Nixonia atra Masner

Johnson, Norman F. & Masner, Lubomír, 2006, Revision of World Species of the Genus Nixonia Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Scelionidae), American Museum Novitates 3518 (1), pp. 1-32 : 8-9

Nixonia atra Masner

Figures 6 , 8, 10, 13–17

Nixonia atra Masner, 1970: 90 . Original description. Masner, 1976: 12 (type information).

DESCRIPTION: Holotype male. Length: 6.9 mm; body generally black; femora, tibiae, tarsi, antenna, tegula black; palpi yellowish brown; wings infuscate throughout, brownish.

Head (figs. 13–16) transverse in dorsal view, width 2.0 times length; vertex rugulose-punctate, shining; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than 1 ocellar diameter; POL 1.4 times LOL; occiput rugulose-punctate, shining; occipital carina not developed; frons (fig. 15) rugulose-punctate, shining, above toruli with few transverse wrinkles medially; frons broad, IOS 1.1 times greatest length of eye; toruli separated by distance of approximately one-half diameter of torulus, frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus raised dorsally and medially; apical margin of clypeus straight; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granular microsculpture; cheeks laterad of malar area coarsely punctate, without longitudinal sculpture; mandible elongate, bidentate, upper tooth significantly longer than lower, with dense tuft of long, coarse setae at base (fig. 15); maxillary palpal segment 4 cylindrical (fig. 8); A1 finely punctate, greatest width in apical two-thirds of segment; length of A3 1.9 times of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 14, 16) height 1.1 times width, length 1.4 times height; pronotal shoulders rugose-punctate; lateral surface of pronotum finely punctate; netrion with deep punctures only; mesoscutum deeply punctate, with fine reticulate microsculpture; parapsidal lines absent; scutellum coarsely punctate, with reticulate microsculpture, without longitudinal sculpture; median propodeal tooth moderately wide, two times as long as wide, pointed apically, rugulose; upper mesepisternum largely smooth, with only weakly indicated longitudinal rugulae; line of fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum coarsely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula with fine transverse striae; R 1 in forewing distinctly separated from costal margin, extending only halfway from R to margin; forewing surpassing apex of T5; R in hindwing with tracheate section short, broadly separated from hamuli by distance greater than its length; tibiae with fine, semidecumbent spines on outer surface.

Metasoma (fig. 16) 2.3 times longer than its greatest width; T1 distinctly wider than long; all terga longitudinally rugose.

Additional characters from female: T6 with relatively broad emargination medially, width of emargination greater than depth; base of T6 with anteromedial field of granulate microsculpture.

DIAGNOSIS: Most similar to N. bini and N. priesneri , distinguished by its bidentate mandibles (unidentate in N. bini ) and the absence of transverse sculpture on the mesoscutum.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype male: ‘‘ RHODESIA, Victoria Falls , Nat’l Park, IV-3-6-1968, Paul Spangler; Nixonia atra

Masner „ HOLOTYPE; Type No , 70765, U.S. N.M.’’ Deposited in USNM.

Other material (10 specimens): ANGOLA: 15 mi N Lubango [Sá da Bandeira on label],, 6500 ft [1980 m], Prov. da Huila, 3.III.1972, 1 male, OSUC 146407 . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Cp. Rwuindi, Parc National Albert , 1000 m, 25.IV.1936, L. Lippens, 1 male, OSUC 149429 . KENYA: Maungu , 2000 9, 1.V.1976, I. Bampton, 1 male, OSUC 149515 . Kisumu, Nyanza Prov. , 1937, C. B. Symes, airplane, 1 male, OSUC 146408 . MALAWI: Chitipa District, Jembya Reserve , 13 km SSE Chisanga, 10 ° 08 9 S 33 ° 27 9 E, 1870 m, 11–20.I.1989, J. Rawlins, S. Thompson, 1 female, OSUC 146406 . RWANDA: Bitshumbi, Parc National Albert , SL Edouard, 925 m, 15.IV.1936, L. Lippens, 1 male, OSUC 149428 . ZIMBABWE: Harare [Salisbury, Rhodesia on label], I.1979, A. Watsham, 1 male, OSUC 146402 ; XI– XII.1981, pan trap, 3 females, OSUC 146403 , OSUC 146404 , OSUC 146405 . Deposited in AEIC, BMNH, CNCI, IEAP, ISNB .

Figures

Figs. 2–6. 2. Nixonia pecki, n.sp., lateral habitus (OSUC 146419). 3. N. pecki, dorsal habitus (OSUC 146419). 4. N. flavocincta, n.sp., antennomeres 1–5 (OSUC 146461). 5. N. krombeini, n.sp., antennomeres 1– 5 (OSUC 146436). 6. N. atra Masner, antennomeres 1–5 (OSUC 146405).

Figs. 7–13. 7. Nixonia flavocincta, n.sp., head, frontal view (OSUC 146461); 8. N. atra Masner, maxillary palpomeres 2–5 (OSUC 146405). 9. N. watshami, n.sp., maxillary palpomeres 1–5 (OSUC 146418). 10. N. atra, mandible (OSUC 146405). 11. N. krombeini, n.sp., mandible (OSUC 146436). 12. N. krombeini, head, frontal view (OSUC 146436). 13. N. watshami, head, frontal view (OSUC 146418).

Figs. 14–17. Nixonia atra Masner. 14. Lateral habitus (OSUC 146402). 15. Head, frontal view (OSUC 146402). 16. Dorsal habitus (OSUC 146402). 17. Apex of metasoma, dorsal view (OSUC 146403). Scale in millimeters.