Aphanogmus ngai, 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 : 103-106

Aphanogmus ngai sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0D6C7D2B-D8CF-4D7C-8206-09330C866D91

Fig. 28

Diagnosis

Metacoxa light yellow and transparent; head height 1.46–1.54× (1.46) maximum eye diameter. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.34; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.66; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.81; dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in basal half, convex and diverging distolaterally in apical half; dorsal margin of harpe convex; genital length 2.64–2.82 × (2.64) gvc width; genitalia strongly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus; Weber length 1.50–1.61 × (1.52) genital length.

Etymology

The species is named after the God Ngai, who is considered as creator and “Owner of the dazzling light” by some ethnic groups in Kenya and Tanzania.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°27′10.6 N, 34°51′48.7 E; 1676 m a.s.l.; 19 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 4; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037010 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00034398 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034399 • 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-00034400 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′52.3 N, 34°52′5.3 E; 1607 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034401 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°20′52.5 N, 34°51′53 E; 1611 m a.s.l.; 4 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 25; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034402 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.75–0.91 mm (0.75 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown except anterior third yellowish; scape yellowish and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; 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 and at stigmal vein less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 4.0× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.1× as long as wide, F1 2.0 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.4 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.7× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.4× 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 1.15–1.23× (1.23) head height; head width 2.00–2.05 × (2.05) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.14–1.22× (1.14) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.46–1.54 × (1.46) 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 1.00:0.68– 0.83:0.71–1.00 (1.00:0.68:0.71); OOL 1.26–1.65 × (1.65) 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 1.15–1.23× (1.19) mesosoma width; Weber length 275–338 µm (275 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 1.90–2.00× (2.00) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.45–1.59 × (1.59) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.65–1.76 × (1.76) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.11–1.14 × (1.11) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.29–1.42 × (1.29) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.47–1.64× (1.47) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and transparent in lateral view with pointed end, extending to end of mesosoma; 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 2.94–2.98 × (2.98) width; stigmal vein longer than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 181–225 µm (181 µm); Weber length 1.50–1.61 × (1.52) genital length; gvc width 69–81 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.64–2.82 × (2.64) gvc width; gvc width less than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.46 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 28C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 28A ); ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 28B ); proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 28B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.34; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.66; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.81; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 28A, C ); ventral margin of harpe convex, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 28B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 28A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in basal half, convex and diverging distolaterally in apical half ( Fig. 28C ), apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe pointed, apex of ventral lobe slightly oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 28A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta between apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta one third as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least one apical seta on dorsolateral lobe, longest apical seta on dorsolateral lobe more than half as long as harpe, apical seta on dorsolateral lobe oriented distolaterally; 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 divided ( Fig. 28A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia strongly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at proximal half of gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The anterior third of the metasoma is not lighter than the rest of the metasoma in ZFMK-HYM-00034400 and ZFMK-HYM-00034402, and the anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is shorter in ZFMK-HYM-00034402.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus ngai sp. nov. has a distinctly strongly sclerotized aedeagus + gonossiculus, similar to A. dimidiatus sp. nov. However, the two species can be easily distinguished, for example, by a very low harpe/gvc index in A. ngai (0.34) and a high harpe/gvc index in A. dimidiatus (0.63).

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

Condition of type material

Holotype is immaculate.

Figures

Fig. 28. Holotype of Aphanogmus ngai sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037010). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.