Trichoteleia halterata Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 42-44

Trichoteleia halterata Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 120-125Morphbank 18

Description.

Female body length: 2.76 mm (n=1). Color of head: yellow, becoming darker dorsally. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: punctate rugulose throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: rugulose with faint concentric tendency. Occipital rim: comprised of small to miniscule cells. Sculpture of gena: smooth ventrally, rugulose dorsally. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably yellow to brown. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae well defined. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching supra humeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth medially, moderately punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: present as a smooth furrow. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: weakly rugulose. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth except for 1 or 2 striae parallel to mesopleural carina. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: rugulose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: coxae and trochanters yellow, otherwise pale brown, hindlegs the darkest.

Color of metasoma in female: patterned in alternating yellow and pale brown. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T3: absent. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate, medial striae not reaching posterior margin. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: obliquely strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: obliquely strigose. Punctation of T4 in female: sparse along midline, otherwise dense. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent along midline, otherwise obliquely strigose throughout. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin greater than or equal to length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: smooth with fine setigerous punctures laterally. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate anteromedially, otherwise smooth. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: brachypterous, apex of forewing ending before midpoint of T3. Color of forewing in female: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r.

Diagnosis.

Among the species of Trichoteleia only Trichoteleia halterata , Trichoteleia echinata and Trichoteleia parvipennis are known to be brachypterous. Trichoteleia halterata lacks a basiconic sensillum on A7 and has a simple horn on T1. A basiconic sensillum is present on A7 in Trichoteleia parvipennis , and Trichoteleia echinata has a posterodorsally pointing spine on the horn of T1.

Etymology.

The adjectival epithet refers to the vaguely dumbbell shaped forewings.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=238233]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., rainforest, 36km S Ambalavao, 22°12'S 46°58'E, 23.X.1993, Berlese funnel, B. L. Fisher, OSUC 181012 (deposited in CASC).