Xiphentedon kivuensis, Gumovsky, 2023

Gumovsky, Alex, 2023, Revision of Xiphentedon Risbec, 1957 and Colpixys Waterston, 1916 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with descriptions of new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 905, pp. 1-83 : 58-60

Xiphentedon kivuensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1C78F23A-6352-41D8-91BF-AAC583F961CB

Fig. 29

Diagnosis

As for the group and also: entire antenna dark; head about 2.5 × as wide as long in dorsal view ( Fig. 29D ); interantennal space without a process; gena bulging; all tibiae predominantly dark ( Fig. 29A–B ); axillular projection with at least four teeth ( Fig. 29E ); median propodeal strip Y-shaped, light coriaceous, with fine carinulae, other areas smooth ( Fig. 29F ); metasomal petiole nearly 2.0× as long as wide, gaster about as long as or slightly longer than broad, syntergum wider than broad; CC asetose; WIP with broad red field along apical margin, followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 29B ).

Female

Pedicel plus flagellum slightly more than 2.0× as long as scape, which is evenly wide, slightly narrowed apically; flagellum with short robust segments ( Fig. 29C ); spur of hind tibia 1.2 × width of hind tibia; gaster about as long as or slightly longer than broad, syntergum wider than long.

Male

Antenna similar, with wider scape and more hairy flagellar segments; body coppery bronze ( Fig. 29G–H ).

Etymology

The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning ‘from Kivu’ and referring to the type locality, the Province of Kivu and the shores of Lake Kivu, a biodiversity-rich tropical forest area of DRC, impacted by anthropogenic activities and deforestation.

Type material examined

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♀ (impaled on a minute pin, but largely intact); “ Congo belge: P.N.A., N’Zulu ( Lac Kivu ), 1500 m. 6–7 Feb. 1934, G.F. de Witte: 221”; MRAC.

Paratypes

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♀ (impaled on a minute pin, part of antenna and most legs lost); “ Congo belge: P.N.G., Miss H. De Saeger , Pidigala , 23 Apr. 1952, H. de Saeger: 3328”; MRAC • 1 ♂ (largely intact, glued to a triangle tip); “COLL. MUS. CONGO: N. Lac Kivu : Rwankwi , Dec. 1951, J. V. Leroy ”; MRAC • 2 ♂♂ (pinned, without metasoma); “ Congo belge: Kivu, Rutshuru , 1285 m, 15 Jul. 1935, G.F. de Witte: 1661”; MRAC • 1 ♂ (pinned, without metasoma); “ Congo belge: Kivu, Rutshuru (riv. Kanzarue ), 1200 m, 16 Jul. 1935, G.F. de Witte: 1654”; MRAC .

Description

Female

Length 1.8–1.9 mm. Body dark green, with violet tint in places, tibiae dark metallic except for slightly paler extreme tips; fore tarsi and two terminal tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi dark brown, first two tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi paler; antenna dark metallic; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; metasoma dark green, OMA dark, traced mainly by sculpture.

Head in dorsal view about 2.5 × as wide as long. Ocelli large, MDO:OOL: OCL in ratio 43:37:29, POL 2.5 × OOL. Occipital margin traced as a sharp carina raised laterally into small peaks.

Head in frontal view about 1.3× as wide as high. Smooth area above frontal sutures reaching at most half distance between cross point of frontal sutures and level of their junction with eye orbits. Eye height slightly exceeds interocular distance (in ratio 263: 248). Eye densely pubescent along its posterior margin, eye height almost 3.6× malar space. Surface between toruli without a process. Width of oral fossa 2.0× malar space. Antenna inserted at a distance slightly above level of ventral eye margin.

Scape about 3.5× as long as wide, about 0.8× eye height; combined length of pedicel and flagellum slightly more than 2.0 × width of head; pedicel nearly 2.0 × as long as wide, slightly longer than F1; F1 and F2 1.7–1.8 ×, F3 1.5 ×, funiculars subequal, clava almost 1.7× as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma about 1.7 × as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate; mesoscutum about 1.8× as broad as long, mesoscutellum about 1.2 × as long as wide. Axilla with one seta. Axillula with a sessile projection with about four teeth.

Propodeum with median propodeal strip Y-shaped, lightly coriaceous, with fine carinulae; submedian areas smooth. Spiracular elevation of propodeum merely convex, with short projection beneath spiracle. Lateral propodeal sulcus complete. Supracoxal flange of moderate width. Spur of hind tibia 1.2 × width of tibia.

Fore wing about 2.0 × as long as wide. CC asetose, about 5.5 × as long as wide, SC with two setae on dorsal margin; MV 1.3× CC, PMV as long as STV. Speculum open below. Apical marginal fringe nearly 2.0× width of PR at its widest part.

Metasomal petiole 1.3–1.4 × as long as wide, about 1.2× as long as propodeum. Metasoma 1.3× as long as wide, syntergum transverse, about 1.4 × as broad as long, about 1/10 of length of entire gaster.

Male

Differs from female as follows: face, propodeum and coxae blue, dorsum bronze; scape 2.0 ×, pedicel about 1.8 ×, F1 2.7×, F2 1.7× and F3 1.5 × as long as wide, clava 2.0× as long as wide. Metasomal petiole elongate, about 3.0× as long as wide, gaster subpentagonal.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

DRC.

Remarks

This species differs from other species of the group, which have predominantly darkened hind and mid tibiae ( X. danielssoni comb. nov. and X. jeanyvesi sp. nov.), in having the hindtibial spur 1.2 × as long as width of tibia and the axillular projection with at least four teeth.

Figures

Fig. 29. Xiphentedon kivuensis sp. nov. A–F. ♀, holotype (DRC; MRAC). A–B. Habitus in lateral view. C. Head and anterior part of mesosoma. D. Head in dorsal view. E. Mesosoma in dorso-lateral view. F. Propodeum. G–H. ♂, paratype (DRC; MRAC). G. Habitus in lateral view. H. Posterior part of mesosoma. The axillula is arrowed in E and H, and shown in inset in E.