Aphanogmus mariae, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 45-48

Aphanogmus mariae sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E7626A2E-77F7-4125-86DF-AD631DC35465

Fig. 10

Diagnosis

Posterior mesoscutal width 1.29 × (1.29) mesoscutellum width. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped apicoventrally and slightly broadened at apex in ventral, lateral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.28; ventromedial margins of harpes not touching at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe concave in basal two thirds, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third; ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, concave in apical three quarters, lateral margin convex and oriented distomedially in basal two thirds, straight in apical third; genital length 1.57–1.71× (1.71) gvc width; Weber length 2.82–3.08 × (3.08) genital length.

Etymology

The species is named out of love for Maria Salden, the first author’s mother.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°14′22.9 N, 34°51′21 E; 1594 m a.s.l.; 24 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 12; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037031 .

Paratypes

KENYA • 2 ♂♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°21′21.1 N, 34°51′44.9 E; 1632 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 16; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034460 , ZFMK-HYM-00034461 .

Description

Male (N = 2 in morphometric measurements) BODY LENGTH. 0.53–0.68 mm (0.68 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown; scape light brown except proximal third lighter and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs light brown except joints and tarsi lighter; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc hyaline and weakly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 3.2× as long as pedicel, scape as long as F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.8× as long as wide, F1 1.8× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.8 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3 × as high as F9; few distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and longer than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.15–1.19 × (1.19) head height; head width 1.54–1.63 × (1.54) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.15–1.29 × (1.29) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.72–1.80 (1.72) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow indistinct; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:1.09– 1.33:0.67–0.73 (1.00:1.33:0.67); OOL 1.71–2.00 × (1.71) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus slightly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.16–1.19× (1.16) mesosoma width; Weber length 194–231 µm (231 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus absent; interaxillar sulcus superficial, scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation, scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight; mesoscutellum sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.79–1.82 × (1.82) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.29 × (1.29) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.53–1.57 × (1.53) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.18– 1.22 × (1.18) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.19–1.24× (1.19) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.41–1.42× (1.42) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex absent; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection absent; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) absent; longitudinal carinae on syntergum absent; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.67–2.80 × (2.67) width; stigmal vein as long as pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 69–75 µm (75 µm); Weber length 2.82–3.08 × (3.08) genital length; gvc width 44 µm (44 µm); genital length 1.57–1.71× (1.71) gvc width; gvc width more than three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.11 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc strongly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc indistinct ( Fig. 10C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximolaterally ( Fig. 10A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 10B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending dorsally ( Fig. 10B ). Harpe finger-shaped apicoventrally and slightly broadened at apex in ventral, lateral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.28; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 10A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, concave in apical three quarters ( Fig. 10B ), lateral margin convex and oriented distomedially in basal two thirds, straight in apical third, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 10A, C ); ventromedial margins of harpes not touching at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe concave in basal two thirds, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third ( Fig. 10C ), apex of harpe pointed ( Fig. 10A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to apical half, longest lateral seta less than one quarter as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least one ventral seta restricted to apical half, longest ventral seta more than half as long as harpe, ventral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distodorsally, distolaterally and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct ( Fig. 10A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two digital teeth, oriented ventrally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

ZFMK-HYM-00034461 is distinctly smaller and lighter.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species The male genitalia of A. mariae sp. nov. are somewhat similar to those of A. sp. 1 and A. sp. 2 as all share apicoventrally finger-shaped harpes with a broadened apex in ventral, lateral and dorsal view. However, apart from this, A. mariae differs strongly in body and male genitalia characters from A. sp. 1 and A. sp. 2.

Condition of type material

Holotype is immaculate.

Figures

Fig. 10. Holotype of Aphanogmus mariae sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037031). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.