Afrotroppopsis risbeci Gumovsky, 2007

Gumovsky, Alex, 2007, Taxonomic notes on genera allied to Pleurotroppopsis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae, Entedoninae) with description of a new genus from the Afrotropical region, Zootaxa 1415 (1), pp. 1-16 : 6-7

Afrotroppopsis risbeci Gumovsky , new species

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Description. Female. Body length: 2.15–3.00 mm.

Colour. Body mostly dark metallic green, darker on face; metasoma brownish green, coxae and femora dark metallic green; trochanters pale brown; tibiae and tarsi whitish, pretarsi dark brown; tibial spurs of all legs pale, but distal end of hindtibial spur brownish; antennae brownish, except for pedicel which is white ventrally, but with brownish dorsal margin. Fore wing transparent; venation pale.

Head. Head 2.2–2.4 times as broad as long in dorsal view, uniformly alveolate, with elongate striation near ocelli. Posterior ocellus about twice closer to eye margin than to occipital margin, which is notably carinate. Post-ocellar distance (POL) 2.5–3.0 times as long as oculo-ocellar distance (OOL); the latter traced by fine carina. Head in frontal view 1.5–1.6 times broader than high ( Fig. 2C ). Frontal sulcus absent, but frons with a smooth incomplete transverse stripe above shallow scrobal depression. Eye large ( Figs 2A, C, D ), densely setose; its height 4.2–4.5 times longer than malar space; malar space without a sulcus. Mouth cavity about twice broader than malar space; ventral margin of clypeus very slightly produced, with distinct anterior tentorial pits at corners; mandibles with two large teeth and a row of 3 small teeth above them ( Figs 2B, D ). Lower margin of antennal toruli ( Figs 2C, D ) located 2 times larger than their own major diameter above lower eye margin. Combined length of pedicel and flagellum about 0.8 times as long as maximum head breadth (measured between outer eye margins). Scape 5 times ( Figs 2E, F , scp) and pedicel 3.5 times as long as broad ( Fig. 2F , pd). Funicle three-segmented: F1 2.6–2.7, F2 2.3, F3 3.0 times as long as broad; clava 2- segmented, 2.5 times as long as broad. Antenna with three anelli (A1–A3): A1 evenly widened and larger than A2 and A3, which are narrowed apically ( Fig. 2F ).

Mesosoma ( Figs 1B, C , 2A ). 1.5 times as long as broad. Mesoscutum twice as broad as long; scutellum 1.2 times as long as broad. Propodeum 0.3 times as long as scutellum. Median propodeal area light alveolate, with fine carinulae laterad of median longitudinal carinae in the holotype and larger paratype specimens ( Figs 1B, C ), these carinulae just weakly discernible in the smaller paratype specimen.

Legs. Fore femur 3.3 times as long as broad, fore tibia 5.5 times as long as broad, mid femur 3.5 times as long as broad, mid tibia 7 times as long as broad, hind femur slightly less than 3 times as long as broad, hind tibia about 8 times as long as broad; spur of mid tibia slightly longer than breadth of its tibia, but slightly shorter than hindtibial spur, which is robust and 1.3 times as long as breadth of its tibia; terminal tarsomeres of all legs enlarged, about twice longer and thicker than other tarsomeres (lengths of tarsi of all legs in ratio: 5– 5–5–10).

Wings. Fore wing 2.3–2.4 times as long as broad, costal cell with two short setae ventrally, about 7 times as long as broad; subcosta with 2 bristles dorsally; parastigma with one bristle; marginal vein 1.6–1.8 times as long as costal cell, of uniform width; postmarginal vein 1.7–2.0 times longer than stigmal vein; speculum partly closed posteriorly (basal and cubital setal lines present, but not meeting); basal setal track consists of 2– 3 setae, intercubital setal track consisting of 6 setae; fringe of apical margin about as long as breadth of marginal vein.

Metasoma. Petiole transverse. Gaster 2.0–2.5 times as long as broad, ovipositor extends length of gaster. First gastral tergum 0.2 times gastral length. Gastral terga III–VII finely alveolate.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♀, Senegal: Bambey , 3.IV.1939, “ex Lep. Larva mining Khaya senegalensis ” (J. Risbec) (BMNH) ; paratype ♀, Republic of South Africa: Rhenosterpoort, nr. Bronkhorstspruit. Tvl. Ex leaf miner (lepidopt.) on Ochna pulchra , xi.1985 (O. Neser); paratype ♀, Republic of South Africa: Natal, Inchanga, XII.1979 (A. Watsham) ( BMNH).

Biology. Reared from lepidopterous leaf miners on the Senegal mahogany, Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss. (Meliaceae) , and peeling plane or lekkerbreek, Ochna pulchra Hook. (Ochnaceae) . Following lepidopteran species are recorded as leafminers on O. pulchra , and may prove to be the hosts of A. risbeci : Stigmella ochnicola Vári , Varius ochnicolus Vári (Nepticulidae) , Leucoptera pulchricola Vári (Lyonetiidae) , Conopomorphina ochnivora Vári (Gracillariidae) ( Robinson et al., 2002).

Senegal mahogany is used by man for timber, its bark, resin, and leaves are used in human and veterinary medicine; the seed oil is used for cosmetics. Fruits of lekkerbreek are used by local people for food and oil production ( Palmer & Pitman 1972).

Distribution. Senegal, Republic of South Africa.

Etymology. The specific epithet commemorates the collector of the holotype, chalcidologist and student of African Chalcidoidea, Jean Risbec.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Afrotroppopsis risbeci, sp. nov., paratype female: A. Habitus; B. Head and mesosoma; C. Mesosoma; ag, anterior propodeal groove; nt, notaulus; mg, median propodeal groove; msh, lateral shoulder on mesoscutum; white arrow, the lateral shoulder on the pronotum.

FIGURE 2. Afrotroppopsis risbeci, sp. nov., paratype female: A. Head and anterior part of mesosoma, lateral view; B. Lower face and anterior part of mesosoma, ventral view; C, D, head in frontal view; E, F. Antennae; G. Fore wing; cly, clypeus; F1, first flagellomere; lpc, lateral pronotal carina; pd, pedicel; pp, prepectus; prst, prosternum; scp, scape; white arrow, the lateral shoulder on the pronotum; black arrow, anelli.