Ceraphron chemositi, 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 : 157-161

Ceraphron chemositi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:233262C3-9CC0-4BD7-932F-3C179FD93718

Fig. 44

Diagnosis

Scape, pedicel and flagellum brown; sensillae on flagellomeres distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres; posterolateral processes of gena present; head width 2.08–2.28 × (2.28) interorbital space; OOL:LOL 2.78–3.33 (2.78); fore wing length 2.53–2.89 × (2.53) width. Male genitalia: harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.47; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal half, straight and parallel to other harpe in apical half; harpe with at least eight brush-like arranged and slightly convex median setae; harpe with at least four lateral setae restricted to apical third; dorsal area of gvc indented distomedially; genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpes.

Etymology

The species is named after the Nandi bear ‘Chemosit’, which is part of east African folklore.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036863 .

Paratypes

KENYA • 2 ♂♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°14′6.1 N, 34°52′9.2 E; 1605 m a.s.l.; 28 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 23; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036864 , ZFMK-HYM-00036865 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.40–1.56 mm (1.56 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma brown; scape, pedicel and flagellum brown; legs yellowish except coxae dark brown with distal third light brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 4.2× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.3× as long as wide, F1 2.0× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 slightly shorter than F9, F6 1.8 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.4× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.12–1.18 × (1.17) head height; head width 2.08–2.28 × (2.28) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.15–1.33× (1.15) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.71–1.79 × (1.79) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.40– 0.46:0.30–0.36 (1.00:0.46:0.36); OOL 2.00–2.31× (2.15) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus distinctly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.00–1.03× (1.03) mesosoma width; Weber length 500–513 µm (513 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.57–1.74 × (1.60) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.46– 1.56 × (1.51) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.42–1.54× (1.42) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.94–1.05 × (0.94) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.35–1.42 × (1.35) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.49–1.53× (1.52) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt, lighter and slightly bifurcated end, exceeding end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb present. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.53–2.89 × (2.53) width; stigmal vein longer than 3 × pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 206–225 µm (225 µm); Weber length 2.28–2.48× (2.28) genital length; gvc width 88–100 µm (94 µm); genital length 2.06–2.40 × (2.40) gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.25× distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 44C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 44A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 44B ), indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc slightly ascending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 44B ). Harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.47; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 44A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin slightly concave ( Fig. 44B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 44A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal half, straight and parallel to other harpe in apical half ( Fig. 44C ), apex of harpe rounded ( Fig. 44A, C ). Harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical third, longest lateral setae half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae less than one third as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least eight brush-like arranged median setae, longest median setae less than one third as long as harpe, median setae slightly convex and oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus less than three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 44A, C ) and ventral to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The arrangement and the number of distinct longitudinal carinae on the syntergum varies between at least six (ZFMK-HYM-00036863, ZFMK-HYM-00036864) and at least seven (ZFMK-HYM-00036865).

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron chemositi sp. nov., C. nandi sp. nov. and C. brashi sp. nov. share a dark body colouration and large body size, but differ in rather subtle charaters of the male genitalia, most importantly the dorsomedial margins of the harpes and the arrangement of the lateral setae of the harpes. In C. chemositi , the dorsomedial margin of the harpe is straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in the basal half and straight and parallel to the other harpe in the apical half. In C. nandi , the dorsomedial margin of the harpe is straight and slightly diverging distolaterally from base to apex; in C. brashi it is slightly convex and diverging distolaterally in approximately the basal third and straight and parallel to the other harpe in approximately the apical two thirds. The arrangement of the lateral setae of the harpes is different in all three species (for details, see descriptions). In addition, the harpes of C. brashi are finger-shaped; those of C. chemositi and C. nandi are cone-shaped.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. mamamutere sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left F3–F9, the right middle leg (except coxa) and the right fore leg (except coxa and femur) are missing. The gvc of paratype ZFMK-HYM-00036864 was accidently darkened/stained probably during marking the slide with a black permanent marker.

Figures

Fig. 44. Holotype of Ceraphron chemositi sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036863). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.