Platyscelio africanus Risbec

Taekul, Charuwat, Johnson, Norman F., Masner, Lubomir, Polaszek, Andrew & Rajmohana K.,, 2010, World species of the genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), ZooKeys 50, pp. 97-126 : 103-104

Platyscelio africanus Risbec Figures 1-12Morphbank28

Platyscelio africanus Risbec 1956: 105 (original description); Masner 1976: 55 (description).

Description. General:

Body length of male: 2.95-4.35 mm (n=20). Body length of female: 3.46-4.28 mm (n=20).

Head:

Length between anterior ocellus and posterior ocellar line in frontal view: less than 0.5 times POL. Striae within ocellar triangle: dense (greater than 20). Vertex sculpture between inner orbit and posterior ocellus: densely striate. Frontal sculpture between inner orbit and central keel: smooth. Submedial ventral area of head anterior to fossa: smooth, finely longitudinally striate posteriorly. Orbital carina: absent. Sculpture of malar region: smooth, faintly longitudinal striae with limited microsculpture near eye.

Antenna:

Color of female antenna: A1-A7 yellow to light brown, A8-A12 dark brown to black. Female outer lateral apex of scape: sharply pointed. Claval shape: apical margin of A9-A11 concave, closely fitting basal margin of following antennomere. Color of male antenna: yellow to light brown throughout.

Mesosoma:

Sculpture on medial lobe of mesoscutum: longitudinally striate with elongate punctures. Setation of medial lobe of mesoscutum: moderately dense, even. Notaulus: present. Notaulus form: mesal and lateral margin arched. Length of notaulus: abbreviated, clearly not reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum. Width of notaulus anteriorly: parallel-sided. Pilosity of notaulus: absent. Number of lateral carinae on mesoscutum: 0. Medial carina of mesoscutum: absent. Parapsidal line: present. Posterior scutellar sulcus: complete. Setation of posterior half of ventral metapleural area: sparse (less than 25 setae). Metascutellum size: wide, metanotum lateral to metascutellum reduced, with 0-3 foveae. Sculpture on ventral metapleural area: longitudinally striate or with few reticulations. Median propodeal sulcus: widened posteriorly. Sculpture of submedian propodeal field: longitudinally striate. Posterolateral margin of propodeum: longitudinally striate laterally, rugulose posteriorly. Color of legs: coxae dark brown to black, otherwise yellow throughout, rarely hind femur dark brown.

Wings:

Female Postmarginal vein: absent. Fore wing: hyaline.

Metasoma:

Sculpture on T1: longitudinally striate with setigerous punctures medially. Sublateral carina on T2-T4: present anteriorly, absent posteriorly. Sculpture on T2-T4: setigerous punctures throughout, longitudinally striate anteriorly.

Diagnosis.

Platyscelio africanus is similar to Platyscelio pulchricornis in the lack of sculpture on the frons between the inner orbit and the central keel. Itmay be distinguished by the complete posterior scutellar sulcus, and the sculpture on the margin of the propodeum is longitudinally striate laterally and rugulose posteriorly.

Link to distribution map.

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Material examined.

Holotype female: CAMEROON: Garoua (deposited in MNHN). Other material: (78 females, 57 males) BENIN: 14 females, 5 males, CASENT 2137991 (CASC); OSUC 207951-207968 (CNCI). CAMEROON: 17 females, 7 males, BMNH(E)#790211, 848520-848536 (BMNH); CASENT 2137986 (CASC); OSUC 250657-250661 (CNCI). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 1 female, 1 male, OSUC 176086, 247778 (SAMC). GHANA: 2 males, BMNH(E)#790201, 848510 (BMNH). GUINEA: 1 female, 1 male, OSUC 207895, 250625 (CNCI). GUINEA-BISSAU: 1 female, OSUC 253728 (MZLU). IVORY COAST: 22 females, 13 males, OSUC 207977-207983, 207986-208007 (CNCI); OSUC 58731-58736 (OSUC). KENYA: 2 females, 7 males, OSUC 173854, 207969-207976 (CNCI). MOZAMBIQUE: 3 males, OSUC 207948-207950 (CNCI). NIGERIA: 9 females, 5 males, BMNH(E)#790200 (BMNH); OSUC 250639-250650 (CNCI); OSUC 173856 (OSUC). SIERRA LEONE: 2 females, 5 males, BMNH(E)#790195, 848506 (BMNH); OSUC 253722-253726 (MZLU). SOUTH AFRICA: 2 females, 5 males, OSUC 207938, 207943-207946, 250663 (CNCI); OSUC 253727 (MZLU). TANZANIA: 3 females, 1 male, OSUC 253741-253744 (SAMC). TOGO: 1 female, OSUC 253754 (CNCI). UGANDA: 1 female, 1 male, OSUC 207984-207985 (CNCI). YEMEN: 1 female, 1 male, OSUC 250651-250652 (CNCI). ZIMBABWE: 1 female, BMNH(E)#790209 (BMNH).

Comments.

This species is widespread in the Afrotropical realm, extending from east Africa to Yemen and south to the north of South Africa. The color of the female antenna is variable: the scape is yellow to light brown, but in some specimens is dark brown to black (OSUC 207985, 207972; Figs 7, 11). The color variability is also seen on the legs: coxae are dark brown to black, otherwise the legs are yellow throughout in most specimens, but in some the hind femur is dark brown (OSUC 207985, 207954, 207955).