleuron with mesepimeron and mesepisternum completely separated by mesopleural suture, mesopleural pit small and shallow. Forewing with two closed cells, costal vein absent.

Metasoma. Polished to weakly coriaceous, tergite II about 3.6 × as long as tergite III, with pair of elongate, not excavated light antero-lateral spots. Hypopygium subtriangular, posterior margin not angularly produced. Genitalia: diminute, about 200 µm long, paramere double, dorsal one wide with rounded apex, both dorsal and ventral margins slightly outcurved, ventral one narrow with apical third slightly wider, rounded apex. Cuspis bifid, ventral arm narrow and short with rounded apex, dorsal arm wide and long with blunt apex. Aedeagus subbottleshaped, basal portion slightly dilated, about 0.5 × as long as aedeagus; apical portion somewhat thick, about 0.5 × as long as aedeagus, filamentous and membranous apex short and not curved outward; apodeme not thickening basad, straight, not surpassing genital ring; dorsal half of genital ring more advanced basad than ventral half.

Variation. Although this species is relatively abundant with more than 100 specimens, the range of variation is not great. The most conspicuous variable character is the body length, which varies from 1.2 to 1.9 mm. The texture of the smaller specimens is less accentuated. The color can be slightly lighter or darker and in a few specimens such variation can be more accentuated. The indices and measurements in general vary a little. The apical margin of the median clypeal lobe can be slightly outcurved. The apical third of ventral arm of the paramere can be inconspicuously wider, especially in the smaller specimens.

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, South Africa, Northern Cape, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Site DED2, 1245m, 27°17.339’S 22°29.022’E, 23 October–6 Dec 2015, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, Koranna-Langeberg Mountain Bushveld , Acacia erioloba , Euphorbia on rocky hillside, Savanna Biome, TSW15 - DED2 -M04 ( SAM- HYM-P087558 ) . Paratypes. South Africa, Northern Cape: 71♂, same data as holotype ( SAM-HYM-P087559 , SAM-HYM-P08 7560 , SAM-HYM-P0 87561 , SAM-HYM-P087562 , SAM-HYM-P087563 , SAM-HYM-P08 7564 , SAM-HYM-P08 7565 , SAM-HYM-P0 87566 , SAM-HYM-P087567 , SAM-HYM-P087568 , SAM-HYM-P08 7569 , SAM-HYM-P08 7570 , SAM-HYM-P0 87571 , SAM-HYM-P087572 , SAM-HYM-P087573 , SAM-HYM-P08 7574 , SAM-HYM-P08 7575 , SAM-HYM-P0 87576 , SAM-HYM-P087577 , SAM-HYM-P087578 , SAM-HYM-P08 7594 , SAM-HYM-P08 7595 , SAM-HYM-P0 87596 , SAM-HYM-P087597 , SAM-HYM-P087598 , SAM-HYM-P08 7599 , SAM-HYM-P08 7600 , SAM-HYM-P0 87601 , SAM-HYM-P087602 , SAM-HYM-P087603 , SAM-HYM-P08 7604 , SAM-HYM-P08 7605 , SAM-HYM-P0 87606 , SAM-HYM-P087607 , SAM-HYM-P087608 , SAM-HYM-P08 7609 , SAM-HYM-P08 7610 , SAM-HYM-P087611 , SAM-HYM-P0 87612 , SAM-HYM-P087613 , SAM-HYM-P08 7614 , SAM-HYM-P08 7615 , SAM-HYM-P0 87616 , SAM-HYM-P087617 , SAM-HYM-P087618 , SAM-HYM-P08 7619 , SAM-HYM-P08 7620 , SAM-HYM-P087621 , SAM-HYM-P087622 , SAM-HYM-P0 8763 , SAM-HYM-P0 8764 , SAM-HYM-P08 7625 , SAM-HYM-P0 87626 , SAM-HYM-P087627 , SAM-HYM-P087628 , SAM-HYM-P08 7629 , SAM-HYM-P08 7630 , SAM-HYM-P0 87631 , SAM-HYM-P087632 , SAM-HYM-P087633 , SAM-HYM-P08 7634 , SAM-HYM-P08 7635 , SAM-HYM-P0 87636 , SAM-HYM-P087637 , SAM-HYM-P087638 , SAM-HYM-P08 7639 , SAM-HYM-P08 7640 , SAM-HYM-P0 87641 , SAM-HYM-P087642 , SAM-HYM-P087643 ) ; 2♂, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Site BOS2, 1270m, 27°18.449’S 22°31.794’E, 25 October–6 Dec 2015, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, Kathu Bushveld , Acacia , Boscia, Savanna Biome , TSW15 - BOS2 -M03 ( SAM-HYM-P0875 709 , SAM-HYM-P087580 ) ; 20♂, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Site BOS2, 1270m, 27°18.449’S 22°31.794’E, 6 Dec 2015 – 10 Feb 2016, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, Kathu Bushveld , Acacia , Boscia, Savanna Biome , TSW15 - BOS2 -M06 ( SAM-HYM- P087581 *, SAM-HYM-P087582 *, SAM-HYM-P087583 *, SAM-HYM-P087584 *, SAM-HYM-P087585 *, SAM- HYM-P087586 , SAM-HYM-P0 87587 , SAM-HYM-P087588 *, SAM-HYM-P087589 , SAM-HYM-P08 7644 , SAM-HYM-P08 7645 , SAM-HYM-P0 87646 , SAM-HYM-P087647 , SAM-HYM-P087648 ) ; 4♂, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Site DED3, 1245m, 27°17.130'S 22°29.102'E, 6 Dec 2015 – 10 Feb 2016, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, Olifantshoek Plains Thornveld , Savanna Biome , TSW15 - DED3 -M07 ( SAM-HYM-P08 7590 , SAM-HYM- P087591 , SAM-HYM-P0 87592 , SAM-HYM-P087593 ) .

Diagnosis. The genitalia of the holotype are protracted, so we did not dissect them. Because of that the description of more internal parts of genitalia was based on the paratype. This species differs from all other species by having two conspicuous features, the yellowish castaneous body and the apical third of the ventral arm of the paramere somewhat sub-club-shaped, both unique in Glenosema .

Etymology. The specific epithet tyheli is an adjective from IsiXhosa, which means yellow, and it is in allusion to the unusual yellowish predominant body colour.

Distribution. South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Glesoneia tyhele sp. nov., holotype male. A. Habitus, lateral, inset: labels; B. Mesosoma, dorsal; C. Head, dorsal; D. Genitalia, ventral (paratype); E. Genitalia, lateroventral (paratype).