Platyscelio mzantsi Taekul & Johnson

Taekul, Charuwat, Johnson, Norman F., Masner, Lubomir, Polaszek, Andrew & Rajmohana K.,, 2010, World species of the genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), ZooKeys 50, pp. 97-126 : 115-116

Platyscelio mzantsi Taekul & Johnson sp. n. Figures 67-72Morphbank38

Description. General:

Body length of male: 3.21-4.53 mm (n=20). Body length of female: 3.14-4.23 mm (n=20).

Head:

Length between anterior ocellus and posterior ocellar line in frontal view: greater than or equal to 0.5 times POL. Striae within ocellar triangle: sparse (equal to or less than 20). Vertex sculpture between inner orbit and posterior ocellus: smooth or with few faint striae. Frontal sculpture between inner orbit and central keel: smooth. Submedial ventral area of head anterior to fossa: longitudinally striate throughout. Orbital carina: absent. Sculpture of malar region: longitudinally striate or with few faint striae.

Antenna:

Color of female antenna: dark brown to black throughout. Female outer lateral apex of scape: bluntly rounded. Claval shape: apical margin of A9-A11 concave, closely fitting basal margin of following antennomere. Color of male antenna: dark brown to black throughout.

Mesosoma:

Sculpture on medial lobe of mesoscutum: longitudinally striate. Setation of medial lobe of mesoscutum: moderately dense, even. Notaulus: present. Notaulus form: mesal and lateral margin arched. Length of notaulus: percurrent or nearly so. Width of notaulus anteriorly: parallel-sided. Pilosity of notaulus: absent. Number of lateral carinae on mesoscutum: 0. Medial carina of mesoscutum: absent. Parapsidal line: present or absent or faint. Posterior scutellar sulcus: interrupted medially. Setation of posterior half of ventral metapleural area: sparse (less than 25 setae). Metascutellum size: narrow, metanotum lateral to metascutellum with 4-6 foveae. Sculpture on ventral metapleural area: longitudinally striate or with few reticulations. Median propodeal sulcus: narrow throughout length. Sculpture of submedian propodeal field: longitudinally striate. Posterolateral margin of propodeum: margined by coarsely punctate furrow. Color of legs: coxae dark brown to black, otherwise brown.

Wings:

Postmarginal vein: reduced, stumplike. Fore wing: hyaline or infuscate.

Metasoma:

Sculpture on T1: longitudinally striate throughout. Sublateral carina on T2-T4: present, percurrent. Sculpture on T2-T4: T2 longitudinally striate throughout, T3-T4 longitudinally reticulate laterally, smooth medially.

Diagnosis.

Platyscelio mzantsi may be separated from other African species by the sparse striae within ocellar triangle (20 or fewer), the narrow metascutellum, and the presence of 4-6 foveae on the metanotum laterad of the metascutellum (Figs 71, 72). Some specimens have the sculpture on the submedian propodeal field strongly effaced.

Etymology.

The epithet mzantsi, Xhosa for south, is a reference to the the collecting locality.

Link to distribution map.

39

Material examined.

Holotype female: SOUTH AFRICA: 34°27.414'S 19°21.393'E Western Cape, Walker Bay Nat. Res., 57 m, Site1, Malaise trap, S. Coast Strandveld, 4. X– 1.XI.1997, S.van Noort, WB97-M11, OSUC 243790 (deposited in SAMC). Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 63 females, 31 males, OSUC 202440-202441 (AEIC); OSUC 207908-207934, 207941, 250662, 250664 (CNCI); OSUC 266101-266102 (MZLU); OSUC 188488-188489, 207830-207836, 207898-207907, 207940, 213995, 226020-226023, 237213-237217, 243454-243458, 243506-243507, 243790-243791, 253729-253740, 253745-253753 (SAMC).