Nixonia elongata, 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 : 13-15

Nixonia elongata , new species

Figures 28–31

DESCRIPTION: Holotype female. Length: 6.7 mm; body generally black; femora, tibiae, tarsi, antenna, tegula black; palpi light brown; wings infuscate throughout, brownish.

Head (figs. 28–30) moderately transverse in dorsal view, width 1.6 times length; vertex rugulose–punctate, shining; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than one ocellar diameter; POL 1.6 times LOL; occiput rugulose-punctate, shining; occipital carina present medially as low, crenulate carina; frons (fig. 29) rugulose-punctate, shining, above toruli with dense transverse wrinkles; frons broad, IOS 1.1 times greatest length of eye; toruli closely approximated, separated by distance less than one-half torulus diameter; frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus raised dorsally; apical margin of clypeus straight; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granulate microsculpture; cheeks laterad of malar area rugosepunctate, with fine longitudinal elements; mandible short, bidentate, upper tooth only slightly longer than lower, without dense basal tuft of setae; maxillary palpal segment 4 distinctly expanded medially, subtriangular; A1 finely reticulate, greatest width in apical two-thirds of segment; length of A3 1.2 times length of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 28, 30) as high as wide, length 1.5 times height; pronotal shoulders coarsely punctate; lateral surface of pronotum coarsely punctate; netrion with weak longitudinal sculpture, deep punctures; mesoscutum deeply punctate, with fine reticulate microsculpture; parapsidal lines present; scutellum coarsely punctate, with reticulate microsculpture, without longitudinal sculpture; median propodeal tooth rhomboidal, length 1.5 times greatest width, rounded apically, rugulose; upper mesepisternum with strong longitudinal sculpture; fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula with fine transverse striae; R 1 in forewing distinctly separat- ed from costal margin, extending only halfway from R to margin; apex of forewing only reaching midpoint of T4; R in hindwing with tracheate section long, nearly reaching hamuli; tibiae with fine, semidecumbent spines on outer surface.

Metasoma (fig. 31) 4.5 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 anterormedially with field of granulate microsculpture.

DIAGNOSIS: Most similar to N. pecki , with which it shares the moderately elongate A3, only slightly longer than A2; distinguished from it by the black metasoma and the absence of the occipital carina medially.

ETYMOLOGY: The name elongata refers to the long and narrow body.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype female: SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, Grahamstown, Stowan ; 5 March 1972, D. J. Brothers, C. Jacot-Guillarmad, OSUC 146411 , deposit- ed in SANC.

Nixonia flavocincta , new species

Figures 4 , 7 , 32–35

DESCRIPTION: Holotype female. Length: 4.5 mm; body generally black, with posterior margin of pronotum, scutellum, propodeal tooth, apex of T1–T4 with narrow yellow bands; femora, tibiae yellow to orange; tarsi largely yellow, apical tarsomeres darker; A1– A4 yellow, A5–A14 dark brown to black; tegula yellow; palpi light brown; wings partially infuscate, brownish.

Head (figs. 7, 32–34) moderately transverse in dorsal view, width 1.6 times length; vertex rugulose–punctate, with granular microsculpture; lateral ocellus contiguous with inner orbit; POL 0.6 times LOL; occiput rugulosepunctate, with reticulate microsculpture; occipital carina present medially as low, crenulate carina; frons (fig. 33) finely rugulosepunctate near inner orbits, otherwise shining, covered with dense transverse wrinkles; frons very narrow, IOS 0.4 times greatest length of eye; toruli separated by distance subequal to diameter of torulus; frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus evenly raised; apical margin of clypeus straight; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granulate microsculpture; cheeks laterad of malar area rugose-punctate, with distinct longitudinal sculpture; 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 basad of midpoint of segment; length of A3 0.6 times of A2 (fig. 4).

Mesosoma (figs. 32, 34) as high as wide, length 1.5 times height; pronotal shoulders coarsely punctate; lateral surface of pronotum finely punctate; netrion finely punctate, with weak longitudinal sculpture; mesoscutum deeply punctate, with fine reticulate microsculpture; parapsidal lines present; scutellum coarsely punctate, with reticulate microsculpture, with distinct fine longitudinal elements in posterior half; median propodeal tooth moderately wide, two times as long as wide, pointed apically, longitudinally carinate; upper mesepisternum finely punctate, without longitudinal sculpture; fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook longitudinally keeled; tegula with granular microsculpture; apex of R 1 reaching costal margin; apex of forewing slightly surpassing apex 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. 35) 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 moderately large apical emargination, width greater than depth, T6 anteromedially without distinctive field of microsculpture.

DIAGNOSIS: This species shares with N. sicaria the very narrow IOS and the short A3.

It may be easily distinguished from this and all other known species of Nixonia by the yellow banding on the mesosoma and metasoma, and the bright yellow antennal scape.

ETYMOLOGY: From flavo–, ‘‘yellow’’, and cincta, ‘‘girdled’’, referring to the distinctive yellow bands on the mesosoma and metasoma.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype female: NAMIBIA: Windhoek District, Khomas Reg., Oase at Gaub River , 730 m, 23 ° 29 9 S 15 ° 46 9 E, 22–29.XI.1996, M. E. Irwin, E. I. Schlinger, E. Marais, malaise trap in riverine vegetation, OSUC 146462 , deposited in UCDC. Paratypes: 1 female, 1 male with same data as holotype, OSUC 146460–146461 . NAMIBIA: E. Gobabeb, 21.XII–16.I.1979, R. A. Wharton, OSUC 146455 , 1 male. Deposited in CNCI, UCDC .

Figures

Figs. 28–31. Nixonia elongata, n.sp., holotype female (OSUC 146411). 28 Lateral habitus. 29. Head, frontal view. 30. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view. 31. Apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale in millimeters.

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. 32–35. Nixonia flavocincta, n.sp. 32. Lateral habitus, holotype female (OSUC 146462). 33. Head, frontal view, holotype female (OSUC 146462). 34. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view (OSUC 146455). 35. Apex of metasoma, dorsal view, holotype female (OSUC 146462). Scale in millimeters.