Ceraphron kakamegaensis, 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 : 210-214

Ceraphron kakamegaensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC093FF9-25D0-46C5-BB6E-F4C90F54D861

Fig. 60

Diagnosis

OOL:LOL 1.43–1.72 (1.72). Male genitalia: Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.32; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately basal half, straight and diverging distolaterally in approximately apical half; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially; harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta more than half as long as harpe; harpe with at least four median setae restricted to apical quarter; aedeagus + gonossiculus as long as harpe; genital length 2.54–2.67 × (2.54) gvc width; Weber length 1.70–1.82 × (1.70) genital length.

Etymology

The species is named after the Kakamega Forest which is the sampling location of the holotype and all 29 paratypes.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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-00036878 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.4 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 5 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 2; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00783 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 7 Jun. 2007; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389012 • 1 ♂; 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; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389013 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00784 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 26 Jun. 2007; NMK; ( ZFMK-HYM-00036818 ), NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00036819 ) • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036820 • 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-00036821 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 28 Jun. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036822 • 5 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00036823 to ZFMK-HYM-00036827 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°37′24.1 N, 34°51′12 E; 1585 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 10; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036813 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 16 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036828 , ZFMK-HYM-00036829 • 1 ♂; 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-00036830 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′21.1 N, 34°51′44.9 E; 1632 m a.s.l.; 1vAug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 16; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036831 • 2 ♂♂; 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-00036832 , ZFMK-HYM-00036833 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 10 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036834 , ZFMK-HYM-00036835 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°13′15.5 N, 34°53′24.7 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 25 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 22; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036836 • 2 ♂♂; 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-00036837 , ZFMK-HYM-00036838 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; 4 Sep. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036839, ZFMK-HYM-00036840 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°07′40.8 N, 34°50′24 E; 1656 m a.s.l.; 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 30; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036841 .

Description

Male (N = 5 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.81–1.22 mm (1.00 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape, pedicel and flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa brown and proximal third of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.8× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 1.9× as long as wide, F1 1.5× as long as pedicel, F1 1.2× 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 1.2× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.04–1.37 × (1.13) head height; head width 1.85–2.13 × (1.86) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.13–1.37× (1.33) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.56–1.73 × (1.64) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.42– 0.56:0.58–0.70 (1.00:0.42:0.58); OOL 2.00–2.40 × (2.40) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.01–1.14× (1.04) mesosoma width; Weber length 350–388 µm (350 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 concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.86–2.13× (1.91) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.50–1.67 × (1.55) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.50–1.71 × (1.66) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.00–1.07 × (1.07) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.32–1.44 × (1.33) 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 and lighter end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb indistinct. 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 2.71–3.08 × (2.97) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 194–213 µm (206 µm); Weber length 1.70–1.82 × (1.70) genital length; gvc width 75–81 µm (81 µm); genital length 2.54–2.67× (2.54) gvc width; gvc width more than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.38× distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 60C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 60A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 60B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc strongly descending ventrally ( Fig. 60B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.32; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 60A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 60B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 60A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately basal half, straight and diverging distolaterally in approximately apical half ( Fig. 60C ), apex of harpe slightly rounded ( Fig. 60A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta more than half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least four median setae restricted to apical quarter, longest median setae one quarter as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 60A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The size of the multiporous plates on the flagellomeres is larger in ZFMK-HYM-00036822 and ZFMK-HYM-00036840. The longitudinal carinae on the syntergum are very indistinct in ZFMK- HYM-00036834. The widest point of the harpe at the lateral margin is the apex in ZFMK-HYM-00036822 and ZFMK-HYM-00036828 and the apex is oriented distolaterally in ZFMK-HYM-00036822. The length of the aedeagus + gonossiculus can vary sightly and is shorter than the harpe length in ZFMK- HYM-00036840. This paratype has more strongly sclerotized harpes. The Weber length to genital length ratio is distinctly higher in ZFMK-HYM-00036841.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

See remarks under C. banda sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right hind wing is missing. Paratypes NMK (ZFMK-HYM-00036818) and NMK (ZFMK-HYM-00036819) were used in an unsuccessful DNA barcoding attempt, i.e., had been put in lysis buffer for non-destructive DNA extraction, and look more transparent.

Figures

Fig. 60. Holotype of Ceraphron kakamegaensis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036878). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.