Xenocynips ronquisti Buffington & van Noort

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 114-118

Xenocynips ronquisti Buffington & van Noort sp. n. Figures 54-55

Description.

Coloration of head, mesosoma, and metasoma, dark reddish brown; legs reddish brown. Sculpture on vertex, lateral surface of pronotum and mesoscutum present, deeply foveate laterally on head, pronotum, mesoscutum.

Head. Broadly triangular, in anterior view. Pubescence on head present, sparse setae scattered over head. Sculpture along lateral margin of occiput absent. Gena (measured from compound eye to posterolateral margin of head) short, ratio of length of gena to length of compound eye in dorsal view <0.3. Sculpture of gena present, with distinct fovea. Lateral margin of occiput defined by distinctly angled, raised, sharp carina. Occiput (except extreme lateral margin) smooth. Ocelli small, ratio of maximum diameter of a lateral ocellus to shortest distance between lateral ocelli 0.2-0.4. Anterior ocellus between lateral ocelli. Relative position of toruli close to ocelli, ratio of vertical distance between inner margin of torulus and ventral margin of clypeus to vertical distance between anterior ocellus and torulus <2.0. Median keel of face present, extending to middle of face, not reaching clypeus. Vertical carina adjacent to ventral margin of torulus present. Facial sculpture present, punctate-rugose, transversely striate; striations meeting at midline of face; present, microcoriaceous. Facial impression absent, face flat. Antennal scrobe absent. Anterior tentorial pits small. Vertical delineations on lower face present, single orbital furrow along inner margin of compound eye. Ventral clypeal margin laterally, close to anterior mandibular articulation, distinctly angled. Ventral clypeal margin medially straight, not projecting. Clypeus horizontally striate; circumscribed by clypeal carina; surface striate, converging ventro-medially. Malar space adjacent to anterior articulation of mandible evenly rounded, striate-foveate. Malar sulcus absent. Compound eye close to posterior ocellus, ratio of distance between compound eye and posterior mandibular articulation to distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye> 1.2. Compound eye, in dorsal view, distinctly protruding from the surface of the head, particularly laterally. Pubescence on compound eye absent. Orbital furrows rounded, ill-defined, running from lateral edge of torulus to ventral margin of compound eye. Lateral frontal carina of face present. Dorsal aspect of vertex with carinae extending from each torulus, defining outer margin of scrobe toward lateral ocelli, reaching posteriorly to median ocellus. Posterior aspect of vertex foveate. Hair punctures on lateral aspect of vertex absent. Posterior surface of head deeply impressed around postocciput.

Labial-maxillary complex. Apical segment of maxillary palp with pubescence, consisting only of erect setae. First segment of labial palp shorter than apical segment. Apical seta on apical segment of maxillary palp shorter than twice length of second longest apical seta. Erect setae medially on apical segment of maxillary palp present. Last two segments of maxillary palp (in normal repose) curved inwards. Apical segment of maxillary palp more than 1.5 times as long as preceding segment.

Antenna. Articulation between flagellomeres in antenna connate with articles broadly joined. Male antenna composed of 12 flagellomeres. Placoidal sensilla absent. Second flagellomere of male antenna slightly asymmetric basally. Length of second flagellomere of male antenna longer than first flagellomere.

Pronotum. Macrosculpture on lateral surface of pronotum present, foveate. Pubescence on lateral surface of pronotum present, sparse, composed of few short hairs. Anterior flange of pronotal plate distinctly protruding anteriorly, longitudinally striate. Carinae extending posteriorly from lateral margin of pronotal plate absent. Lateral pronotal carina present. Pronotal crest present, raised into a distinct process projecting above anterior margin of mesoscutum. Submedian pronotal depressions absent, represented by shallow depression. Lateral margin of pronotal plate defined all the way to the dorsal margin of the pronotum. Pronotal plate wide, almost as wide as head.

Mesoscutum. Mesoscutal surface convex, evenly curved. Sculpture on mesoscutum present, transversely costate-foveate with dorsally projected serrations. Notaulus present, composed of series of deep subcontiguous pits of uniform width. Median mesoscutal carina absent. Anterior admedial lines absent. Median mesoscutal impression present, long, reaching over 1/2 length of mesoscutum. Parascutal carina nearly straight anteriorly, posteriorly curved mesally.

Mesopleuron. Horizontally strigate dorsally, with single deep longitudinal trough at midline, ventrally slightly smoother, with gentle, parallel horizontal striae. Subpleuron anteriorly with two deep cavities, centrally gently striate, posteriorly deeply strigate. Lower mesopleuron entirely striate. Epicnemial carina present on ventral half of mesopleuron; shagreened, ventrally bulbous near mesosternum. Lateroventral mesopleural carina present, marking abrupt change of slope of mesopectus. Mesopleural triangle present, gently impressed lacking dorsal and ventral border; deeply striate. Subalar pit large and well defined, lying in posterior end of mesopleural triangle. Speculum present, striate. Mesopleural carina absent.

Scutellum. Dorsal surface of scutellum foveate-areolate. Circumscutellar carina present, complete, delimiting dorsal and ventral halves of scutellum. Posterior margin of axillula marked by distinct ledge, axillula distinctly impressed adjacent to ledge. Lateroventral margin of scutellum posterior to auricula smooth ventrally, longitudinally striate dorsally. Dorsoposterior part of scutellum produced posteriorly into blunt spine. Dorsal part of scutellum entirely rugose. Scutellar plate absent. Scutellar foveae present, three. Longitudinal scutellar carinae absent. Single longitudinal carina separating scutellar foveae absent. Posterolateral margin of scutellum drawn out into distinct protuberance. Lateral bar with strong strigate sculpture, conspicuously widened ventrally into lobe.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapectal cavity anterodorsal to metacoxal base absent. Anterior margin of metapectal-propodeal complex seperated from mesopleuron by distinct dorso-ventral ledge. Posteroventral corner of metapleuron (in lateral view) extended posteriorly. Anterior impression of metepimeron present, triangular, with broadest part ventrally. Posterior margin of metepimeron distinct, separating metepimeron from propodeum. Subalar area slightly broadened anteriorly, without longitudinal division indicated. Calyptra present, blunt, lobe-like, polished posteriorly with setiferous punctures anteriorly. Dorsellum present, horizontally striate. Anterior impression of metepisternum, immediately beneath anterior end of metapleural carina, absent. Pubescence present on metapleuron, long, not dense; absent of propodeum. Propodeal spurs absent. Lateral propodeal carinae present, not reaching scutellum. Ventral end of lateral propodeal carina reaching nucha, carinae separated from each other. Inter propodeal carinae space glabrous, costulate. Petiolar foramen removed from metacoxae, directed posteriorly. Horizontal carina running anteriorly from lateral propodeal carina present. Lateral propodeal carina straight, sub-parallel. Calyptra, in lateral view, elongate. Propodeum 'neck-like', drawn out posteriorly. Calyptra, in posterior view, dorsoventrally elongate.

Legs. Pubescence posterolaterally on metacoxa sparse to moderately dense, confined dense hair patch absent. Microsculpture on hind coxa present antero-laterally, smooth posterolaterally. Longitudinal carina on the posterior surface of metatibia absent. Metafemoral spine present, elongate, extending distally as low keel along ventral femoral margin. Distal mesotibial spurs longer than medial spurs. Distal metatibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Ratio of first metatibial segment to remaining 4 segments greater than 1.0. Pubescence on outer surface of metatarsal claw sparse, consisting of few setae. Outer surface of metatarsal claw entirely smooth. Apical seta of metatarsal claw positioned on outer surface below dorsal margin. Base of metatarsal claw weakly expanded, apex slightly bent, ratio width of base to length of apex <0.6.

Forewing. Pubescence of forewing absent on basal half of wing, sparse distally. Apical margin of female forewing rounded. Rs+M of forewing tubular. Mesal end of Rs+M vein situated closer to posterior margin of forewing, directed towards posterior end of basalis. Vein R1 tubular along at least basal part of anterior margin of marginal cell. Basal abscissa of R1 (the abscissa between 2r and the forewing margin) of forewing as broad as adjacent wing veins. Coloration of forewing hyaline with slight infuscation covering marginal cell, area posterior to marginal cell. Marginal cell of forewing membranous, similar to other wing cells. Areolet absent. Hair fringe along apical margin of forewing absent.

Petiole. Slightly elongate, 1.5 –2× longer than wide. Surface of petiole longitudinally costate, ribbed, ventral keel absent. Posterior part of female petiole not abruptly widened. Ventral flange of annulus of female petiole absent.

Metasoma. Setal band (hairy ring) at base of tergum 3 absent, base of metasoma glabrous. Tergum 3 indistinct, fused with syntergum. Posterior margin of tergum 3 indistinct, fused with tergum 4 in syntergum. Sternum 3 encompassed by syntergum. Sculpture on metasomal terga present, finely punctate laterally, dorsally; posteriorly with large setal pits. Syntergum present with terga 3-5 fused, ventral margin rounded. Annulus absent. Peg-like setae on T6-T7 absent.

Diagnosis.

The entirely striate speculum (Fig. 54C) sets this species apart from other Xenocynips , which have a dorsally striate, ventrally smooth speculum (Figs 52C and 56B). Another significant feature is the absence of the propodeal spurs, which both Xenocynips subsquamata and Xenocynips rhothion both possess.

Etymology.

Named in honor of our friend and acclaimed hymenopterist Fredrik Ronquist (Natural History Museum, Stockholm), who determined this represented an undescribed species in his monograph of Liopteridae (Ronquist, 1995).

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of Congo. Link to Distribution Map. [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=300225]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 39km S Walikale, 700m, 14.IX.1957, E. S. Ross and R. E. Leech, USNM ENT 00764784 (deposited in CASC).