Dichoteleas rubyae, Schwartz & Van Noort & Johnson, 2023

Schwartz, Johanna, Van Noort, Simon & Johnson, Norman F., 2023, A taxonomic revision of the Old World genus Dichoteleas Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), ZooKeys 1182, pp. 183-205 : 183

Dichoteleas rubyae sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 26-28

Description.

Color of head: black. Hyperoccipital carina: absent. Frontal depression: present, shallow. Malar striae: present. Facial striae: present. Setation of eyes: absent. Sculpture of frons: smooth above interantennal prominence, areolate laterally. Setation of frons: sparsely setose throughout. Submedian carina: absent. Interantennal process: undifferentiated. Central keel: absent. Transverse pronotal carina: absent. Color of pronotum: red. Pronotal cervical sulcus: present. Mesepimeral sulcus: present. Sulcus along mesopleural carina: foveolate. Mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: present. Mesoscutal humeral sulcus: present, foveolate. Median mesoscutal line: absent. Color of mesoscutum: red. Sculpture of mesoscutum: areolate-rugose. Notaulus: complete. Visibility of notaulus: slightly obscured by mesoscutal sculpture. Parapsidal line: present. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth. Shape of axillular carinae: without a posteroventral hooklike projection. Color of axillular carina: yellow. Sculpture of T3-6: rugulose and finely punctate. Median carina on T1- T4: absent.

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from D. rugosus by its reddish mesosoma and the smooth mesoscutellum.

Etymology.

The epithet Dichoteleas rubyae in honor of the first author’s grandmother, Ruby Thomas. The name also refers to the red coloration of the mesosoma. This epithet is treated as a noun in the genitive case.

Distribution.

Madagascar (Antsiranana, Ranomafana).

Material examined.

Holotype, female: Madagascar: Prov. Antsiranana, Foret de Binara , 375m; CASENT 2134207 (CAS) . Paratypes. Madagascar: 19 females, 7 males, CASENT 2043443-2043447, 2131300-2131302, 2134208-2134212, 2137245, 2137863 (CAS), OSUC 874887, 874942 (CNCI); CASENT 2042724-2042725, 2043436-2043442, 2134212, 2137245, 2137863 (OSUC) .

Comments.

There is some variation in the visibility of the notauli. In most specimens, the notauli were obscured by the mesoscutal sculpture, but one specimen (CASENT 2137863) had clearly defined notauli.

Figures

Figures 1 - 8. Distribution of Dichoteleas species 1 D. rubyae 2 D. ambositrae 3 D. striatus 4 D. hamatus 5 D. fulgidus 6 D. fuscus 7 D. rugosus 8 D. subcoeruleus.

Figures 26 - 28. Dichoteleas rubyae (F) (CASENT 2137863) 26 head, mesosoma, lateral view 27 head, anteroventral view 28 dorsal habitus.