Synopeas roncavei Awad, 2021

Awad, Jessica, Bremer, Jonathan S., Butterill, Philip T., Moore, Matthew R. & Talamas, Elijah J., 2021, A taxonomic treatment of Synopeas Foerster (Platygastridae, Platygastrinae) from the island of New Guinea, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 87, pp. 5-65 : 5

Synopeas roncavei Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.2-1.5 mm. Body color: black. Color of legs: coxae brown, otherwise yellow; coxae brown, otherwise yellow to brown. Color of mesoscutellar spine: concolorous with mesoscutellar disc.

Head. Shape of head in anterior view: circular. Central keel: absent. Sculpture on frons: reticulate microsculpture. Epitorular sculpture: minute rugulae; reticulate microsculpture. Number of clypeal setae: 4. Length of median pair of clypeal setae: longer than lateral pair. Arrangement of clypeal setae: medial setae closer to each other than to lateral setae. Shape of mandible: bidentate. Distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (OOL): less than 1 ocellar diameter. Hyperoccipital carina: complete. Hyperoccipital carina strength: uniformly robust. Distance between lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina: approximately 1 ocellar diameter.

Mesosoma. Epomial carina: present, complete or nearly so. Microsculpture of lateral pronotum: present dorsally, absent ventrally. Lateral pronotal sculpture coverage: 1/2 to 2/3. Mesoscutellar spine: short and pointed. Mesoscutellar spine in lateral view: pointing posteriorly. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: rounded. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: unmarked or faintly suggested. Parapsidal lines: very faint. Setation of mesoscutum: absent medially, present laterally. Mesoscutal lamella: broad and rounded; roughly triangular. Setation of mesoscutellum: laterally dense, medially sparse.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: narrow band at posterior margin. Sculpture of T2: narrow transverse band of microsculpture at posterior margin. Length of T2: shorter than mesosoma; approximately as long as mesosoma.

Wing. Length of setae on disc of forewing: longer than distance between setal bases. Density of setae on disc of forewing: dense. Arrangement of setae on disc of forewing: uniformly setose distally, proximally glabrous with linea setosa. Forewing marginal setae: setae on posterior margin distinctly longer than setae on anterior margin.

Diagnosis.

Synopeas roncavei has a short, pointed mesoscutellar spine and a robust, complete hyperoccipital carina. The metasomal sculpture on T2 is restricted to a narrow band at the posterior margin (Fig. 40 ). It is similar to S. kiki , and these can be differentiated by the hyperoccipital carina. In S. kiki , the hyperoccipital carina is medially weakened and laterally present as a thin carina, whereas in S. roncavei , the hyperoccipital carina is uniformly robust. Synopeas roncavei can be differentiated from S. pulupulu by the setation of the meoscutum and mesoscutellum, which are medially glabrous in S. roncavei and uniformly setose in S. pulupulu . Synopeas roncavei is similar to S. pattiae , but the forewing of S. pattiae lacks a linea setosa, which is present in S. roncavei (Fig. 23 ).

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of the biological control researcher and beetle taxonomist Ronald D. Cave.

Plant associations.

Primarily reared from blister galls on Piper amboinense and Piper celtidiforme ( Piperaceae ) [GALL273, GALL300]. One specimen reared from Cypholophus friesianus ( Urticaceae ) [GALL266].

Material examined.

Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 12.X.2010, Philip Butterill leg., Piper celtidiforme (FSCA 00090249) . Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: ♀ ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 20.IX.2010, Piper amboinense (FSCA 00000407, 00000322) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 05.X.2010, Piper sp. (FSCA 00090417) ; 2♀, Morobe, Yawan , 12.X.2010, Piper celtidiforme , FSCA 00094605-00094606 ); 4♀, Morobe, Yawan , 15.X.2010, Piper amboinense (FSCA 00000339-00000342) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 15.X.2010, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090432) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 18.X.2010, Piper amboinense (FSCA 00000408) ; 3♀ 3♂, Morobe, Yawan , 25.X.2010, Piper amboinense (FSCA 00090259, 00090411, FSCA 00094495-00094496, 00094607-00094608) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 11.XI.2010, Piper amboinense (FSCA 00000253) .

Figures

Figure 23. Setation of forewing disc including linea setosa A S. roncavei (FSCA 00094606) B S. pattiae (FSCA 00090423). Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 40. Synopeas roncavei (female holotype; FSCA 00090249) A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C ventral habitus.