Heterocola africana, Khalaim, 2007

Khalaim, Andrey, 2007, First records of Meggoleus Heterocola and Phradis (Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae Tersilochinae) from the Afrotropical region with description of four new species, African Invertebrates 48 (2), pp. 101-110 : 106-107

Heterocola africana sp. n.

Figs 8 , 13, 16, 19, 21, 24

Etymology: From Africa.

Diagnosis: H. africana sp. n. differs from all European species in having a smooth mesonotum, the mesosoma very densely and coarsely punctate (smooth between punctures), the sternaulus distinct, the propodeal spiracle close to the pleural carina, and the metacarp of the forewing very short. The new species is further characterised by having the hind tibia almost as long as the hind femur, the apical carina of the propodeum distinct medially, the propodeum with a narrow basal furrow, and the first metasomal segment distinctly striate laterally.

Description:

Female.

Body length 3.0 mm.

Head about 0.7 mm wide, roundly narrowed behind eyes in dorsal view; temple somewhat shorter than eye width ( Fig. 13 ). Ocelli small. Antenna filiform; flagellum with 15 segments ( Fig. 16 ); all flagellomeres elongate. Maxillary palpus 4-segmented, extremely long, over 1.5 times as long as height of head ( Fig. 8 ). Labial palpus 3- segmented, short. Mandible punctate basally, with upper tooth longer than lower tooth. Malar space half as long as basal width of mandible. Clypeus smooth, distinctly punctate on upper part. Face smooth medially, finely granulate and finely punctate laterally. Frons finely granulate, with fine and sparse punctation. Vertex finely granulate medially to almost smooth laterally, finely and sparsely punctate (punctures sometimes indistinct because of granulation). Temple almost entirely smooth, partly indistinctly punctate. Occipital carina complete.

Mesonotum very sparsely and finely punctate, almost entirely smooth (very finely granulate anteriorly). Mesopleuron coarsely and densely punctate (distance between punctures shorter than diameter of puncture), partly punctato-rugulose, smooth between punctures. Sternaulus situated in anterior part of mesopleuron, about half as long as mesopleuron. Dorsolateral area of propodeum rugulose laterally and mainly smooth dorsally; basal furrow narrow, about half as long as apical area; spiracle round, separated from pleural carina by 1.5 diameters of spiracle; apical area wide, with pair of longitudinal carinae (weak near transverse carina and distinct posteriorly).

Forewing length 2.26 mm. Pterostigma distinctly wider than length of first section of radial vein. Metacarp very short, ending far short of forewing apex ( Fig. 19 ). Second recurrent vein antefurcal, unpigmented anteriorly.

Hind femur length 0.55 mm, maximum width 0.16 mm. Hind tibia length 0.6 mm, slightly longer than hind femur ( Fig. 21 ).

First tergite length 0.57 mm, posterior width 0.22 mm. First tergite smooth dorsally (indistinctly striate medially) and distinctly striate laterally, round in transverse section. Second tergite length 0.36 mm. Thyridia very short, transverse. Ovipositor thin, distinctly upcurved ( Fig. 24 ); sheath about 1.4 mm long, almost 2.5 times length of first tergite.

Body predominantly black, metasoma behind first segment with brownish tinge. Labial palpi, mandibles (except teeth), lower half of clypeus and tegula yellow to brownish yellow. Maxillary palpi darkened. Pterostigma brown, veins light brown to brown. Legs strongly darkened to black; fore femur (except base) and tibia yellow; apex of mid and hind femora, base and apex of mid and hind tibiae yellow to yellowish brown.

Male.

Similar to female. Flagellum of antenna with 16 segments. Malar space shorter. Sternaulus sometimes indistinct. Clypeus entirely black.

Holotype: ^‘ South Africa, W Cape, Cape of Good Hope Nat. Res., Olifantsbos, nr Skaife Centre , 34 ° 16'S: 18 ° 23'E’, ‘ 18–19.ix.1993, S. van Noort, Strandveld, on coast at sea level, Malaise Trap’, ‘SAMHYM-P006188’ ( SAMC).

Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape: 3ơ same data as holotype (2ơ SAMC, 1ơ ZISP) .

Figures

Figs 1–11. Afrotropical Tersilochinae: (1) Tersilochus sp., first tergite, lateral view; (2, 3) Diaparsis spp., first tergites, lateral view; (4) Meggoleus townesi sp. n., propodeum, dorso-posterior view; (5, 10) Phradis wolfgator sp. n.: (5) propodeum, dorso-posterior view, (10) venation of hindwing; (6) Aneuclis sp., forewing; (7) Sathropterus pumilus, forewing; (8) Heterocola africana sp. n., head, lateral view; (9, 11) Allophrys spp.: (9) head, anterior view, (11) venation of hindwing.

Figs 12–25. New South African Tersilochinae: (12, 15, 23) Meggoleus townesi sp. n.: (12) head, dorsal view, (15) antenna, lateral view, (23) ovipositor, lateral view; (13, 16, 19, 21, 24) Heterocola africana sp. n.: (13) head, dorsal view, (16) antenna, lateral view, (19) forewing, (21) hind femur, tibia and basitarsus, (24) ovipositor, lateral view; (17, 25) Phradis modestus sp. n.: (17) antenna, lateral view, (25) ovipositor, lateral view; (14, 18, 20, 22) Phradis wolfgator sp. n.: (14) head, dorsal view, (18) antenna, lateral view, (20) forewing, (22) hind femur, tibia and basitarsus. Scale bar = 0.4 mm.