Ficomila gambiensis ( Risbec, 1955 )

Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, Delvare, Gérard, Cruaud, Astrid & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2024, Morphological phylogeny and revision of Sycophila and Ficomila (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) associated with Afrotropical fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus), Zootaxa 5401 (1), pp. 1-190 : 56-59

Ficomila gambiensis ( Risbec, 1955)

( Figs 33–35 )

Decatoma gambiense Risbec, 1955: 561‒564 . Holotype ♀, MNHN, examined. Type data: Gambia, 1914, A. Mocquerys. Ficomila gambiensis ; Bouček et al., 1981: 213.

Ficomila gambiensis ; Berg & Wiebes, 1992: 191.

Ficomila gambiensis ; van Noort, 2004: 227.

Ficomila gambiensis ; Lotfalizadeh et al., 2007: 505.

Ficomila gambiensis ; van Noort & Rasplus , 2010: 331.

Material examined. ♀, Republic of Zimbabwe, Chishawasha and Makumbi Mission nr. Harare (= Salisbury), ex F. thonningii , 1970-1977, A. Watsham leg.

Guinea, Lola, ex syconia of F. thonningii , 2.v.1993, Rasplus J.-Y. leg., 12♀. Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Lamto, 6.222197° -5.024070°, ex syconia of Ficus thonningii , 27.vi.1989, Rasplus J.-Y. leg., 2♀ & 4♂. Same data, ex syconia of Ficus ingens , 20.iii.1994, Rasplus J.-Y. leg., 1♀. Kenya, Kakamega Forest, Kisere, ex syconia of Ficus thonningii , 3.ii.2006, Hiller Y. leg., 2♀. Malawi, Zomba Plateau, 820m, University Campus, ex syconia of Ficus thonningii , 5.iv.1991, Lachaise D. leg., 3♀ & 27♂. Republic of South Africa, Nelspruit, -25.470950° 30.978929°, 12.iv.1995, ex syconia of Ficus thonningii, Gibernau M. leg., 12♀ & 11♂. United Republic of Tanzania, Mgwashi, -4.767051° 38.487671°, ex syconia of Ficus natalensis , 20.iii.1996, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 3♀. Mialo, Mt Usambara West, ex syconia of F. natalensis , 20-21.ii.1995, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 1♀ & 1♂. Hedaru, -4.501436° 37.908976°, 2.iii.1996, ex syconia of Ficus bussei , Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 3♀ & 2♂.

Diagnosis. Female body yellowish-brown, funiculars and clava dark brown ( Fig. 33A ). POL long, more than 2× as long as OOL ( Fig. 33D ). Flagellum with fu1–fu4 with 2 rows of sensilla; fu2–fu4 as long as broad, fu5 wider than long ( Fig. 33B ). Mesoscutum densely coriaceous with sparse umbilicate punctures ( Fig. 34A ). Propodeum reticulate medially ( Fig. 34B ). Gaster of female compressed laterally, dorsally angulate ( Fig. 34D ).

Body of male mostly dark, in some part yellowish ( Fig. 35A ). Flagellum with fu2–fu4 long, longer than broad ( Fig. 35B ). Dark brown spot of fore wing distinct below of mv ( Fig. 35D ).

Description of ♀ ( Figs 33–34 ). Length 2.1–3.2 mm. Body brown and yellowish ( Fig. 33A ), gaster brown, head and thorax yellowish with dorsal dark brown band on head and thorax (in type materials); antennal colour mostly darkened or dark brown ( Fig. 33B ); pronotum uniformly brown; fore wing with a dark brown spot below mv, lower margin of mv not obscured by dark brown spot; dark brown spot not reaching base of mv ( Fig. 34E ); gaster uniformly coloured ( Fig. 34E ); body setation whitish, setation of fore wing entirely dark.

Head 1.46× as broad as high [HW 270 & HH 185] ( Fig. 33C ); in dorsal view stout, 1.85× as broad as long [HW 270 & HL 146] ( Fig. 33D ); face and vertex coriaceous with sparse punctures; malar space 0.52× length of eye [ms 60 & EH 116]; malar sulcus distinct, straight ( Fig. 33E ); genal margin regularly curved, edged but not carinate; antennal toruli narrowly separated, interantennal space not raised, carinate laterally; scrobal depression smooth, reaching the median ocellus, not carinate on margin; POL 2.38× as long as OOL [POL 81 & OOL 34] ( Fig. 33D ); temple rounded, 0.32× the eye length (in dorsal view) [TL 24 & EL 76]; setation oriented downwards on face, outwards on the punctuate frons.

Antenna. Scape reaching lower margin of median ocellus, 4.78× as long as broad [SL 86 & SW 18]; fu1 1.5× as long as broad [fu1L 36 & fu1W 24], distinctly longer than pedicel, bulging dorsally; funicular (fu2–fu4) with two rows of mps and 2 whorls of adpressed setae; fu2–fu4 not longer than broad, fu5 as long as broad ( Fig. 33B ).

Mesosoma weakly arched dorsally, 1.6× as long as wide (175:110), with obliterate punctures ( Fig. 34A ); pronotum with coarse umbilicate punctures; mesodiscrimen with a ring-like process, adjacent to mesocoxa; mesoscutum 0.6× as long as wide (65:110), 0.65× longer than length of pronotal collar (65:100), densely umbilicate punctures; notauli conspicuous, slightly obliterated by mesoscutum sculpture; prepectus bare, slightly sculptured; mesoscutellum relatively uniform but medially not umbilicate; mesepimeron transversally strigose; metepimeron subtriangular and areolate with long white hairs; propodeum ( Fig. 34B ) with shallow median depression, with a smooth median band, without any median carina, lateral rows of areolae absent, inverted U-shaped basal carina, lateral branches slightly concave, width of basal carinae about 0.5× width of nucha.

Fore wing with short marginal fringe, apically subtruncate (pointed anteriorly); dark brown spot below mv; basal cell bare or nearly so; mv slightly enlarged, normally broadened, in lower margin concave; stv curved up; pmv not distinct; ventral and dorsal sides of costal cell bare; speculum present; parastigmal bristles absent ( Figs 34E, F ).

Legs. Fore coxa without depression on frontal surface, hind coxa bare basodorsally; fore (34:10) and hind femora (34:15); hind tibia dorsally with more 10 setae, setae shorter than tibia width basally.

Metasoma. Petiole shorter than broad dorsally, ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present. Metasoma 1.6× as long as wide (155:95) ( Fig. 34C ), shorter than mesosoma, slightly compressed laterally ( Fig. 34D ); ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present; petiole in dorsal view not longer than wide, shorter than half-length of hind coxa; tergites finely sculptured; Gt4 (in lateral view) slightly as long as Gt3, not sinuous posteriorly; Gt5 mostly covering Gt6, sinuous posteriorly; Gt4 with a row of setae dorsally, Gt6 sparsely setose ventrally; ovipositor upturned ( Fig. 34C ).

Male ( Fig. 35 ). Length 1.57–2.60 mm. Similar to female with longer petiole ( Fig. 35A ); antennal formula 11143, fu1–fu4 much longer than broad, at least 2× as long as broad ( Fig. 35B ); each funicular with 2 rows of mps and 2 whorls of relatively long erected setae; fore wing more setose than in female, with a narrow speculum, basal cell setose ( Fig. 35D ).

Variation. Length 1.99–2.80 mm. Usually honey yellowish, flagellum and gaster slightly darker, tiny dark brown spots at ocelli; in holotype thorax except pronotum and almost whole gaster dark, blackish; in dark-coloured southern specimens, whole body with all coxae almost black, only sides of pronotum and base of gaster vent rally paler, femora partly infuscate. Fore wing always with distinct macula, normally small, but somewhat expanded below level of stigma vein in holotype ( Bouček et al. 1981).

Host plants. Ficus burkei , F. ingens , F. natalensis , F. petersii , F. sycomorus and F. thonningii .

Geographical distribution. Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Zimbabwe.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Ficomila gambiensis (♀). A, female in lateral view. B, antenna. C, head in frontal view. D, head in dorsal view. E, head in lateral view. F, mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 34. Ficomila gambiensis (♀). A, mesosoma in dorsal view. B, propodeum. C, metasoma in lateral view. D, metasoma in dorsal view. E, fore wing. F, fore wing venation.

FIGURE 35. Ficomila gambiensis (♂). A, male in lateral view. B, antenna. C, propodeum. D, fore wing basal half.