Trichoteleia janus Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 49-51

Trichoteleia janus Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 6814233847138-143Morphbank 21

Description.

Female body length: 2.26-2.69 mm (n=4). Male body length: 2.41-2.73 mm (n=4). Color of head: dark brown to black; reddish brown. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Sculpture of medial frons in male: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: present. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: finely punctate throughout, dorsoventrally strigose laterally; finely punctate throughout, surface uneven. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate, rugose posterior to eyes and posterior ocellus. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably red to black. Color of mesosoma in male: variably red to black. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae short and poorly defined; rugulose. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth medially, sparsely punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: punctate rugose. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: rugulose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex; with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: pale brown throughout; brown throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: dark brown to black throughout. Color of metasoma in male: dark brown to black throughout. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: absent; present. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Horn on T1 in female: absent; present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: weakly longitudinally striate; longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: weakly longitudinally strigose. Punc tation of T4 in female: sparse throughout; absent along midline, otherwise sparse; absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout; sparse throughout. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin greater than or equal to length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: smooth with fine setigerous punctures laterally. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: longitudinally strigose laterally. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse throughout; absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: moderately dense throughout. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate throughout; longitudinally striate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: infuscate throughout; slightly infuscate throughout. Color of forewing in male: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: infuscate throughout; slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: reduced posterior to Sc+R. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

This species shares its characters with many others in Trichoteleia and is identified more by its unique combination of states than by a single distinct character. The abrupt transition from punctate rugose to smooth sculpture along the anterior mesepisternum, a smooth T6, the mostly smooth sculpture of T4-T5, and mandibular node help to identify this species.

Etymology.

The epithet janus, referring to the Roman god of gates and doors, is an allusion to the juxtaposition of sculptural types on the anterior mesepisternum. This is a noun in apposition.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=241287]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Auto. Prov., MA-01-01A-07, Montagne d’Ambre National Park, 12°30'52"S, 49°10'53"E, 960m, 12. II– 4.III.2001, malaise trap, R. Harin’Hala, CASENT 2135979 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 4 females, 4 males, CASENT 2042242, 2043773, 2043786, 2043794, 2136576 (CASC); CASENT 2135787, 2136176, OSUC 215576 (OSUC).