Aphanogmus morriconei, 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 : 96-99

Aphanogmus morriconei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A12C5D3C-BFC5-4CB2-844D-725920BEE2E7

Fig. 26

Diagnosis

Metacoxa light yellow and transparent; posterior mesoscutal width 1.50–1.73× (1.50) mesoscutellum width. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral and dorsolateral lobe finger-shaped in lateral view; harpe/ gvc index 0.47; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.65; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.82; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in short basal part, concave and diverging distolaterally in almost basal half, straight in apical half; dorsal area of gvc slightly indented distomedially.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of the composer and trumpeter Ennio Morricone who died during the completion of this monograph. He was certainly an inspiration for the first author to learn to play the trumpet and to get into deeper contact with orchestral music.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°19′49.9 N, 34°52′16.1 E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 15; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037020 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 2 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034445 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°37′24.1 N, 34°51′12 E; 1585 m a.s.l.; 16 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 10; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034446 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 7 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00034447 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034448 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 10 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034449 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°12′09 N, 34°52′06 E; 1553 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 28; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034450 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.80–1.00 mm (1.00 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum light brown; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa light brown, metacoxa light yellow and transparent; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 4.7× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 3.0× as long as wide, F1 2.3 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.4 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.9× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.5× as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and sickle-shaped and longer than width of F1 to F4.

HEAD. Head width 1.17–1.19× (1.17) head height; head width 1.91–2.13× (2.13) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.20–1.28 × (1.27) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.50–1.57 × (1.50) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.77– 0.86:0.64–0.92 (1.00:0.86:0.79); OOL 1.40–1.65 × (1.40) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.13–1.20 × (1.14) mesosoma width; Weber length 281–344 µm (344 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus present (= scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus straight; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 2.00–2.20× (2.00) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.50–1.73 × (1.50) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.67–1.87× (1.70) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.07–1.13 × (1.13) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.25–1.39 × (1.38) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.50–1.64× (1.62) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and transparent in lateral view with pointed end; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; short basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.96–3.05 × (3.04) width; stigmal vein longer than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 163–188 µm (163 µm); Weber length 1.53–2.12 × (2.12) genital length; gvc width 63–73 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.36–2.60 × (2.36) gvc width; gvc width more than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.31 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 26C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 26A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 26B ), slightly indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 26B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral and dorsolateral lobe finger-shaped in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.47; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.65; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.82; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 26A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight in basal third and convex in apical two thirds, dorsal margin slightly concave ( Fig. 26B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 26A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in short basal part, concave and diverging distolaterally in almost basal half, straight in apical half ( Fig. 26C ), apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe pointed, apex of ventral lobe oriented slightly distolaterally ( Fig. 26A, C ). Harpe with at least two apical setae on dorsolateral lobe, longest apical setae on dorsolateral lobe less than half as long as harpe, apical setae on dorsolateral lobe oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae on ventral lobe, longest apical setae on ventral lobe less than one quarter as long as harpe, apical setae on ventral lobe oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; indistinct number of median setae on ventral lobe, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae with indistinct orientation. Aedeagus + gonossiculus less than two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus rounded ( Fig. 26A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus and distal half of gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus morriconei sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other treated species by the combination of light yellow and transparent metacoxae, a harpe/gvc index of 0.47, a dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index of 0.65 and a dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index of 0.82.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under A. guenteri sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left mesotarsus, the left mesotibia, the distal half of the left metatibia, and the metatarsus are missing. Paratype ZFMK-HYM-00034447 was used in an unsuccessful DNA barcoding attempt, i.e., had been put in lysis buffer for non-destructive DNA extraction, and looks more transparent.

Figures

Fig. 26. Holotype of Aphanogmus morriconei sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037020). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.