Centistidea turneri Liu & Polaszek, 2024

Liu, Zhen & Polaszek, Andrew, 2024, Afrotropical Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with description of four new species, ZooKeys 1216, pp. 83-100 : 83-100

Centistidea turneri Liu & Polaszek sp. nov.

Fig. 6

Diagnosis.

Body length 1.7 mm, light red-brown; eyes 1.8 × longer than temple in dorsal view; temple smooth, superficially punctate, a little constricted behind eyes in dorsal view; hind ocelli in a shallow depression, distance between fore and a hind ocellus 1.3 × longer than minor axis of a hind ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 1.5: 1.0: 2.5; vertex between eye and hind ocellus shiny and polished; face polished, 1.4 × wider than high; antenna slightly shorter than body length, with penultimate and ultimate flagellomeres 2.2 and 2.5 × longer than wide, 1 st slightly longer (1.1 ×) than 2 nd; mesoscutum with superficial and fine dense punctures anteriorly and laterally, more shallow and sparser dorsally, notauli hardly visible, only slightly depressed at anterior extremity; scutellar sulcus slightly curved, shallowly concave without crenulation; medio-posterior depressions of scutellum oblong, touching each other; propodeum with median carina reaching half way to hind margin, and bifurcated to two-thirds of lateral margin, largely polished elsewhere; pterostigma 2.8 × as long as its widest part, vein 1 - R 1 virtually absent; T 1 polished, 2.5 × longer than its maximum width, strongly narrowed anterior-medially; T 2 1.9 × wider than median length, not longitudinally striate at lateral membranous area; T 3 1.4 × longer than T 2, weakly longitudinally striate.

Description.

Female. Body length 1.7 mm, fore wing length 1.8 mm (Fig. 6 a ).

Head. Transverse in dorsal view, 1.8 × as wide as long, 1.3 × wider than mesoscutum. Eyes 1.8 × longer than temple in dorsal view (Fig. 6 b ). Temple slightly shiny, smooth, indistinctly punctate, sparsely pubescent, a little constricted behind eyes in dorsal view (Fig. 6 c ). Ocelli small, hind ocelli in a shallow depression, distance between fore and a hind ocellus 1.3 × longer than minor axis of a hind ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 1.5: 1.0: 2.5. Frons flat and polished. Vertex between eye and hind ocellus shiny and polished. Face (Fig. 6 c ) indistinctly convex medially, transverse, 1.4 × wider than high. Clypeus 2.0 × wider than medial length, slightly polished. Length of malar space 1.5 × longer than width of mandible. Antenna (Fig. 6 d ) slightly shorter than body length, with scape, pedicel and 1 st, 2 nd, penultimate and ultimate flagellomeres 2.0, 1.6, 4.5, 4.5, 2.2, and 2.5 × longer than wide, 1 st slightly longer (1.1 ×) than 2 nd, flagellomeres gradually shortened to penultimate flagellomeres.

Mesosoma. Length: width: height = 1.8: 1.0: 1.3. Mesoscutum (Fig. 6 e ) shiny with superficial and fine dense punctures anteriorly and laterally, more shallow and sparser dorsally, notauli hardly visible dorsally, only slightly depressed at anterior extremity. Scutellar sulcus slightly curved, shallowly concave with crenulation. Scutellum shiny, sculptured as dorsal mesoscutum, medio-posterior depressions oblong, touching each other. Propodeum (Fig. 6 h ) shiny, with median carina reaching halfway to hind margin, and bifurcated to two thirds of lateral margin, largely polished elsewhere. Mesopleuron highly polished, impunctate.

Legs. Hind femur (Fig. 6 i ) 3.3 × as long as its widest part. Length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 1.9: 2.9: 1.0. Basitarsus of hind leg 0.7 × as long as tarsomeres 2–5.

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 6 g ): pterostigma 2.8 × as long as its widest part; vein 1 - R 1 virtually absent; vein r: 2 - SR: 2 - M = 1.0: 6.7: 3.0, 1 - SR: 1 - M = 1.0: 4.4, 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 1.0: 1.6; first discal cell of fore wing indistinctly wider than high. Hind wing (Fig. 6 g ): vein M + CU: 1 - M: r-m = 2.0: 2.5: 1.0.

Metasoma. Nearly as long as mesosoma. T 1 (Fig. 6 k ) polished, spatula-shaped, 2.5 × longer than its maximum width, strongly narrowed antero-medially, transversely striate at lateral membranous area. T 2 1.9 × wider than median length, not longitudinally striate at lateral membranous area. T 3 1.4 × longer than T 2, weakly longitudinally striate. Hypopygium not shorter than length of metasoma. Ovipositor sheath (Fig. 6 j ) 1.3 × longer than hind basitarsus, with long and dense setae at apical third.

Colour. Light red-brown, terga posterior to T 3 dark brown (Fig. 6 a ). Palpi and spurs light red-yellow. Antenna and basal half ovipositor sheath (apical half dark brow) yellow-brown. Legs yellow-brown except apical tarsomeres. Wing membrane hyaline, pterostigma pale yellow, vein 1 - SR, 1 - M and 1 - CU 1 brown, other veins pale yellow.

Variation. Body colour varying from light yellow to dark brown on trunk of body among specimens. Specimens from Mossel Bay and Ceres from Cape Province tend to be darker when compared with the light yellow specimens from Pondoland of Port St. John in South Africa and Uganda. Body length varies from very small (1.2 mm) to large (2.2 mm).

Male. Similar to female, but body smaller with darker metasoma and longer antenna.

Host.

Leaf-miner in castor ( Ricinus communis ).

Material examined

( NHMUK). Holotype: • 1 ♀, SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Province, Swellendam , RE Turner, II. 1932, Brit. Mus 1932-145, No. NHMUK 010639682 . Paratypes: • 1 ♀, South Africa, Cape Province, Somerset East , RE Turner, 23–31. XII. 1930, Brit. Mus 1931-61, No. NHMUK 010639720 ; • 2 ♀♀, South Africa, Cape Province, Mossel Bay , RE Turner, IV. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-210, Nos. NHMUK 010639718 , 010639716 ; • 1 ♀, same data except V. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-248, No. NHMUK 010639719 ; • 6 ♀♀, same data except VI. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-294, Nos. NHMUK 010639717 , 010639706 , 010639700 , 010639710 , 010639701 , 010639686 ; • 2 ♀♀, same data except 5–31. VII. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-315, Nos. NHMUK 010639715 , 010639714 ; • 7 ♀♀, same data except VIII. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-353, Nos. NHMUK 010639711 , 010639712 , 010639707 , 010639708 , 010639692 , 010639687 , 010639713 ; • 6 ♀♀, same data except IX. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-412, Nos. NHMUK 010639705 , 010639703 , 010639695 , 010639693 , 010639697 , 010639699 ; • 7 ♀♀ 1 ♂, same data except X. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-450, Nos. NHMUK 010639696 , 010639709 , 010639683 , 010639689 , 010639694 , 010639684 , 010639691 , 010639690 ; • 1 ♀, same data except 18–30. XI. 1921, Brit. Mus 1922-2, No. NHMUK 010639688 ; • 1 ♀, same data except I. 1922, Brit. Mus 1922-67, No. NHMUK 010639704 ; • 1 ♀, same data except II. 1922, Brit. Mus 1922-97, No. NHMUK 010639698 ; • 2 ♀♀, South Africa, Cape Province, Ceres (457 m), RE Turner, I. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-78, Nos. NHMUK 010639685 , 010639702 ; • 2 ♀♀, same data except II. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-115, Nos. NHMUK 010639629 010639640 ; • 11 ♀♀, same data except III. 1921, Brit. Mus 1921-150, Nos. NHMUK 010639661 , 010639654 , 010639666 , 010639650 , 010639645 , 010639674 , 010639663 , 010639655 , 010639660 , 010639671 , 010639630 ; • 1 ♀, same data except II. 1925, Brit. Mus 1925-116, No. NHMUK 010639633 ; • 9 ♀♀, same data except III. 1925, Brit. Mus 1925-161, Nos. NHMUK 010639644 , 010639638 , 010639659 , 010639636 , 010639635 , 010639651 , 010639658 , 010639668 ; • 1 ♀, same data except IV. 1925, Brit. Mus 1925-210, No. NHMUK 010639538 ; • 1 ♂, South Africa, Cape Province, Katberg (1219 m), RE Turner, X. 1932, Brit. Mus 1932-521, No. NHMUK 010639599 ; • 1 ♀, South Africa, Port St. John, Pondoland , RE Turner, 12–30. VI. 1923, Brit. Mus 1923-363, No. NHMUK 010639652 ; • 1 ♀, same data except 15–31. VIII. 1923, Brit. Mus 1923-463, No. NHMUK 010639541 ; • 1 ♀, same data except 1–13. III. 1924, Brit. Mus 1924-177, No. NHMUK 010639617 ; • 1 ♀ 1 ♂, same data except XII. 1923, Brit. Mus 1924-54, Nos. NHMUK 010639542 , 010639549 ; • 1 ♀, same data except I. 1924, Brit. Mus 1924-97, No. NHMUK 010639605 ; • 1 ♀, same data except 29. I – 5. II. 1924, Brit. Mus 1924-109, No. NHMUK 010639580 ; • 1 ♂, same data except 6-25. II. 1924, Brit. Mus 1924-136, No. NHMUK 010639557 ; • 1 ♀, same data except 18–31. III. 1924, Brit. Mus 1924-191, No. NHMUK 010639607 ; • 8 ♀♀, Uganda, Kampala , 7. V. 1934, ex leaf-miner in castor ( Ricinus communis ), Nos. NHMUK 010639764 , 010639759 , 010639742 , 010639729 , 010639749 , 010639758 , 010639755 , 010639733 .

Distribution.

South Africa, Uganda.

Etymology.

The specific name “ turneri ” expresses our gratitude to the late R. E. Turner for the large quantity of this species collected in South Africa.

Remarks.

From a short apical extension of the pterostigma to distinctly longer and equaling the length of pterostigma, vein 1 - R 1 is often present in Centistidea . In this species, however, it is absent compare to its Afrotropical allies; it is similar to C. mubilibana ( de Saeger, 1944) for the carination of propodeum but differs in the following: length of the ocellar triangle nearly half of the distance which separates it from each eye (approximately equal in C. mubilibana ); vein 1 - SR present (almost completely absent in C. mubilibana ); and T 1 polished (striate or rugose in C. mubilibana ).

Figures

Figure 6. Centistidea turneri Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., female, holotype a habitus, lateral view b head, dorsal view c head, frontal view d antenna e mesosoma, dorsal view f mesosoma, lateral view g wings h propodeum i hind leg j ovipositor sheath k metasoma, dorsal view.