Trichoteleia tigris Talamas

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 97-99

Trichoteleia tigris Talamas sp. n. Figures 222853 –54275– 280Morphbank 44

Description.

Female body length: 3.26 mm (n=1). Male body length: 2.65-3.55 mm (n=12). Color of head: pale brown throughout; reddish brown. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: punctate rugulose. Sculpture of medial frons in male: punctate. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: punctate rugulose throughout; densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: punctate rugose. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: punctate rugose; coarsely strigose; dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably orange to brown. Color of mesosoma in male: pale brown throughout. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae well defined; striate, striae short and poorly defined. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: densely punctate throughout; moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with few very fine punctures laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: longitudinally striate; coarsely punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: punctate. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: dense; moderately dense. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: coxae and trochanters yellow, otherwise pale brown, hindlegs the darkest.

Color of metasoma in female: T1-T2, T4 brown medially, otherwise orange throughout. Color of metasoma in male: pale to dark brown throughout. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Horn on T1 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: absent. Punctation of T4 in female: absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: absent along midline, othe rwise moderately dense. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin greater than or equal to length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: smooth with fine setigerous punctures along lateral margin. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout; weakly longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: absent. Punctation of T4 in male: absent along midline, otherwise sparse; absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense throughout. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense throughout; absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally strigose throughout, punctate interstitially. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: hyaline with transverse infuscate bands medially and subapically. Color of forewing in male: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: reduced posterior to Sc+R in basal half. Density of setation in hind wing: reduced posterior to Sc+R. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

Trichoteleia tigris is a rather disparate species with unclear affinities. The smooth area present above the interantennal process in other species of Trichoteleia is entirely rugulose in the female specimen and mostly rugulose in the male specimens. The coarse punctation and rugosity of the head (Fig. 278), the short, blunt metascutellar points (Fig. 22), banded wings (females only) (Fig. 277), and the large, mostly smooth lateral propodeal area (Fig. 28) serve well to the identify this species.

Etymology.

The epithet tigris refers to the banding pattern of the metasoma in females of this species. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=241286]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., radio tower, forest edge / mixed tropical forest, MA-02-09B-53, Ranomafana National Park, 21°15.05'S 47°24.43'E, 1130m, 18. II– 27.II.2003, malaise trap, R. Harin’Hala, CASENT 2043960 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 14 males, CASENT 2135854, 2135960, 2135963, 2135965, 2135969-2135970, 2136013, 2136185, 2137692 (CASC); CASENT 2135972 (CNCI); CASENT 2135820, 2135822, 2135966, OSUC 254610 (OSUC).