Trichoteleia sphaerica Talamas

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 87-89

Trichoteleia sphaerica Talamas sp. n. Figures 245-250Morphbank 39

Description.

Female body length: 2.61 mm (n=1). Color of head: reddish brown. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: densely punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of small to miniscule cells. Sculpture of gena: punctate rugose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: reddish brown throughout. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: rugulose. Notaulus: smooth furrow incomplete, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as row of punctures. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser and transversely rugulose anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth medially, sparsely punctate laterally. Mesopleural carina: present only in anterior half. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: coarsely punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: coarsely punctate. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: moderately dense. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Posterior margin of meta pleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex. Color of legs: pale brown throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: reddish brown. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: present. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally strigose throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: weakly longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: weakly rugulose. Punctation of T4 in female: moderately dense throughout. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin less than length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: smooth with sparse fine setigerous punctures throughout. Sculpture of S2: coarsely punctate throughout. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: hyaline throughout. Color of hind wing: hyaline throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: spectral.

Diagnosis.

Trichoteleia sphaerica resembles Trichoteleia bicolor in shape of the body but can be distinguished easily by its entirely hyaline forewings.

Etymology.

This species is named for the roughly spherical shape of its head. The epithet is considered an adjective.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=243954]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Mahajanga Auto. Prov., 12.4km (337°) NNW Soalala, tropical dry forest, Baie de Baly National Park, 16°00'36"S, 45°15'54"E, 10m, 26. XI– 30.XI.2002, yellow pan trap, Fisher, Griswold et al., CASENT 2135723 (deposited in CASC).