Ceraphron ivindoensis, 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 : 200-204

Ceraphron ivindoensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1F1A5C7-B5BA-4643-9EE5-B052A27623EA

Fig. 57

Diagnosis

Head width 2.09 × interorbital space; fore wing more strongly melanized along wing venation; F1 as long as F9; posterolateral processes of gena present; Weber length 0.98× mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.29 × mesoscutellum length; anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex exceeding end of mesosoma. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.46; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in approximately basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in approximately apical two thirds; harpe with at least two lateral setae of harpe restricted to apical two thirds; distolateral margin of gvc straight; lateral margin of harpe straight; aedeagus + gonossiculus with two digital teeth, oriented dorsally; genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus and distal half of gvc; Weber length 1.66× genital length.

Etymology

The species is named after the Ivindo National Park in Gabon which is the type locality.

Material examined

Holotype

GABON • ♂; Ogooué-Ivindo, Ivindo NP, Makokou ; 00°30′44 N, 12°46′12 E; 518 m a.s.l.; 13–16 Sep. 2012; R.S. Peters leg.; forest near station; Pitfall trap; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037090 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 1.24 mm.

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

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 4.7× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.7× as long as wide, F1 2.1 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.3 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 as long as F9, F6 1.9× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2 × as high as F9; numerous medium-sized multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.20 × head height; head width 2.09 × interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.42 × minimum eye diameter; head height 1.65 × 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; OOL 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 present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.06 × mesosoma width; Weber length 363 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 2.00 × mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.33 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.50× mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.13 × posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 0.98 × mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.29 × mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt and lighter end, exceeding end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb present. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least seven, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.95 × width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 219 µm; Weber length 1.66 × genital length; gvc width 96 µm; genital length 2.28× gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.24 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 57C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 57A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 57B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc straight ( Fig. 57B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.46; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 57A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin straight ( Fig. 57B ); lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 57A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and virtually parallel to other harpe in approximately basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in approximately apical two thirds ( Fig. 57C ), apex of harpe pointed ( Fig. 57A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical two thirds, longest lateral setae more than one third as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least four median setae restricted to apical third, longest median setae less than one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distodorsally, distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 57A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with two digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus and distal half of gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimen collected with pitfall trap.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Gabon.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

The male genitalia of C. ivindoensis sp. nov. and C. tenuimeris sp. nov. can be distinguished by differently arranged lateral setae of the harpes, the different aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two digital teeth in C. ivindoensis , differences of the distal gvc margins, and different sclerotization patterns. Furthermore, the Weber length to genital length ratio is distinctly low in C. ivindoensis (1.66, compared to 2.44–2.52 in C. tenuimeris ).

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left F9, the right hind leg (except coxa) and the apex of the right harpe are missing. The right fore and both hind wings are detached and the posterior end of the metasoma is deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise. The holotype was used in an unsuccessful DNA barcoding attempt, i.e., had been put in lysis buffer for non-destructive DNA extraction, and looks rather transparent.

Figures

Fig. 57. Holotype of Ceraphron ivindoensis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037090). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.