Nixonia bini, Johnson & Masner, 2006

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 : 9-12

Nixonia bini , new species

Figures 18–23

DESCRIPTION: Holotype female: Length: 6.6 mm; body generally black; femora, tibiae, tarsi, tegula reddish brown; A1–A3 reddish brown, antenna otherwise dark brown to black; palpi yellowish; wings partially infuscate, brownish.

Head (figs. 18–20) moderately transverse in dorsal view, width 1.4 times length; vertex rugulose-punctate, shining; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than 1 ocellar diameter; POL 1.6 times LOL; occiput punctate, shining, with well-developed transverse arcuate rugulae; occipital carina present medially, obscured amid numerous transverse rugulae; frons rugulose-punctate, shining, above toruli with dense transverse wrinkles; frons (fig. 19) fairly broad, IOS equal to greatest length of eye; toruli separat- ed by distance of approximately one-half diameter of torulus; frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus raised dorsally; apical margin of clypeus straight; malar region rugose-punctate, without microsculpture in position typical of malar sulcus; cheeks rugose-punctate, with distinct longitudinal sculpture; mandible (fig. 22) elongate, unidentate, with dense tuft of long, coarse setae at base of mandible; maxillary palpal segment 4 cylindrical; A1 finely reticulate, greatest width in apical two-thirds of segment; length of A3 1.7 times of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 18, 20) height 1.1 times width, length 1.3 times height; pronotal shoulders rugose-punctate; lateral surface of pronotum coarsely punctate; netrion with deep punctures only; mesoscutum rugosepunctate, with distinct transverse sculpture posteriorly, shining; parapsidal lines present; scutellum rugose-punctate, with fine longitudinal elements in posterior half; median propodeal tooth only slightly longer than wide, apically rounded, rugulose; upper mesepisternum with strong longitudinal sculpture; mesepisternum and mesepimeron separated by line of fine foveae extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula with granular microsculpture; R 1 in forewing distinctly separated from costal margin, extending less than halfway from R to margin; apex of forewing slightly surpassing apex of T4; R in hindwing with tracheate section short, broadly separat- ed from hamuli by distance greater than its length; tibiae with fine, semidecumbent spines on outer surface.

Metasoma (figs. 21, 23) 2.5 times longer than greatest width; T1 distinctly wider than long; terga longitudinally rugose; T6 with relatively narrow emargination medially, width of emargination greater than depth; base of T6 with anteromedial field of granulate microsculpture.

DIAGNOSIS: Most similar to N. atra and N. priesneri , distinguished by the unidentate mandible.

ETYMOLOGY: Named in honor of our friend and colleague, Dr. Ferdinando Bin (Università di Perugia), collector of the unique specimen, and innovator in the study of scelionid structure and behavior.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype female: SOMALIA: Mogadiscio , Afgoi-Shabelli Valley, 1–15.ii.1977, F. Bin, malaise, OSUC 146410 , deposited in CNCI.

Nixonia corrugata , new species

Figures 24–27

DESCRIPTION: Holotype female. Length: 5.6 mm; head, mesosoma, base of T1, T5–T6 black, apex of T1, T2–T4 dark red; fore-, midfemora largely black, hind femur dark red; tibiae, tarsi, antenna entirely black; tegula dark brown; palpi brown; wings partially infuscate, brownish.

Head (figs. 24–26) moderately transverse in dorsal view, width 1.5 times length; vertex rugulose-punctate, shining; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than 1 ocellar diameter; POL 1.3 times LOL; occiput rugulose-punctate, shining; occipital carina present medially as low, crenulate carina; frons transversely rugose, shining, transverse rugae widely spaced, strong; frons (fig. 25) narrow, IOS 0.8 times greatest length of eye; toruli separated by distance of approximately one-half diameter of torulus; frons between toruli not projecting anteriorly, flat; rim of torulus raised dorsally, laterally, medially; apical margin of clypeus broadly convex; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granulate microsculpture; cheeks laterad of malar area transversely to longitudinally rugulose; mandible short, bidentate, upper tooth only slightly longer than lower, without dense basal tuft of setae; maxillary palpal segment 4 distinctly expand- ed medially, subtriangular; A1 finely reticulate, greatest width at midpoint of segment; length of A3 0.6 times length of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 24, 26) as high as wide, length 1.6 times height; pronotal shoulders rugose-punctate; lateral surface of pronotum with fine longitudinal rugulosity; netrion punctate-rugulose, with strong longitudinal sculpture; mesoscutum deeply punctate, with fine granular microsculpture, weak transverse rugulae posteriorly; parapsidal lines present; scutellum rugose-punctate, with fine longitudinal elements in posterior half; median propodeal tooth rhomboidal, length 1.5 times greatest width, rounded apically, rugulose; upper mesepisternum finely longitudinally punctate-rugose; fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula finely punctate; apex of R 1 reaching costal margin; apex of forewing only reaching midpoint of T4; 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. 27) 3.5 times longer than greatest width; T1 distinctly wider than long; T1–T3, T6 longitudinally rugose, sculpture effaced medially on T4–T5; female T6 with large, wide, semioval, apical emargination, width greater than depth; T6 anteromedially without distinctive field of microsculpture.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from the only other species with red metasoma, N. pecki , n.sp., by the short third antennomere and coarsely transverse sculpture on the frons.

ETYMOLOGY: The specific epithet corrugata refers to the strong transverse wrinkles on the frons.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype female: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Prov., The Baths S. of Citrusdale [sic], 32 ° 44.044 9 S 19 ° 02.336 9 E, 12–14.ii.2002, J. George, J. Kim, yellow pan trap, OSUC 146424 , deposited in CNCI. Paratypes: 3 males with same data as holotype ( OSUC 146425– 146427 ), deposited in CNCI, SANC .

Figures

Figs. 18–23. Nixonia bini, n.sp., holotype female (OSUC 146410). 18. Head and mesosoma, lateral view (image reversed). 19. Head, frontal view. 20. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. 21. Apex of metasoma, dorsal view. 22. Lower head and mouthparts, frontal view. 23. Metasoma, dorsal view. Scale in millimeters.

Figs. 24–27. Nixonia corrugata, n.sp., holotype female (OSUC 146424). 24. Lateral habitus. 25. Head, frontal view. 26. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view. 27. Apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale in millimeters.