Xyalophora tintini van Noort, Buffington & Forshage

van Noort, Simon, Buffington, Matthew L. & Forshage, Mattias, 2014, Review of Afrotropical Figitinae (Figitidae, Cynipoidea, Hymenoptera) with the first records of Neralsia and Lonchidia for the region, ZooKeys 453, pp. 37-69 : 57-60

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Figitidae

Xyalophora tintini van Noort, Buffington & Forshage sp. n. Figures 11, 12

Type material.

HOLOTYPE Female. DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Congo belge: P.N.U. Mabwe (r. E. lac Upemba), (585m) 15-viii-1947. Miss. G.F. de Witte. 678a, Holotype F Xyalophora tintini van Noort, Buffington & Forshage (red label) [point-mounted on white card] (RMCA).

PARATYPES. NAMIBIA, 1 male: South West Africa (W22), Kuiseb river canyon, 22-23.i.1972, Riverside vegetation, Southern African Exp. B.M.1972-1 (BMNH). SOUTH AFRICA, 1 female: Cape Province, Swellendam, ii.1932, S. Africa, R.E. Turner, Brit Mus., 1932-145 (BMNH).

Diagnosis.

Occiput with parallel carinae (but with some discontinuous reticulation on left hand side of occiput in holotype female). Head distinctly (1.25 ×) wider than long as in Xyalophora provancheri ( Xyalophora tedjoansi subquadrate 1.1 ×). Scutellar spine shorter, 0.5 × length of the scutellum (excluding spine) as in Xyalophora provancheri (longer, 0.8 × in Xyalophora tedjoansi ). Notauli widened posteriorly, narrow in Xyalophora tedjoansi . Median mesoscutal impression distinct. Marginal cell 2.0 × as long as wide (2.5 × in Xyalophora provancheri ). Wings hyaline, infuscate around venation in Xyalophora tedjoansi .

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, South Africa.

Etymology.

The specific epithet tintini is in the genitive case and is for Tintin, the comic book character by Hergé, whose adventures in the Congo have done much to popularise the country in a very controversial manner in parts of the world. The Xyalophora spine may possibly suggest Tintin’s famous tuft of hair.

Description.

FEMALE. Length 2.75 mm. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Antennae and legs dark brown except for coxae, which are black. Wings transparent; without any infuscation.

Head. Head transverse. 1.25 × wider than long. Entire head, including eyes, with scattered pubescence, pubescence densest on lower face. Eyes not laterally extended, almost confluent with outer margin of gena in frontal view. Antennae damaged in holotype, only 10 segments remaining on left antennae (right antenna missing); F1 equal in length to F2; flagellum widening toward remaining end. Vertex weakly rugulose, polished adjacent to lateral ocelli, ocellar fig slightly raised, polished, weakly laterally defined with confused carinae; lateral ocellus diameter 0.65 × the distance between lateral and median ocellus (COC); POC:OOC:COC = 30:20:17. Upper face rugose, antennal scrobes not delimited, but scrobal area with parallel striations directed towards medial rugose area anterior to medial ocellus. Occiput weakly concave in dorsal view, rugulose, with some parallel carinae, medially polished. Lower face rugulose, weakly humped between toruli and clypeal margin, slightly protruding in lateral view. Upper clypeal margin defined by pronounced excavation containing anterior tentorial pits. Clypeus with strong medial longitudinal hump dorsally, concave ventrally with strong, long pubescence; clypeal margin evenly convex. Gena finely colliculate in malar space, coriaceous medially and dorsally; genal carina defined with strong linear alveolations.

Mesosoma. With scattered strong pubescence. Anterior fig of pronotum polished, glabrous dorsally and medially, setose laterally on bridge; fovea closed with broad lateral bridge; fig dorsally and laterally defined by strong pronotal carina. Lateral surface of pronotum horizontally striate, anterio-medially and ventrally with patch of white setae. Mesoscutum polished with lines of strong white setae each side of notauli and along lateral margins of scutum. Notauli almost complete, terminating just before anterior margin of mesocutum; transversely striate; posteriorly broadening abruptly prior to narrowing again at posterior mesoscutal margin; widened posteriorly (maximum width 0.7 × the minimum distance separating them towards posterior mesoscutal margin); median mesoscutal impression present as small circular concavity; parascutal impressions defined, sculpturing similar to notauli. Mesoscutum convex and scutellum anteriorly humped in lateral view. Scutellar fovea each with an incomplete longitudinal carina. Scutellum strongly areolate-rugose. Scutellar spine elongate, 0.5 × scutellar length (excluding spine). Mesopleural triangle defined without ventral carina, strongly pubescent; posterior half (except for polished speculum) of mesopleuron horizontally striate, anterior half rugulose-punctate; mesopleural carina defined. Metepisternum ventrally excavated with pubescence, medially rugulose. Metepimeron depressed with pubescence. Dorsellum laterally strongly excavated. Lateral propodeal carina present. Lateral propodeal area densely pubescent. Rs+M of forewing weakly defined distally at junction with 2r, but otherwise absent. Basalis vein present. M+Cu1 absent. Marginal cell 2.0 × as long as wide, closed along wing margin with weak vein. Margin with fringe of setae. Legs sparsely punctate, pubescent. Metacoxa stongly and densely pubescent. Mesotibial and metatibial outer spur shorter than inner spur. Ratio of first metatibial segment to the remaining 4 segments: 0.88 ×.

Metasoma. Tergites polished. First tergite (petiole) short, longitudinally striate, 3.5 × as wide as long in dorsal view; 5 × higher than long in lateral view; a third of nucha length in dorsal view. T4 the largest tergite. Relative dorsal length of T3-T4: 7:10; T5-T8 hidden beneath T4. Ovipositor valves not extending beyond apex of metasoma, concealed within T8. Hypopygium not extending beyond T8.

MALE. Length 2 mm. Head, mesosoma and metasoma black. Antennae reddish-brown; legs brown except for coxae, which are dark brown and femur/tibial junctions which are paler. Wings transparent; without any infuscation.

Head. As in female, except for antenna with 14 segments: F1 0.85 × length of F2; F3-F7 equivalent in length to F2. F8-F11 equivalent in length to F1; ultimate segment 1.65 × F1; and occiput with parallel semi-reticulate carina, medially polished.

Mesosoma as in female, except for stronger forewing venation and slightly more hirsute wing surface and fringe.

Metasoma. Tergites polished. First tergite (petiole) short, polished with isolated longitudinal striae, 3 × as wide as long in dorsal view; equivalent to nucha length in dorsal view. T4 the largest tergite. Relative dorsal length of T3-T5: 7:9:1; T6-T7 hidden beneath T5.

Comments.

The much smaller second female from South Africa has a very thin, polished second tergite, with no discernable longitudinal striations. Possibly these are hidden under the overlapping anterior margin of the third tergite. Otherwise this specimen keys to Xyalophora tintini . This species is very similar to Xyalophora provancheri only being separated by the shorter first tergite and slightly broader marginal cell. The tendency towards rugulose sculpture on the occiput of the holotype specimen is likely to be related to the larger size of the holotype and not diagnostically useful.