Scelio pilosilatus Yoder

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 : 162

Scelio pilosilatus Yoder sp. n. Figures 371-376; Morphbank 76

Description.

Female body length: 3.14-4.56 mm (n=20). Form of sculpture of frons below anterior ocellus in female: fine dorsoventral striae with few to no reticulations. Distribution of sculpture of frons posterior to anterior ocellus in female: more or less uniform throughout. Color of pilosity of dorsomedial head in female: white or predominantly white. Form of anteclypeus between medial teeth in female: produced, truncate medially. Form of lateral gena below eye in anterior view in female: evenly rounded towards mandible, not bulging laterally. Sculpture of anteclypeus: smooth throughout. Sculpture of pronotal nucha in female: present throughout. Color of pilosity on mesonotum in female: predominantly white on mesoscutum, predominantly brown on mesoscutellum. Sculpture of mesoscutellum in female: predominantly irregular rugulose to reticulate. Sculpture of oxter: present throughout. Pilosity of metapleuron overlapping or arising within posteroventral quadrant in female: 1 seta; 2 setae; 3 setae; 4 or more setae. Color of fore wing in female: evenly colored throughout. Color of pilosity on lateral T2-T5 in female: T2-T5 white to off-white. Fine pilosity of lateral T1 in female: present, not reaching posterior margin; present, extending to posterior margin. Distribution of pilosity on metasomal terga 3-5 in female: more or less uniformly present throughout. Form of setae on lateral T2-T5: predominantly thick throughout. Pilosity of anterolateral corner of dorsal T3 in female: sparsely setose to glabrous.

Diagnosis.

Scelio pilosilatus differs from all Afrotropical walkeri-group species by the combination of the projecting anteclypeus, the dense, large patches of white pilosity that cover the lateral metasoma, the line of fine setae along the lateral margin of T1, and the relatively sparse (in appearance) pilosity of the posterolateral quadrant of the metapleuron.

Etymology.

The epithet is used as a noun in apposition derived from the Latin words for hair and side, in reference to the particularly well-developed patches of setae on the lateral metasoma.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=244617

Material examined.

Holotype, female: SOUTH AFRICA: Limpopo Prov., 15km E Klaserie, Guernsey Farm, 19. XII– 31.XII.1985, pan trap, M. Sanborne, OSUC 211938 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: (36 females) SOUTH AFRICA: 34 females, OSUC 211291, 211294, 211352, 211395, 211928, 211930, 211934, 212224-212225, 212242, 212252-212253, 212255, 212288, 212320, 212419, 212421-212422, 212426-212427, 212432, 212435, 212448-212449, 212743, 212868, 212873, 212983 (CNCI); OSUC 211354, 211398, 212284 (OSUC); OSUC 213346, 213434 (SANC); OSUC 244079 (USNM). ZIMBABWE: 2 females, OSUC 212101, 212217 (CNCI).

Comments.

There is a tendency in Scelio pilosilatus to have slightly reticulate sculpture on the frons. The fine pilosity of the lateral portion of T1 is particularly well- developed and prominent and of particular use in distinguishing the species from Scelio apospastos . The pilosity of the posteroventral quadrant of the metapleuron is often only 1-2 setae, one of which is particularly minute (instead of thickened, white, and large). However, we have seen specimens in which 3-5 setae are present, but these individual setae are not typically as thick and the area retains its sparsely setose appearance. While the patches of lateral metapleural pilosity are particularly large, there is a tendency for the extreme anterolateral corners to be glabrous.