Trichopria, Ashmead, 1893

Kim, Chang-Jun, Notton, David G. & Lee, Jong-Wook, 2016, Discovery of Trichopria keralensis (Hymenoptera, Diaprioidea, Diapriidae) in South Korea and Japan, a review of the keralensis species group of Trichopria and the nomenclature and synonymy of Alareka, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 52, pp. 143-151 : 145-146

Trichopria species group Trichopria keralensis

Description. Head nasiform; antennal shelf strongly prominent, its anterior margin with a small median prominence, and with small subtriangular lateral projections; face with strong medial carina in upper third; clypeus narrow but prominent, convex; tentorial pits deep and close together; malar sulcus absent; compound eyes with long, sparse hairs. Mouthparts strongly opisthognathous, mandibles elongate, together beak-like, with tips serrated. Female antenna 12-segmented; scape strongly flattened in basal 3/5; basal flagellar segments strongly laterally compressed, particularly the base of the segments; clava gradually incrassate apically, and distinctly to weakly laterally compressed; multiporous hair sensilla present on a7-12; a12 about as long as, or very slightly longer than the subapical. Male antenna 14-segmented; scape strongly flattened in basal 3/5; flagellar segments clavate, strongly laterally compressed, with a whorl of long hairs on each node, near the apex of the flagellum the nodes become subapical to medial; fourth segment usually not or weakly modified, occasionally with apical expansion and lateral emargination; a8, or a8 and a9, each with a comb of short fine hairs. Mesoscutum smooth, weakly concave laterally; notauli and humeral sulci absent; propodeum with a strong medial keel, which is raised anteriorly; dorsal propodeal areas with serried, adpressed hairs; metapleuron with small glabrous patch anteriorly. Wings well developed; subcostal, marginal and stigmal veins present, tubular, the stigmal vein very short, pointed; wing lamina densely hairy, with a small bare patch just apical of the marginal vein. Femora strongly laterally compressed basally; slender spine present at apex of fore tibia. Petiole slightly swollen medially; large tergite basally unnotched; apex of gaster slightly upturned; tip of ovipositor exserted at rest. Body colour variously blackish-brown, reddish-brown, yellowish-brown, largely smooth and shiny. Large hyaline scales (with the appearance of foam) present on anterior pronotum, propleuron, axillae, a small patch medioventrally in front of the mid coxae, and ventrally between the mid and hind coxae, and dorsal petiole; postgenal hair cushion dense, but without large transparent scales; mesoscutum of female with usually with 3 pairs of hairs, a lateral pair (next to tegula) an anterior pair and a medial pair, the male usually with only the laterals. Body length 1.80-2.84 mm.

Remarks. The Trichopria keralensis species group is distinguished from other Trichopria by the extreme nasiform, opisthognathous form of the head and mouthparts.

Distribution. The Trichopria keralensis species group is recorded here for the first time from the East Palaearctic (South Korea, Japan), West Palaearctic (Saudi Arabia, Yemen), Afrotropic (Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe) and Australian - Oceanian regions (Solomon Islands). Specimens from South Korea and Japan are identified as Trichopria keralensis and a detailed redescription is provided below.