Xiphentedon simoni, 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 : 39-41

Xiphentedon simoni sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C20FA248-005C-4617-BAAA-44B5742A85A7

Fig. 19

Diagnosis

As for the group, but propodeal median strip sculptured and anterior margin of mesoscutellum with very short median paired indentation ( Fig. 19D ); and also: scape, pedicel and flagellum dark; head dorsally almost 3.0× as wide as long ( Fig. 19E ); interantennal space without a process; gena weakly bulging ( Fig. 19F ); all legs dark, just tips of tibiae and femora and three basal tarsomeres pale ( Fig. 19A–B ); axillular projection nearly sessile, with six teeth ( Fig. 19G ); median propodeal strip broad V-shaped, light coriaceous, posterior part of propodeal submedian areas (near nucha) light coriaceous ( Fig. 19D ).

Female

Pedicel plus flagellum about 2.4× as long as scape; gaster about 2.3× as long as wide, syntergum about 1.3–1.4 × as long as wide ( Fig. 19A ); CC with three setae on ventral margin; WIP with broad red field along apical margin followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 19C ).

Etymology

This species is named in honour of the South African entomologist Simon van Noort, who collected the holotype. The species epithet is a Latin noun in the genitive case, not changing with the gender of the genus.

Type material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♀; Nakombo River , base of Pare Mtns, above Kisiwani, riverine forest; 4.10° S, 37.57° E; 29 Nov. 1995; S. van Noort leg.; sweep; SAM-HYM-P015112 ; SAMC.

Description

Female Length 3.0 mm. Body dark blue, face with green tint; trochanters dark brown, femora dark metallic, tibiae dark metallic except for paler extreme tips; fore tarsi and pretarsi of mid and hind legs dark brown, other tarsomeres paler; antenna dark metallic; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; metasoma blue green, OMA dark, traced mainly by sculpture.

Head in dorsal view about 2.8× as wide as long. Ocelli large, POL 2.5× OOL, MDO: OOL: OCL in ratio 34: 38: 22. Occipital margin traced as a sharp carina raised laterally into small peaks.

Head in frontal view nearly 3.0× as wide as high. Smooth area above frontal sutures reaching to slightly less than half the distance between cross point of frontal sutures and level of their junction with eye orbits. Eye height slightly shorter than interocular distance. Eye only pubescent along its posterior margin, eye height almost 2.8× malar space. Surface between traceable scrobal depressions weakly raised. Width of oral fossa 1.8× malar space. Antenna inserted at a distance equal to major diameter of torulus above level of ventral eye margin.

Scape about 5.0 × as long as wide, 0.7× eye height, with ventral margin slightly flattened; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 1.3 × width of head; pedicel 1.7× as long as wide, 0.5× F1, which is 3.2× as long as wide, F2 and F3 1.6 × as long as wide, clava about 1.2 × F3 and 2.0 × as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma nearly 1.5 × as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate; mesoscutum nearly 2.0 × as broad as long; mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad, and than mesoscutum. Anterior margin of mesoscutellum with small paired indentation medially (but much smaller than in forceps group).Axillula broadly sessile, with a dentate projection with about six teeth.

Propodeum with median strip of broad V shape, coriaceous; submedian areas relatively flat, smooth anteriorly, lightly reticulate posteriorly. Spiracular elevation of propodeum convex, with short tubercle posteriad of spiracle. Lateral propodeal sulcus complete and wide, roughly coriaceous. Supracoxal flange wide.

Fore wing 2.4 × as long as wide. CC with three small setae on ventral margin, 8.0 × as long as wide, SC with two setae on dorsal margin; MV about 1.4× CC, PMV as long as STV. Speculum open below. Apical marginal fringe about as long as width of PR at its widest part. WIP with broad red field along apical margin followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes.

Metasomal petiole transverse, about 1.3× as long as propodeum. Gaster 2.2× as long as wide, syntergum elongate, about 1.7 × as long as wide, about 1/5 of length of entire gaster.

Male

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

Tanzania.

Remarks

This species is isolated within the kayovei group in having a V-shaped coarsely sculptured median strip of the propodeum. This character and also the longer gaster of the female separate X. simoni sp. nov. from the similar X. musimba sp. nov and X. dewittei sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 19. Xiphentedon simoni sp. nov. ♀, holotype (Tanzania; SAMC). A–B. Habitus. A. Dorsal view. B. Dorso-lateral view. C. Fore wing, WIP. D. Mesosoma. E–F. Head. E. Dorsal view. F. Frontal view. G. Posterior part of mesosoma, the axillula is arrowed.