Paraphytis transversa (Huang)

Hayat, Mohammad, 2012, Records and descriptions of some Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from India, Zootaxa 3521, pp. 39-50 : 47-48

Paraphytis transversa (Huang)

( Figs 16–21 )

Aphytis transversus Huang, 1994: 47 , 53–55, female. China, Fujian, Fuzhou, Jinshan. Paraphytis transversa (Huang) : Kim & Heraty, 2012: 547.

Redescription. Female. Length, 0.9 mm (exserted part of ovipositor, 0.05 mm) Head ( Fig. 16 ) white; malar sulcus dark brown; mouth margin and behind malar space brown; occiput with a dark brown bar on each side of foramen magnum. Mandible dark brown in apical half. Antenna ( Fig. 18 ) white; scape with two oblique brown stripes beginning from near apex of ventral margin, one a complete stripe on inner surface reaching to middle of dorsal margin, and the other an incomplete stripe on outer surface reaching to half scape width; ventral half of pedicel brown; F1 and F2 dark brown; clava in about basal third brown, and light brown in about apical third. Mesosoma ( Fig. 19 ) white; each pronotal plate with a brown stripe and a dark brown dot at posterolateral corner; each side lobe with posterior narrow part pale brown; each axilla on inner third brown; scutellum with a brown subtriangular area in middle; dorsellum pale brown; propodeum in lateral third brown and with a dark brown cross band in posterior half. Fore wing infuscation as in Fig. 21 ; the hyaline bands distal to venation with transparent setae; otherwise setae all dark brown. Hind wing hyaline, but lightly infuscate behind marginal vein. Legs, including fore and mid coxae, white except as follows: fore leg—trochanter brown, tibia with two brown rings, one sub-basal and the other apical, and fifth tarsal segment pale brown; mid leg—femur with a dark brown streak in basal half along upper surface, tibia with distal two-fifths brown, and fifth tarsal segment pale brown; hind leg—coxa brown, femur in basal third along upper margin and about apical third brownish, tibia largely brown, and fifth tarsal segment pale brown. Petiole and TI–TVI dark brown; TVII white; ovipositor sheaths (= third valvulae) dark brown.

Head ( Figs 16, 17 ). Dorsal length 0.46× mesosoma length; setae largely bristle-like and dark brown: frontovertex with 2 short setae slightly behind posterior ocelli, and 3 pairs of setae in front of anterior ocellus; 4 pairs of setae above face, one pair along each eye margin and two pairs medially; occiput with 5 long bristles and two pairs of short setae. Eyes densely setose, setae dark brown, each seta about as long as a facet. Mandible with two pointed teeth and a dorsal rounded tooth. Antenna as in Fig. 18 .

Mesosoma ( Fig. 19 ). Setae as follows: each pronotal plate with 4 or 5 setae along collar, and a long seta at posterolateral corner; mid lobe of mesoscutum with 8 setae, the anterior pair of setae shorter; each side lobe with 1 short and 1 long setae; each axilla with 1 seta; scutellum with 4 setae; propodeum with 3 fine setae outside each spiracle and 1 scale-like seta anterior to each spiracle. Sculpture of propodeum and propodeal crenulae illustrated in Fig. 20 . Fore wing ( Fig. 21 ) 2.6× as long as broad; marginal fringe 0.14× wing width. Hind wing 5.3× as long as broad; marginal fringe 0.6× wing width.

Metasoma ( Fig. 19 ). Metasoma 1.14× as long as mesosoma; setae on each half of tergites 1–6 as follows: 4+1; 5+1; 5–6+1; 6–7+1; 4+1+1; 1+6–7; TVII with about 24 setae, one seta at each lateral margin longer than other setae. Relative measurements (slide)—ovipositor length, 45; third valvula length, 10; mid tibia length, 21.5; mid basitarsus length, 9.5; mid tibial spur length, 8.75.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. INDIA: KERALA: Malappuram, Kutilamgadi, 1 female (on slide under 4 coverslips), 9.i.2012, Coll. FR Khan ( ZDAMU).

Hosts. Unknown.

Distribution. China; India: Kerala (present record).

Comments. This species, along with others, was recently transferred to the reinstated genus Paraphytis Compere by Kim & Heraty (2012). Their decision to remove Paraphytis from synonymy under Aphytis Howard was based on a cladistic analysis of morphological characters. In spite of this, I am not sure whether their action is justified because, except for the undivided mesopleuron, there is no other character to consider Paraphytis different from Aphytis .

An English translation of the original description of Paraphytis transversa (in Chinese) was provided by Dr. J. Huang. The Indian specimen agrees fairly well with the description and figures given in Huang (1994), which were based on a single specimen, the holotype. There are, however, some slight differences in the Indian specimen as noted below followed in parentheses for the holotype of P. transversa : ovipositor 2.09× as long as mid tibia (2.26×), third valvula 0.46× mid tibia length (0.52×), and mid lobe of mesoscutum with 8 setae (6).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 21. Paraphytis transversa (Huang), female: 16, head, dorsofrontal; 17, head, camera lucida drawing, showing dorsal setae on right half and occipital setae on left half; 18, antenna; 19, mesosoma and metasoma; 20, part of propodeum showing sculpture, crenulae and scale-like seta anterior to spiracle; 21, fore wing.