Xenocynips subsquamata Kieffer

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 118-121

Xenocynips subsquamata Kieffer Figure 56

Xenocynips subsquamata Kieffer, 1910b: 340.

Description.

Coloration of head, mesosoma, and metasoma, dark reddish brown; legs reddish brown. Sculpture on vertex, lateral surface of pronotum and mesoscutum present, deeply striate on head, costate with foveae on pronotum, mesoscutum.

Head. Broadly triangular, in anterior view. Pubescence on head present, sparse setae scattered over head. Sculpture along lateral margin of occiput with one costula. 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, in dorsal view. Sculpture of gena present, gently striate. Lateral margin of occiput defined by evenly rounded, raised, sharp carina. Occiput (except extreme lateral margin) with few weak strigae along peripheral margin. Ocelli small, ratio of maximum diameter of a lateral ocellus to shortest distance between lateral ocelli 0.2-0.4. Anterior ocellus close to posterior ocelli, posterior margin of anterior ocellus behind or subcontiguous with a transverse line running through anterior margins of posterior 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 absent. Vertical carina adjacent to ventral margin of torulus absent. Facial sculpture present, microcoriaceous. Facial impression absent, face flat. Antennal scrobe absent. Vertical delineations on lower face absent. 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 absent. Lateral frontal carina of face absent. Dorsal aspect of vertex variously strigate; shagreened with faint remnants of carinae. Posterior aspect of vertex foveate. Hair punctures on lateral aspect of vertex absent. Posterior surface of head deeply impressed around postocciput.

Antenna. Articulation between flagellomeres in antenna connate with articles broadly joined. Female antenna composed of 11 flagellomeres. Female F1 shorter than F2; black. Flagellomeres of female antenna cylindrical, distinctly widened towards apex, non-clavate. Placoidal sensilla absent. Distal flagellomeres of female antenna not conspicuously enlarged compared to proximal flagellomeres.

Pronotum. Macrosculpture on lateral surface of pronotum present, deeply costulate with remnants of foveae. Pubescence on lateral surface of pronotum absent. Anterior flange of pronotal plate distinctly protruding anteriorly, longitudinally striate. Carinae extending posteriorly from lateral margin of pronotal plate distinct but short, not extending to the dorsal margin of pronotum. 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 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 with dorsally projected serrations. Notaulus present, wide, transversely striate, distinctly wider posteriorly. Median mesoscutal carina absent. Anterior admedial lines absent. Median mesoscutal impression absent. Parascutal carina nearly straight anteriorly, posteriorly curved mesally.

Mesopleuron. Horizontally strigate dorsally, ventrally smooth with gentle, parallel horizontal striae. Subpleuron transversely striate, glabrous. 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, with distinct smooth, glabrous ventral cavity. Mesopleural carina absent.

Scutellum. Dorsal surface of scutellum foveate-areolate. Circumscutellar carina absent. 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, each lateral fovea with two longitudinal divisions, central fovea smooth, resulting in transverse row of 7 longitudinally elongate subfovea. Longitudinal scutellar carinae absent. Single longitudinal carina separating scutellar foveae absent. Posterolateral margin of scutellum drawn out into distinct protuberance. Lateral bar weakly strigate, narrow.

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, strigate anteriorly with setiferous punctures. Dorsellum absent. Anterior impression of metepisternum, immediately beneath anterior end of metapleural carina, absent. Pubescence consisting of few scattered hairs on posterior part of metapleuron and lateral part of propodeum. Propodeal spurs present, striate. 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 rim of uniform width along entire circumference. 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 absent. 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 shorter than medial spurs. Distal metatibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Ratio of first metatibial segment to remaining 4 segments less 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. Ventral and lateral parts of petiolar rim narrow.

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. Posteroventral cavities of female metasoma T7 present, glabrous save for few, long setae. Female posteroventral margin of T6-T7 straight, parallel, with medial carina. Terebrum and hypopygium (in lateral view) straight, pointing posteriorly.

Ovipositor. First valvula of ovipositor narrowing gradually, not broadened apically, smooth at tip. Ovipositor clip absent.

Diagnosis.

This species is most easily confused with Xenocynips rhothion , but the sculpture of the pronotum is distinct from that species; in Xenocynips subsquamata , the pronotum is horizontally costate (Fig. 56B), but the costa do not result in the wave-like crests found in Xenocynips rhothion (Fig. 52C). Additionally, the central propodeal keel is entire in Xenocynips subsquamata , and forked in Xenocynips rhothion .

Distribution.

Cameroon. Link to Distribution Map. [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=181548]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: CAMEROON: no date, Conradt, USNM ENT 00764783 (deposited in DEIC).