Ceraphron metapleuralis, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 246-249

Ceraphron metapleuralis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E72E4AB8-43AE-412F-A6BD-3F7D0D0C304D

Fig. 70

Diagnosis

Preoccipital carina distinct; OOL:POL 2.94; OOL:LOL 4.17; metapleuron distinctly sculptured. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.48; dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately basal two thirds, straight and diverging distolaterally with small emargination below apex in approximately apical third, apex of harpe pointed, oriented slightly distomedially; median setae of harpe distinctly crossing; genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at emarginated apex of harpe; Weber length 4.00 × genital length.

Etymology

The species is named after the distinct sculpturing of the metapleuron.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°27′0.9 N, 34°50′52.9 E; 1649 m a.s.l.; 3 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 8; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036913 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 1.16 mm.

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except proximal two thirds of pro- and mesocoxa brown, proximal half of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part less melanized.

ANTENNA. Flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.8 × as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.5 × as long as wide, F1 1.7 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.4 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.8× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.16 × head height; head width 1.79 × interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.30 × minimum eye diameter; head height 1.73 × maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.34:0.24; OOL 2.50 × lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.02 × mesosoma width; Weber length 375 µm. Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.80 × mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.55 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.51× mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.97 × posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.36 × mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.62 × mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with pointed and lighter end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present, metapleuron distinctly sculptured; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 3.06 × width; stigmal vein slightly shorter than 3 × pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 94 µm; Weber length 4.00 × genital length; gvc width 44 µm; genital length 2.14× gvc width; gvc width more than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.14 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly concave; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig.70C );proximoventral margin of gvc convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 70A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 70B ); proximolateral margin of gvc slightly ascending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc convex ( Fig. 70B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.48; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 70A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 70B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 70A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in approximately basal two thirds, straight and diverging distolaterally with small emargination below apex in approximately apical third ( Fig. 70C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented slightly distomedially ( Fig. 70A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae more than half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least three median, longest median setae more than half as long as harpe, median setae distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially, distoventrally and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus half as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct ( Fig. 70A, C ) and more dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at emarginated apex of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimen collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

See remarks under C. trietschae sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, both F9 are missing.

Figures

Fig. 70. Holotype of Ceraphron metapleuralis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036913). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view; inset: mesosoma in lateral view.