Scelio howardi Crawford

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Polaszek, Andrew, Noort, Simon van, Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2014, Monograph of the Afrotropical species of Scelio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), egg parasitoids of acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae), ZooKeys 380, pp. 1-188 : 53-58

Scelio howardi Crawford Figures 13, 121-126; Morphbank 35

Scelio howardi Scelio Howardi Crawford, 1910: 222 (original description).

Scelio howardi Scelio (Scelio) Howardi Crawford: Kieffer 1910: 74 (subgeneric assignment).

Scelio howardi Crawford: Kieffer 1926: 310, 323 (description, keyed); Ferrière 1952: 117 (diagnosis); Nixon 1958: 314, 316 (keyed, synonymy); Masner and Muesebeck 1968: 44 (type information).

Scelio aburiensis Kieffer, 1913: 109 (original description); Kieffer 1926: 310, 322 (description, keyed); Nixon 1958: 314 (junior synonym of Scelio howardi Crawford); Bin 1974: 464 (type information).

Scelio howardi http://zoobank.org/F07CF0F8-8355-445E-A383-2D7BF288B8BE

Scelio howardi urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:9727

Description.

Female body length: 3.17-5.36 mm (n=29). Male body length: 2.86-5.13 mm (n=27). Color of pilosity of dorsal head in female: golden to brown. Occipital carina in female: percurrent. Color of pilosity of the frons below the anterior ocellus in female: predominantly white. Pilosity of eye in female: present. Medial keel on interantennal process: absent. Width of lower gena in lateral view: wide, posterior margin of lower half of gena parallel to posterior orbit. Genal carina: absent. Color of genal pilosity: white. Color of scape in female: yellow in basal half, darkening to light brown in apical half. Surface of the pronotal nucha in female: predominantly sculptured. Color of pilosity of pronotal shoulder in female: white to light brown, lighter than that of mesoscutum. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum in female: predominantly angular reticulate to rugulose. Color of pilosity of mesoscutum in female: predomi nantly yellow to golden. Notaulus in female: not delimited; indicated by a row of cells. Form of axillular carina in female: small, not particularly expanded or projected from the lateral edge of the mesoscutellum. Pilosity of propodeal nucha: absent. Pilosity of netrion: absent. Surface of mesopleural depression in female: sculptured throughout. Form of ventral margin of villus in female: bent ventrally in posterior, obviously not straight throughout. Color of coxae in female: brown. Color of hind femur: dark brown with white base. Color of hind tibia: yellow throughout. Fore wing length in female: apex between anterior margin of T5 and posterior margin of T6. Color of metasoma: entirely black. Sculpture of laterotergites in female: predominantly smooth. Pilosity of laterotergites in female: absent. Sculpture of medial T1 in female: most prominent elements predominantly longitudinal. Sculpture of medial T2 in female: most prominent elements predominantly longitudinal. Pattern of sculpture on T3-T5 in female: T3 predominantly reticulate, T4-T5 predominantly longitudinally striate to strigose. Color of pilosity on lateral T3-T5 in female: predominantly white. Lateral profile of T6 in female: more or less horizontal. Sculpture of T6 in female: predominantly rugulose to reticulate. Sculpture of lateral metasomal sternal bar in female: predominantly smooth to slightly irregularly rugose. Distribution of felt fields: 2 pairs present (S2, S3).

Diagnosis.

Scelio howardi largely may be distinguished from Scelio zolotarevskyi by its darkened femur, golden to brown setation, and the darkened apex of the antennal scape.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=5251

Associations.

Emerged from egg of Eyprepocnemis plorans plorans (Charpentier) [ Orthoptera : Acrididae (as Euprepocnemis senegalensis Bolívar)]; living in Indigofera brachystachya (DC.) [Fabales: Fabaceae ]; emerged from diapausing eggs of Kraussaria angulifera (Krauss) [ Orthoptera : Acrididae ]; emerged from egg of Kraussaria angulifera (Krauss) [ Orthoptera : Acrididae ]; emerged from egg of Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serville) [ Orthoptera : Acrididae ]; solitary egg parasitoid of Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serville) [ Orthoptera : Acrididae ].

Material examined.

Paratypes: MOZAMBIQUE: 4 females, OSUC 244133-244135, 244137, 244140 (USNM). Other material: (590 females, 418 males, 13 unknowns) ANGOLA: 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790376 (BMNH). BENIN: 3 females, 19 males, OSUC 211366, 211375, 211787, 212852 (CNCI); OSUC 142649-142655, 142657, 142659-142663, 142665, 142667-142668, 142670-142671 (OSUC). BOTSWANA: 62 females, 5 males, OSUC 202821 (AEIC); OSUC 213194 (CNCI); OSUC 164151, 164176, 164205, 166323, 166342-166344, 166347-166349, 166352, 166357, 166359-166360, 166364-166365, 166368-166369, 166371, 166376, 166379-166380, 211625, 212062-212063, 212079, 212088, 212090, 212092, 212094 (OSUC); OSUC 171117-171118, 171121-171123, 171128-171137, 171141, 171149, 171158-171159, 171338, 171340-171341, 171343, 171346, 171349-171351, 171354, 171356-171358, 171369, 171371, 207554, 207558 (USNM). BURKINA FASO: 1 male, OSUC 214094 (CNCI). CAMEROON: 7 females, OSUC 211216, 211219, 211322, 212117, 212120, 212122, 212127 (CNCI). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 71 females, 116 males, OSUC 212527-212528 (CNCI); OSUC 213969-213970, 213972-213976, 213978, 41792 (OSUC); OSUC 180934, 211400, 211662-211663, 211669, 211676, 211681, 211686-211687, 211826-211830, 211834-211836, 211838, 211840-211844, 211846-211848, 211850-211856, 212396-212398, 213200, 213313-213314, 213316, 213513-213517, 213520-213532, 213570-213573, 213603-213608, 213637, 213639-213640, 213642-213653, 213667-213671, 213909-213915, 213917-213919, 213921-213924, 213926-213927, 213934-213943, 213958-213964, 214190-214193, 214195-214196, 214198, 214200, 214216 -214217, 214221-214228, 244018-244024, 244027-244033, 254634-254635, 254638-254646, 254649-254650, 254652-254657, 254659, 254713-254715 (SAMC). GABON: 12 females, 3 males, OSUC 212787, 212789-212791, 212793-212794, 213124, 213126-213127, 213157, 213161, 213165-213168 (CNCI). GHANA: 3 females, OSUC 213549, 213553, 213569 (OSUC). GUINEA: 1 female, OSUC 213135 (CNCI). ISRAEL: 2 females, OSUC 218883-218884 (INHS). IVORY COAST: 19 females, 8 males, OSUC 211357-211359, 212849, 212853, 212855, 212861, 213095, 213097, 213171-213174 (CNCI); OSUC 142581, 142589, 143121, 234735-234736, 59110-59111, 59118-59119, 59121, 59125, 59131, 59137, 64711 (OSUC). KENYA: 69 females, 20 males, OSUC 211351, 212342, 212361, 212509, 212637, 212729, 212949, 212952, 214030, 214033-214034, 214043, 214048, 214080-214082, 214109-214110, 214120, 214124, 214132, 214134, 214178-214179, 234604, 234606, 234614, 234630, 234632, 234639, 234641, 234645, 234647, 234663, 234677, 234679-234682, 234688, 234690-234691, 234695, 234702, 250820, 250822, 250926-250927, 250930, 254706 (CNCI); OSUC 142675, 58958-58959, 59023, 59025, 59030, 59034, 59039-59040, 59043-59044, 59050, 59053-59055, 59057-59059, 59061, 59063, 59066, 59071, 59080, 59084-59085, 59091, 59093, 59095, 59097, 59102, 59105, 70693-70695, 70700, 70702-70704, 70706 (OSUC). MALAWI: 6 females, 2 males, 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790421 (BMNH); OSUC 212380-212382, 212454, 212465, 212778, 213137, 213197 (CNCI). MALI: 3 unknowns, BMNH(E)#790366, 790369, 790422 (BMNH). MOZAMBIQUE: 4 females, OSUC 212370, 212734-212735, 213104 (CNCI). NAMIBIA: 1 female, 1 male, CASENT 2042536 (CASC); OSUC 213345 (SANC). NIGERIA: 53 females, 142 males, OSUC 202818 (AEIC); BMNH(E)#790370 (BMNH); OSUC 211376, 211378, 211381, 211670, 211674-211675, 211677, 211690, 211887, 212159-212162, 212164-212165, 212167-212169, 212171, 212173-212174, 212176, 212180-212181, 212183, 212185-212187, 212189-212193, 212195, 212609-212611, 212615-212617, 212622, 212624, 212627, 212633-212636, 212684, 212686-212687, 212693, 212697-212699, 212701-212705, 212707-212712, 212714, 212717-212728, 212733, 212740, 212804, 212808-212809, 212811, 213026-213029, 213032, 213035-213038, 213123, 213145, 213148-213150, 213152, 213155, 213175, 213179, 213181, 213183, 213186, 213190, 213192-213193, 213256-213257, 213260-213262, 213264, 213268, 213270-213271, 213277-213278, 213280, 250711, 250719, 250724-250725, 250727, 250732, 250734, 250765, 250768-250769, 250771-250772, 250774-250777, 250780, 250782-250786, 250788-250789, 250791, 250794, 250796-250811, 250818, 250950, 250991, 250993, 250997, 251000, 251009-251012, 251014, 251016-251030 (CNCI); OSUC 142618, 244204-244205, 59133, 59136 (OSUC). SIERRA LEONE: 1 female, 9 males, OSUC 202823 (AEIC); OSUC 244046, 244048, 244055-244057, 244066-244069 (MZLU). SOUTH AFRICA: 169 females, 72 males, 5 unknowns, OSUC 202812, 202819, 202827-202828, 202830-202831 (AEIC); BMNH(E)#790371-790375 (BMNH); OSUC 211207, 211209-211210, 211258, 211261 -211262, 211276-211277, 211281, 211283-211284, 211288-211290, 211296, 211299-211303, 211305-211306, 211308-211310, 211312, 211314, 211316-211319, 211323, 211331, 211338, 211383-211385, 211387-211389, 211394, 211923, 211932, 211935, 212109, 212204-212205, 212222, 212235, 212246, 212248, 212269-212274, 212282, 212295, 212299-212300, 212306, 212310-212313, 212323, 212327-212328, 212353, 212356, 212363, 212369, 212384, 212386, 212420, 212423-212425, 212434, 212441-212446, 212463, 212516, 212553, 212558, 212563-212565, 212602-212605, 212650-212651, 212653-212655, 212658-212659, 212674, 212683, 212747, 212753, 212755, 212757, 212760-212761, 212763-212764, 212767, 212771, 212775, 212777, 212779, 212819, 212871, 212874, 212882, 212887, 212892-212894, 212954-212964, 213004, 213079, 213108, 213110-213112, 213118, 213130-213132, 213134, 213253, 234673, 250687, 250696 (CNCI); OSUC 214229 (FMNH); OSUC 244060, 254547 (MZLU); OSUC 142594, 142602, 143288, 176243, 211678, 222130, 222134, 222302, 234724, 234726-234727, 234734, 250975, 250977, 250979 (OSUC); OSUC 211688, 211858-211861, 212800, 213537, 213655, 213673, 213682, 213932, 214203, 214220, 214230-214231, 214245-214247, 234714, 250714, 254712 (SAMC); OSUC 213318-213319, 213322, 213324, 213335-213336, 213359, 213366, 213368, 213372, 213376-213377, 213388-213389, 213400-213401, 213404, 213412-213414, 213418, 213420, 213426, 213431-213432, 213440, 213449, 213451, 213454-213455, 213462, 213464, 213466-213467, 213469, 213474, 213493, 213495, 213497, 213499, 214384, 214386-214387 (SANC). SWAZILAND: 1 male, OSUC 244062 (MZLU). TANZANIA: 11 females, 4 males, OSUC 212890, 212971, 212975, 212977, 250767, 250954-250957, 250960-250961, 250965, 254629-254630, 254632 (CNCI). UGANDA: 1 female, OSUC 250752 (SAMC). YEMEN: 4 females, 3 males, OSUC 250938, 251034, 251037, 251046, 251049, 251062, 251066 (CNCI). ZAMBIA: 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790377 (BMNH). ZIMBABWE: 91 females, 12 males, 2 unknowns, OSUC 202820 (AEIC); BMNH(E)#790367-790368 (BMNH); OSUC 211226, 211228, 211232, 211239-211240, 211242-211244, 211246, 211250-211251, 211255, 211346, 211350, 212106-212107, 212134, 212136, 212138, 212141, 212146-212149, 212158, 212207, 212211, 212215, 212218, 212231, 212233, 212239, 212401, 212404, 212406-212408, 212410-212412, 212415, 212568-212569, 212572, 212574, 212582-212584, 212588, 212590-212591, 212593-212594, 212596, 212598-212599, 212639, 212641, 212814-212815, 212825, 212829, 212896-212897, 212905, 212908, 212910-212911, 213001-213002, 213010, 213012, 213041, 213047, 213049-213050, 213052, 213057, 213202, 213204, 213206-213207, 213209, 213211-213213, 213215-213216, 213218, 213244-213248, 213250 (CNCI); OSUC 199567 (FSCA); OSUC 57106, 57110, 57112-57114 (OSUC); OSUC 244074 (USNM).

Comments.

The type series of Scelio howardi contains two species with 4 and 3 specimens respectively of Scelio howardi and Scelio zolotarevskyi . Crawford (1910) noted that the leg color is intraspecifically variable. While some slight variation does exist, he did note a relatively useful character in the separation of Scelio howardi and Scelio zolotarevskyi . The latter very rarely has darker brown infuscations on the femora, while the former nearly always does.

Scelio howardi is one of, if not the most commonly collected and widespread species of continental Africa. As circumscribed here it is variable in general size, shape of the head, sculpture, and to a lesser degree color. The sculpture of the frons is highly variable, though it tends to be relatively weakly developed, with broken reticulations common, and usually without robust reticulations meeting the malar sulcus (cf. Scelio destico ). In a large majority of individuals the base of the scape is yellow; in some cases it is slightly darker to light brown though even then the apex is darker still. The pilosity of the lateral portions T2 is always quite dense and prominent in Scelio howardi .

Males usually have a very small smooth patch along the ventral margin of the metapleural depression. Males are particularly similar to those of Scelio igland . The two may be distinguished by subtle differences in the form of the villus (more strongly bent medially in Scelio igland ) and the white and somewhat dense pilosity of the lateral tergites (vs. sparse and golden or brown and sparse in Scelio igland ).