Dyscritobaeus ndokii Tortorici et Caleca

Tortorici, Francesco, Caleca, Virgilio, Noort, Simon Van & Masner, Lubomir, 2016, Revision of Afrotropical Dyscritobaeus Perkins, 1910 (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), Zootaxa 4178 (1), pp. 1-59 : 20-22

Dyscritobaeus ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov.

(Figs 27, 29, 38c, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:56F210DB-0EDE-497F-9981-334D5 A 8D2B24 http://hol.osu.edu/index.html?id=410571

Diagnosis. Absence of the preoccipital lunula ( Fig. 56 ), a character state shared with D. comitans , differentiates these two species from the other African species.

The rugose T2 separates this species from other species of the comitans- group, which either have T2 with some longitudinal striation ( D. comitans , D. bolivar , other undescribed species) or with minute granulate punctuation or coriaceous ( D. minoculo , one undescribed species). Additionally the frontal depression with arched striae arising from the top of the central keel and reaching the oral foramen laterally of the clypeus (Fig. 27) distinguishes this species from D. comitans that has the frontal depression shallow and smooth ( Fig. 26 ). The black head differentiates this species from D. comitans having a brown head.

Description. Length of the body: 0.91 mm

Head. Color black. Coriaceous. Head covered by long hair, mandibles yellow. Frontal depression with a shallow area starting from the interantennal process, reaching mid eye height with long striae starting from the top of central keel and reaching the oral foramen (Figs 27, 54). Central keel reaching 1/2 the height of the eye ( Fig. 54 ). Fan-like striation in malar area from oral foramen to eye margin, fan-like striation present in genal area surpassing half-length of malar sulcus. Malar sulcus length: 0.01 mm. Preoccipital lunula absent ( Fig. 56 ). Measures of the head width: height: length = 0.41: 0.34: 0.19 mm. Measures of eye width: heigth = 0.14: 0.19 mm. OOL: LOL: POL = 0.09: 0.06: 0.1 mm. Mandibles bidentate without odontoid process ( Figs 55, 57 ).

Antennae not present in the specimen.

Mesosoma. In dorsal view, mesoscutum anteriorly yellow, dark brown in central and posterior part; scutellum with dark brown anterior and central part and yellow posterior and lateral margins; propodeum brown; metascutellum and metanotal spine brown with dark edge (Figs 29, 55). In lateral view brown ( Fig. 57 ). In dorsal view mesonotum and scutellum imbricate ( Fig. 55 ); in lateral view speculum with furrow; femoral depression smooth and fan-like striation absent on it; posterior mesepimeral area well delimitate anteriorly; dorsal and ventral metapleural area with a crenulate depression with rugae ( Fig. 57 ); metapleural carina with one posterior pointed projection ( Fig. 58 ). Metascutellum visible in dorsal view, small metanotal spine ( Fig. 55 ).

Mesosoma length 0.25 mm, width 0.4 mm; scutellum length 0.15 mm, width 0.3 mm.

Wings. Fore wing hyaline, surpassing metasoma; ratio st: pm: mg: sm: ww: lw: af: pf = 1: 0.4: 0.8: 3.4: 3.4: 9.0: 0.4: 1.0; angle st-pm= 43° as in Fig. 38c . st length is 0.09 mm; width: length of fore wing is 0.31: 0.81 mm.

Legs yellow except fore and middle coxe light brown, hind coxe brown.

Metasoma. In dorsal view metasoma anteriorly yellowish as in propodeum, color gradually changes in dark brown in last tergite; T1, T2, T3 color light brown on side (Fig. 29); laterotergites yellowish. On T1 pair of longitudinal submedial carinae are aligned with the metapleural carinae and separate lateral coriaceous microscupture from internal smooth area. In the middle of T1 a microsculpure striate to coriaceous starts from the anterior margin and gradually dissolves towards the posterior margin. T2 rugose, not foveolate in anterior margin (Fig. 29).

Female: unknown

Comment. This species is represented by only one specimen, but the characters easily diagnose the species. Size, and sculpture of the head place this species close to the genus Titta Mineo, O’Connor et Ashe , but the bidentate mandible and palpal formula 2,1 are typical features of Dyscritobaeus species.

Distribution.

Etymology. The species name is the genitive of the word ndoki that in the Lingala language means sorcerer; this species is so unique in Africa that it could appear to be the result of witchcraft. The collection site is located in the Ndoki sector of the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, named after the Ndoki River flowing from Central African Republic to Congo, which gives its name to this forest area in both countries.

Material examined. Holotype. Ƌ: AFRICA: Central African Republic: Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki, 38.6km 173º S Lidjombo, Lowland Rainforest, 2º21.60'N, 16º09.20'E, 350m, 2001/05/22, S. van Noort, Sweeping, ( SAMC), [SAM-HYM-P025617] (wings on slide, in Fig. 38c ).

Figures

FIGURE 26. Dyscritobaeus comitans Ƌ from Sulawesi: central keel, frontal depression smooth; FIGURE 27. D. ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. Ƌ holotype: central keel, frontal depression with curved striae, surrounding face striate; FIGURE 28. D. comitans Ƌ from Sulawesi: metasoma in dorsal view, T 2 striate; FIGURE 29. D. ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. Ƌ holotype: metasoma in dorsal view, T 2 rugose.

FIGURES 54 – 58. Dyscritobaeus ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. Ƌ, holotype [SAM-HYM-P 025617]: 54 — head, frontal view; 55 — head in dorsolateral view, and mesosoma in dorsal view; 56 — head, dorsal view; 57 — head in ventral view, and mesosoma in lateral view; 58 — posterior pointed projection in metapleural carina.

FIGURES 38 a – f. Fore wings: a — Dyscritobaeus comitans ♀, from Sulawesi; b — D. comitans Ƌ, from Sulawesi; c — D. ndokii Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. holotype Ƌ; d — D. antananarivensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. holotype Ƌ; e — D. madagascarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. ♀; f — D. madagascarensis Tortorici et Caleca sp. nov. Ƌ.