Oberthuerella cyclopia Buffington & van Noort

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 22-26

Oberthuerella cyclopia Buffington & van Noort sp. n. Figures 11, 12 A–C

Description.

Coloration of head and mesosoma black to dark brown; metasoma and legs yellow-orange. Sculpture on vertex, lateral surface of pronotum and mesoscutum present, deeply foveate laterally on head, pronotum; deeply horizontally striate on mesoscutum.

Head. Broadly triangular, in anterior view. Pubescence on head present, dense setation covering head. Sculpture along lateral margin of occiput absent. Gena (measured from compound eye to posterolateral margin of head) short, ratio of length of gena to length of compound eye in dorsal view <0.3, in dorsal view. Sculpture of gena absent, smooth. Lateral margin of occiput defined by distinctly angled, raised, sharp carina. Occiput (except extreme lateral margin) with distinct subvertical, slightly and evenly curved costulae. Carina issuing from lateral margin of postocciput absent. Ocelli small, ratio of maximum diameter of a lateral ocellus to shortest distance between lateral ocelli 0.2-0.4. Anterior ocellus close to posterior ocelli, posterior margin of anterior ocellus behind or subcontiguous with a transverse line running through anterior margins of posterior ocelli. Relative position of toruli close to ocellus, ratio of vertical distance between inner margin of torulus and ventral margin of clypeus to vertical distance between anterior ocellus and torulus <2.0. Median keel of face present, short, not extending beyond toruli. Vertical carina adjacent to ventral margin of torulus absent. Facial sculpture present, punctate-rugose, transversely striate; striations meeting at midline of face. Facial impression absent, face flat. Antennal scrobe absent. Anterior tentorial pits large. Vertical delineations on lower face present, with several parallel or subparallel carinae. Ventral clypeal margin laterally, close to anterior mandibular articulation, distinctly angled. Ventral clypeal margin medially emarginate. Clypeus horizontally striate. Malar space adjacent to anterior articulation of mandible evenly rounded, striate. Malar sulcus absent. Compound eye close to posterior ocellus, ratio of distance between compound eye and posterior mandibular articulation to distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye> 1.2. Compound eye, in dorsal view, distinctly protruding from the surface of the head, particularly laterally. Pubescence on compound eye absent. Orbital furrows a bsent. Lateral frontal carina of face present. Dorsal aspect of vertex shagreened with faint remnants of carinae. Posterior aspect of vertex smooth. Hair punctures on lateral aspect of vertex absent. Posterior surface of head almost flat, not deeply impressed.

Labial-maxillary complex. Apical segment of maxillary palp with pubescence, consisting only of erect setae. First segment of labial palp as long as apical segment. Labial palp composed of three segments. Apical seta on apical segment of maxillary palp shorter than twice length of second longest apical seta. Erect setae medially on apical segment of maxillary palp present. Maxillary palp composed of three segments. Last two segments of maxillary palp (in normal repose) curved inwards. Distal margin of subapical segment of maxillary palp slanting inwards, apical segment bending inwards. Apical segment of maxillary palp 1-1.5 times as long as preceding segment.

Antenna. Articulation between flagellomeres in antenna connate with articles broadly joined. Female antenna composed of 11 flagellomeres. Female F1 as long as F2; black. Flagellomeres of female antenna cylindrical, not widened towards apex, non-clavate. Placoidal sensilla absent. Distal flagellomeres of female antenna not conspicuously enlarged compared to proximal flagellomeres.

Pronotum. Macrosculpture on lateral surface of pronotum present, foveate. Anteroventral inflection of pronotum broad, particularly adjacent to anterior part of pronotal plate. Pubescence on lateral surface of pronotum absent. Carinae extending posteriorly from lateral margin of pronotal plate absent. Lateral pronotal carina present. Pronotal crest absent. Dorsal margin of pronotal plate (in anterior view) rounded. Submedian pronotal depressions closed laterally, deep. Lateral margin of pronotal plate defined all the way to the dorsal margin of the pronotum. Pronotal plate wide, almost as wide as head.

Mesoscutum. Mesoscutal surface convex, evenly curved. Sculpture on mesoscutum present, foveate-punctate, with remnants of transverse costae. Notaulus present, marked by series of deep subcontiguous pits of uniform width. Median mesoscutal carina absent. Anterior admedial lines present, flat, indistinct, with adjacent cuticular surface foveate. Median mesoscutal impression present, long, reaching over 1/2 length of mesoscutum. Parascutal carina distinctly sinuate, posteriorly ending in posteroventrally directed projection.

Mesopleuron. Dorsally irregularly horizontally costate with occasional fovea, ventrally smooth. Subpleuron entirely smooth, glabrous. Lower mesopleuron medially smooth, glabrous; costate laterally, ventrally. Epicnemial carina present, running from mesoscutum to anterior margin of mesopleural carina, ventrally bulbous. Lateroventral mesopleural carina present, marking abrupt change of slope of mesopectus. Mesopleural triangle absent. Subalar pit large and well defined, lying in posterior end of subalar groove. Speculum present, distinctly reticulate. Mesopleural carina present, complete, composed of several long, irregular, curved carinae. Anterior end of mesopleural carina inserting above notch in anterior margin of mesopleuron.

Scutullum. Dorsal surface of scutellum irregularly rugulose; foveate-areolate. Circumscutellar carina absent. Posterior margin of axillula marked by distinct ledge, axillula distinctly impressed adjacent to ledge. Lateroventral margin of scutellum posterior to auricula entirely smooth. Dorsoposterior part of scutellum produced posteriorly into sharp spine, greater than 1.0 × length of petiole. Dorsal part of scutellum entirely rugose. Scutellar plate absent. Scutellar foveae present, two, each with two longitudinal divisions resulting in transverse row of 6 longitudinally elongate subfovea. Longitudinal scutellar carinae absent. Single longitudinal carina separating scutellar foveae present, short, ending before scutellar spine. Posterolateral margin of scutellum drawn out into distinct protuberance. Lateral bar with strong strigate sculpture, narrow.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapectal cavity anterodorsal to metacoxal base present, ill-defined. Anterior margin of metapectal-propodeal complex separated from mesopleuron by deep, broad, uninterrupted marginal impression. Posteroventral corner of metapleuron (in lateral view) rounded, not drawn out posteriorly. Anterior impression of metepimeron present, narrow, linear impression, not broadened ventrally. Posterior margin of metepimeron distinct, separating metepimeron from propodeum. Subalar area slightly broadened anteriorly, with distinct laterally protruding lobe ventrally. Calyptra present, blunt, lobe-like, polished posteriorly with setiferous punctures anteriorly. Dorsellum present, smooth, glabrous. Anterior impression of metepisternum, immediately beneath anterior end of metapleural carina, present, small and narrow. Pubescence thin, evenly covering entire metapectal-propodeal complex. Propodeal spurs present, crenulate. Lateral propodeal carinae present, not reaching scutellum. Ventral end of lateral propodeal carina terminating before reaching nucha. Inter propodeal carinae space densely setose. Petiolar foramen removed from metacoxae, directed posteriorly. Horizontal carina running anteriorly from lateral propodeal carina present. Lateral propodeal carina straight, sub-parallel. Calyptra, in lateral view, elongate. Propodeum relatively short, not drawn out posteriorly. Calyptra, in posterior view, dorsoventrally elongate.

Legs. Pubescence posterolaterally on metacoxa sparse to moderately dense, confined dense hair patch absent. Microsculpture on hind coxa absent. Longitudinal carina on the posterior surface of metatibia absent. Metafemoral spine present, elongate, extending distally as low keel along ventral femoral margin. Distal mesotibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Distal metatibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Ratio of first metatibial segment to remaining 4 segments greater than 1.0. Pubescence on outer surface of metatarsal claw sparse, consisting of few setae. Outer surface of metatarsal claw entirely smooth. Apical seta of metatarsal claw positioned on outer surface below dorsal margin. Base of metatarsal claw weakly expanded, apex slightly bent, ratio width of base to length of apex <0.6.

Forewing. Pubescence of forewing present, sparse across entire wing surface. Apical margin of female forewing rounded. Rs+M of forewing tubular. Mesal end of Rs+M vein situated closer to posterior margin of forewing, directed towards posterior end of basalis. Vein R1 tubular along at least basal part of anterior margin of marginal cell. Basal abscissa of R1 (the abscissa between 2r and the forewing margin) of forewing as broad as adjacent wing veins. Forewing entirely lightly infuscate. Marginal cell of forewing membranous, similar to other wing cells. Areolet present, complete. Hair fringe along apical margin of forewing present, very short.

Petiole. Stout, 1.5 –1.75× wider than long. Surface of petiole longitudinally costate, ventral keel absent. Posterior part of female petiole not abruptly widened. Ventral flange of annulus of female petiole absent.

Metasoma. Setal band (hairy ring) at base of tergum 3 absent, base of metasoma glabrous. Tergum 3 distinctly smaller than tergum 4. Posterior margin of tergum 3 smoothly rounded. Posterior margin of tergum 4 arcuate. In lateral view, sternum 3 exposed, ventral border of T2-T7 visible. Sculpture on metasomal terga present, dorsally finely punctate, posteriorly with distinct bands of setiferous pits. Syntergum absent, all postpetiolar terga free. Annulus absent. Peg-like setae on T6-T7 absent. Posteroventral cavities of female metasoma T7 present, glabrous save for few, long setae. Female posteroventral margin of T6-T7 gently sinuate. Terebrum and hypopygium (in lateral view) straight, pointing posteriorly.

Ovipositor. Ovipositor clip absent.

Diagnosis.

Distinguished from other Oberthuerella by dorsally crenulate, ventrally shagreened speculum. Most easily confused with Oberthuerella lenticularis , but separated by the median keel on face extending beyond the toruli (ending before ventral margin of toruli in Oberthuerella lenticularis ).

Etymology.

Cyclops is a Greek name for a mythical, giant primordial race of humanoids with a single eye in their forehead; the name refers to the unusually large size of this species.

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of the Congo. Link to Distribution Map. [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=300215]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Medje, 02°25'N, 27°15'E, 1910, USNM ENT 00764781 (deposited in MCZC).