Ceraphron brashi, 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 : 145-148

Ceraphron brashi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:077D0E24-DBE7-4BFB-BB7E-D87626A5B435

Fig. 40

Diagnosis

Sensillae on flagellomeres distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres; posterolateral processes of gena present; OOL:LOL 2.63–3.23 (2.63); posterior mesoscutal width 1.58–1.71× (1.58) mesoscutellum width. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.56; dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and diverging distolaterally in approximately basal third, straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately apical two thirds; harpe with at least eleven brush-like arranged and convex median setae; harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter; genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc and apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpe.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ brashi ’ which means ‘brush’, with reference to the brush-like median setae of the harpe.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°14′6.1 N, 34°52′9.2 E; 1605 m a.s.l.; 4 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 23; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036857 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; 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-00036858 • 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-00036859 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′45.7 N, 34°52′2.8 E; 1573 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 21; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036860 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00036861 , ZFMK- HYM-00036862 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.27–1.43 mm (1.43 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; 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 4.8× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.6× as long as wide, F1 2.5× as long as pedicel, F1 1.4× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 slightly shorter than F9, F6 1.7 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3× as high as F9; numerous medium-sized multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.05–1.15× (1.15) head height; head width 1.98–2.08 × (1.98) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.26–1.44× (1.44) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.64–1.82 × (1.64) 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 1.00:0.46– 0.50:0.31–0.38 (1.00:0.46:0.38); OOL 1.86–2.36 × (1.86) 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 0.97–0.99 × (0.97) mesosoma width; Weber length 480–525 µm (525 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 sparsely setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum sparsely setose in anterior half, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.83–1.96× (1.86) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.58–1.71× (1.58) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.53–1.79 × (1.53) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.90–1.06 × (0.96) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.25–1.45 × (1.25) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.53–1.67 × (1.53) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved 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 2.66–2.67 × (2.67) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 200–230 µm (230 µm); Weber length 2.28–2.40 × (2.28) genital length; gvc width 81–88 µm (88 µm); genital length 2.46–2.63 × (2.63) gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.20 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly concave; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 40C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 40A ); ventral area of gvc discontinuous slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 40B ), indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc ascending and slightly emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 40B ). Harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.56; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 40A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin concave ( Fig. 40B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 40A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and diverging distolaterally in approximately basal third, straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately apical two thirds ( Fig. 40C ), apex of harpe slightly pointed ( Fig. 40A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae one third as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distodorsally and distolaterally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae less than half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distodorsally and distolaterally; harpe with at least eleven brush-like arranged median setae, longest median setae more than one third as long as harpe, median setae convex and oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than half as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 40A, C ) and ventral to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc and apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The posterolateral processes of the gena are distinct in ZFMK-HYM-00036858 and comparatively smaller in ZFMK-HYM-00036857. The proximodorsal margin of the gvc is straight in ZFMK-HYM-00036858.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

See remarks under C. chemositi sp. nov. and C. mamamutere sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left F9 is missing.

Figures

Fig. 40. Holotype of Ceraphron brashi sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036857). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.