Sycophaga brevis Liu & Huang

Liu, Yang, Li, Zi, Jia, Lingyi & Huang, Dawei, 2016, Description of two new species from China in a new species group of the fig wasp genus Sycophaga Westwood (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Agaonidae: Sycophaginae), Zootaxa 4196 (4), pp. 569-578 : 571

Sycophaga brevis Liu & Huang n. sp.

( Figs 1–12 )

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, China: Yun Nan : Xi Chou, 2.V.2004, Wen-Quan Zen, ex Ficus orthoneura ( IZCAS) . Paratypes. 2♀, 3♂, same data as holotype ( IZCAS) ; 3♀, same data as holotype, ethanol-preserved ( IZCAS) .

Diagnosis. Female. Pronotum about 2.1× as wide as long medially ( Fig. 4 ); pronotum medially about 2/3 as long as mesoscutum ( Fig. 4 ); ovipositor about 1.25× as long as body ( Fig. 1 ). Male. Pronotum with lamella expanding anteriorly and laterally as thin roof and medial cleft absent ( Fig. 10 ); all tarsi with basal four segments nearly equal in length and ta5 about 4× as long as ta4 ( Fig. 12 ); head with submedian lines absent ( Fig. 8 ). Spiracular process about 5.6× as long as basal width.

Description. Female. Head capsule, mesosoma and gaster with metallic tinge, predominantly green ( Figs 1–4 ) with gaster dark green ( Fig. 6 ). Eyes red and legs yellow ( Fig. 3 ). Ovipositor valves yellow and sheaths black.

Head capsule uniformly micropunctate-reticulate ( Fig. 2 ); in anterior view ( Fig. 2 ) about 1.3× as wide as high medially; in lateral view ( Fig. 3 ) about 1.4× as high as long; malar space about 0.56× eye height and 0.69× eye width. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) with scape and pedicel alutaceous; scape about 2.3× as long as wide, pedicel about 1.7× as long as apical width and about 1.2× as long as fu1; an1 about 4.5× and an2 about 2.4× as wide as long, and an2 about 1.9× as long as an1; flagellum with dense longitudinal sensilla a little longer than respective segment; funicle with fu1 as long as wide, fu1 about 1.6× as wide as an2, and all funiculars of nearly same size; clava about 2.7× as long as wide ( Fig. 3 ). Clypeus and supraclypeal area not defined.

Mesosoma uniformly micropunctate-reticulate except propodeum with two symmetrical smooth and shiny oval areas ( Figs 1, 4 ). Mesosoma ( Fig. 5 ) with pronotum about 2.1× as wide as long medially and about 0.7× as long as mesoscutum; mesoscutum about 1.7× as wide as long medially with posterior margin of mid lobe as wide as anterior margin of scutellum; scutellum trapezoidal, with anterior width, posterior width and length in ratio of 17:21:17. Fore wing with marginal vein, postmarginal vein and stigmal vein in ratio of 15:11:12 ( Fig. 5 ).

Gaster ( Fig. 6 ) about 1.7× as long as wide medially; tergites smooth and shiny with irregular micropunctures except GT6 alutaceous. Ovipositor 1.25× as long as body.

Male. Brown. Head capsule in dorsal view ( Fig. 8 ) longitudinally striate-strigose and striate-punctate with sparse setae, about 1.5× as long as wide with anterior margin incurved medially; in lateral view about 2.4× as long as high (fig. 9). Antenna with scape strongly shortened and broad, about 1.2× as long as wide; pedicel triangular, below lamella of scape; fl1 flat, about 2× as long as wide; fl2 triangular with apex dull, about 1.7× as long as wide.

Pronotum ( Fig. 10 ) as long as wide medially, longitudinally striate-strigose, with setae originating from shallow depressions; mesonotum ( Figs 10, 11 ) micropunctate, about 1.4× as wide as long medially; metanotopropodeum ( Fig. 11 ) about 1.3× as wide as long medially, longitudinally alutaceous-coriaceous except anterior margin oblique, with setae originating from shallow depressions. All tibiae, except for inner surfaces, with dense, stout, rounded spines, with maximal spine length about 1.1× as long as spiracular diameter on metanotopropodeum.

Gaster longitudinally striate-strigose; spiracular process about 5.6× as long as basal width.

Etymology. The Latin word “ brevis ”, meaning “short”, in reference to the fact that females of S. brevis have a shorter ovipositor than S. diutius .

Biology. Reared from the monoecious fig species, F. orthoneura .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Sycophaga brevis Liu & Huang n. sp. ♀. 1, habitus, dorsal view; 2, head, anterior view; 3, head, lateral view, 4, mesosoma, dorsal view, 5, fore wing; 6, gaster, dorsal view.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Sycophaga brevis Liu & Huang n. sp. Ƌ. 7, habitus, lateral view; 8, head, dorsal view; 9, head, lateral view 10, pronotum and mesonotum; 11, metanoto-propodeum; 12, spiracle and spiracular process.