Scelio clarkei Yoder, 2009

Yoder, Matthew, Polaszek, Andrew, Masner, Lubomir, Johnson, Norman & Valerio, Alejandro, 2009, Revision of Scelio pulchripennis - group species (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 20 (20), pp. 53-118 : 70-73

Scelio clarkei Yoder , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:886F90AB-C5B2-41F7-9CF3-C981FE1726CE urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:238050

Figs 25–30; Morphbank 14

Description. Female body length: 3.13–3.35 mm (n=6). Male body length: 3.13– 3.16 mm (n=2). Color of antenna in female: A1–A5 or A6 yellow to light brown, remaining brown. Color of head in female: black with subtle dark green sheen. Color of mesosoma in female: dark brown, dorsally with subtle dark green sheen. Color of coxae in female: brown to dark brown. Color of leg past coxa in female: brown to dark brown. Color of metasoma in female: brown to dark brown.

Sculpture of lower frons in female: predominantly transverse to slightly arcuate striae. Sculpture of ventrolateral frons in female: smooth, with some clearly defined fine umbilicate sculpture. Form of malar sulcus in female: not percurrent, with some sections variously obliterated. Sculpture of upper frons of female: rugulose, with dorsoventral trend. Sculpture of dorsal head between and posterior to lateral ocelli in

Figures 25–30 .53 Scelio clarkei sp. n. (OSUC 211565). 25 Habitus, dorsal view 26 Habitus, lateral view 27 Mesosoma, dorsal view 28 Mesosoma, lateral view 29 Head, anterior view 30 Mesonotum, dorsal view. Abbreviation: nt, notauli. Scale bars in millimeters.

female: fine irregular transverse striae. Mandible of female: upper tooth typically developed, lower tooth very short but clearly present, truncate to pointed.

Transverse pronotal carina in female: well developed, linear or with extremely slight deviations, contiguous with mesoscutum or interrupted by a single subpolygonal cell, anterior shoulder relatively abruptly transitioned to anterior pronotum. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum in female: anterior patch of transverse striae, remainder rugulose-reticulate, in some specimens this sculpture more or less obliterated throughout. Sculpture of notaular course in female: medial irregular longitudinal carina that is scrobiculate (with transverse branches) to each side. Sculpture of lateral mesoscutum in female: absent, or with obliterated patch that covers at least 1/2 of area. Sculpture of mesoscutellum in female: predominantly smooth, with only scattered setigerous punctures. Sculpture of lateral pronotum in female (excluding interstitial sculpture): with smooth to obliterated patch immediately below lateral epomial carina, otherwise reticulate with few to moderate longitudinal elements. Pronotal verricule in female: base more or less unmodified, with tightly clumped clump of extremely short setae. Pronotal setal patch posteroventral to end of lateral epomial carina in female: sparse (around 2–5) scattered, shorter semidecumbent to erect setae. Sculpture of mesopleural depression in female: surface smooth or with very faint coriaceous (obliterated) sheen, with minute foveae or grooves along posterior margin. Pilosity of anteroventral metapleuron in female: glabrous, or sparsely setose. Dorsal surface of hind tibia in female: typical distribution and moderate length, setae appressed to loosely appressed, more or less straight. Shape of hind femur in female: narrow, dorsal and ventral surfaces relatively symmetrical. Basal pigmented spot of fore wing in female: medially situated, not reaching submarginal vein, faintly reaching hind margin. Basal fascia of fore wing in female: subrectangular, striplike, percurrent from anterior to posterior margin. Apical fascia of fore wing in female: absent, fore wing past marginal vein gradually lighter.

Sculpture of dorsal T 1 in female: longitudinally striate, with few to no transverse divisions or reticulations, interstices smooth or with very slight irregular microsculpture. Sculpture of dorsal T 2 in female: fine parallel to slightly reticulate striae with minutely colliculate to transverse sculpture within interstices. Sculpture of anterior T2 through anterior depression in female: percurrent. Sculpture of dorsal T 3 in female: fine parallel to irregular longitudinal striae, with reticulation absent to moderately present. Medial sculpture of T 4 in female: present. Medial sculpture of T 5 in female: obliterated to smooth. Sculpture of T2–T5 curved transition from dorsal to lateral terga in female: obliterated to smooth. Profile of female metasoma in lateral view: dorsal and ventral surfaces more or less evenly convex. Sculpture of lateral T2–T 6 in female: fine irregular striae ventrally, faint coriaceous to obliterated sculpture dorsally. Pilosity of laterotergites in female: present on T1–T2.

Diagnosis. Most similar to S. ememeye which shares similarly formed notauli (a single carina, Fig. 30, nt) and a relatively short T1 medially. Diagnosed against all species by the unique pattern of infuscation on the fore wing in which the coloration throughout is more or less absent along the margins. Further diagnosed against all species with metallic coloration by the form of the notauli (Fig. 30, nt) and the transverse striae of the dorsal head.

Etymology. First discovered in material from Sri Lanka, the long-time residence of the recently deceased Arthur C. Clarke, a noted science fiction writer.

Link to distribution map. [http://osuc.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/maplarge.html?id=238050]

Material examined. Holotype female: INDIA: Tamil Nadu St., Coimbatore , 25.IX–1.X.1979, J. S. Noyes, OSUC 238948 (deposited in BMNH) . Paratypes: (5 females, 2 males) INDIA: 3 females, 2 males, OSUC 238949–238951 ( BMNH) ; OSUC 59152 , 59154 ( OSUC) . SRI LANKA: 2 females, OSUC 211565–211566 ( CNCI) .

Comments. Remarkable for the pattern of infuscation on the fore wing. The pilosity of the lateral mesosoma is highly reduced relative to most species. T1 is particularly narrow medially. If the ventrally oriented strip of setae of the upper frons (Fig. 29) is not an artifact then this state is unique for all species in the group.