Synopeas klingunculum Awad, 2021

Awad, Jessica, Bremer, Jonathan S., Butterill, Philip T., Moore, Matthew R. & Talamas, Elijah J., 2021, A taxonomic treatment of Synopeas Foerster (Platygastridae, Platygastrinae) from the island of New Guinea, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 87, pp. 5-65 : 5

Synopeas klingunculum Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.2-1.8 mm. Body color: black. Color of legs: coxae brown, otherwise yellow to brown. Color of mesoscutellar spine: concolorous with mesoscutellar disc.

Head. Shape of head in anterior view: distinctly ovoid. Central keel: partial. Sculpture on frons: rugose macrosculpture. Epitorular sculpture: rugose. Number of clypeal setae: 4. Length of median pair of clypeal setae: longer than lateral pair. Arrangement of clypeal setae: medial setae closer to each other than to lateral setae. Shape of mandible: bidentate. Distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (OOL): approximately 1 ocellar diameter. Hyperoccipital carina: interrupted medially; present in medial third; absent; obscured by sculpture. Hyperoccipital carina strength: uniformly weak. Distance between lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina: approximately 1 ocellar diameter; greater than 1 ocellar diameter.

Mesosoma. Epomial carina: present, complete or nearly so. Microsculpture of lateral pronotum: present dorsally, absent ventrally, smooth band anterior to tegula. Lateral pronotal sculpture coverage: 1/4 to 1/2. Mesoscutellar spine: long and thick. Mesoscutellar spine in lateral view: pointing posteriorly. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: rounded; pointed dorsally. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: distinctly grooved. Parapsidal lines: marked by absence of sculpture. Setation of mesoscutum: sparse. Mesoscutal lamella: truncate, with striate sculpture. Setation of mesoscutellum: present lateral to striate sculpture.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: narrow band at posterior margin. Sculpture of T2: narrow transverse band of microsculpture at posterior margin. Length of T2: shorter than mesosoma; approximately as long as mesosoma.

Wing. Length of setae on disc of forewing: shorter than distance between setal bases. Density of setae on disc of forewing: sparse. Arrangement of setae on disc of forewing: densely setose distally, sparsely setose proximally. Forewing marginal setae: setae on posterior margin distinctly longer than setae on anterior margin.

Diagnosis.

The head of S. klingunculum is mostly covered in rugose macrosculpture and the notauli are distinctly grooved, characters which it shares with S. anunu . The mesoscutellar spine of S. klingunculum is papilliform or wart-like, with the length of the spine only slightly greater than its thickness in lateral view. Synopeas anunu has a mesoscutellar spine that is similar in form, but its length is more than twice the thickness at its midpoint (Fig. 13 ). The sculpture of the lateral pronotum in S. klingunculum is present dorsally and absent ventrally, with a smooth band anterior to the tegula. This smooth band is lacking in S. anunu . Additionally, the epomial carina of S. klingunculum terminates posteriorly in a pit, while that of S. anunu does not.

Comments.

The central keel is variable and difficult to discern due to the sculpture of the frons. The keel is present ventrally, and occasionally also present dorsally, just ventral to the median ocellus. Similarly, the hyperoccipital carina is often obscured by head sculpture, but when visible, it is weak and incomplete. The epomial carina terminates posteriorly in a pit.

Etymology.

The epithet " Synopeas klingunculum " means "little Klingon" and refers to the rugose head sculpture, which resembles that of the fictional alien race from "Star Trek".

Plant associations.

Reared from vein swelling and globoid galls on Nauclea spp. ( Rubiaceae ) [GALL217, GALL218].

Material examined.

Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 17.X.2012, Philip Butterill leg., Nauclea tenuiflora (FSCA 00034032) . Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 01.VII.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000365) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 23.VII.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000368) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 24.VIII.2010, Nauclea sp. 1, (FSCA 00000309) ; 2♀ 3♂, Morobe, Yawan , 22.IX.2010, Nauclea tenuiflora (FSCA 00000362-00000364, 00000378-00000379) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 26.X.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000369) ; 2♂, Morobe, Yawan , 30.X.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00090254-00094591) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 12.XI.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000354) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 26.XI.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000411) ; ♀ ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 29.XI.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000343, 00090408) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 26.I.2011, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000375) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 01.VIII.2012, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000366) ; 15♀ 4♂, Morobe, Yawan , 13.XI.2012, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000237, 00000355, 00034028, FSCA 00094485-00094492, 00094504-00094510) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 21.XI.2012, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000376) .

Figures

Figure 13. Mesoscutellar spine A S. klingunculum (FSCA 00000376) B S. anunu (FSCA 00090255). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.