Ceraphron mamamutere, 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 : 242-246

Ceraphron mamamutere sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F6449B06-B4F4-4AE6-8743-4D4C601BBF2C

Fig. 69

Diagnosis

F1 slightly shorter than F9; sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres; dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; maximum eye diameter 1.48–1.52 × (1.52) minimum eye diameter; fore wing length 3.05–3.21 × (3.08) width. Male genitalia: harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.43; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds, apex of harpe pointed, oriented slightly distomedially; dorsal margin of harpe concave; harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical third of harpe, longest lateral setae half as long as harpe; genitalia strongly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc, apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and all margins of harpe.

Etymology

The species is named after the famous Mama Mutere tree in Kakamega Forest.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°13′59.1 N, 34°51′43.7 E; 1614 m a.s.l.; 29 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 24; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036920 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 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-00036921 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′49.9 N, 34°52′16.1 E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 15; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036924 • 1 ♂; 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-00036922 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.25–1.30 mm (1.30 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma dark brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown; legs yellowish except proximal third of coxae dark 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 2.0× as long as wide, F1 2.1× as long as pedicel, F1 1.4× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 slightly shorter than F9, F6 1.9 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2× as high as F9; numerous large multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.07–1.18× (1.07) head height; head width 1.90–1.97 × (1.97) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.48–1.52× (1.52) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.61–1.74 × (1.74) 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 1.00:0.36– 0.49:0.32–0.49 (1.00:0.49:0.49); OOL 2.00–2.20 × (2.04) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.94–0.99× (0.94) mesosoma width; Weber length 419–469 µm (469 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 sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.68–1.93 × (1.68) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.43–1.60 × (1.43) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.38–1.69× (1.38) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.96–1.00 × (0.96) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.29–1.31 × (1.29) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.52–1.66 × (1.58) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt, lighter and bifurcated 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 seven distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 3.05–3.21 × (3.08) width; stigmal vein slightly longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 175–184 µm (184 µm); Weber length 2.31–2.54 × (2.54) genital length; gvc width 76–84 µm (84 µm); genital length 2.19–2.37 × (2.19) gvc width; gvc width more than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.10× distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 69C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 69A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 69B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 69B ). Harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.43; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 69A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin concave ( Fig. 69B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 69A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds ( Fig. 69C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented slightly distomedially ( Fig. 69A, 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 more than half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least eight median setae, longest median setae more than one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 69A, C ) and ventral to apex of harpe. Genitalia strongly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc, apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and all margins of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The minimum number of basal longitudinal carinae on the syntergum is eight in the paratypes ZFMK- HYM-00036920 and ZFMK-HYM-00036921.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron mamamutere sp. nov. is comparatively large and dark and therefore resembles C. brashi sp. nov., C. chemositi sp. nov. and C. nandi sp. nov. However, the four species can be easily distinguished by characters of the male genitalia. Male genitalia of C. mamamutere are similar to those of C. lirhanda sp. nov. and C. herreni sp. nov. Ceraphron mamamutere and C. lirhanda can be separated by differences in the dorsal margin of the harpe (concave in C. mamamutere , slightly convex in C. lirhanda ), the apex of the harpe (pointed and oriented slightly distomedially in C. mamamutere , rounded in C. lirhanda ) and the lateral setae of the harpe (distributed along apical third in C. mamamutere , distributed along apical half in C. lirhanda ). Ceraphron mamamutere and C. herreni can be separated by the setal arrangement and the apices of the harpes (pointed and oriented slightly distomedially in C. mamamutere , slightly rounded in C. herreni ), and by antennal characters, i.e., the antenna of C. mamamutere is darker, the scape is longer compared to the pedicel, the flagellomeres are a bit shorter and wider and the sensillae of the flagellomeres are shorter.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. confusus Sundholm, 1970 .

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right F5–F9 are detached.

Figures

Fig. 69. Holotype of Ceraphron mamamutere sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036920). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.