Trichoteleia levii Talamas & Johnson

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 54-57

Trichoteleia levii Talamas & Johnson sp. n. Figures 1230156-161305Morphbank 24

Description.

Female body length: 3.22-3.55 mm (n=6). Male body length: 3.01-3.45 mm (n=4). Color of head: dark orange, becoming brown at vertex; dark red, becoming darker dorsally; yellow throughout. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Sculpture of medial frons in male: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: moderately punctate throughout; finely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate; finely punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells; comprised of small to miniscule cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably red to black; yellow throughout. Color of mesosoma in male: variably red to black; yellow. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae well defined. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser and finer anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: longitudinally striate; finely punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth; smooth except for 1 or 2 striae parallel to mesopleural carina. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: absent; sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: smooth. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex; with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: yellow throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: dark brown to black throughout; yellow. Color of metasoma in male: dark brown to black throughout; variably yellow to 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: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: weakly longitudinally striate; weakly longitudinally strigose; longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally striate; longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: weakly longitudinally strigose; longitudinally striate. Punctation of T4 in female: absent in medial third, sparse laterally; sparse in medial third, dense laterally; absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent; longitudinally strigose laterally. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout; sparse in medial third, moderately dense laterally. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin greater than or equal to length. Microscupture on T6 in female: present along anterior margin. Sculpture of T6 in female: finely punctate throughout. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: weakly longitudinally striate; weakly longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally striate; longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: longitudinally strigose laterally; punctate rugulose laterally. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse throughout; sparse in medial third, dense laterally; absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: dense throughout; moderately dense throughout. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: slightly infuscate throughout; slightly infuscate with longitudinal dark streak. Color of forewing in male: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

Trichoteleia levii belongs to the cluster of species, including Trichoteleia prima , and Trichoteleia tonsa , in which the short striae along the pronotal shoulder and those of the lateral pronotum form a continuous band. Trichoteleia levii can be separated from Trichoteleia tonsa and Trichoteleia prima by the antero-posteriorly compressed axillular carina (Fig. 12) and by the combination of a smooth metapleural triangle and the absence of microsculpture on the posterior half of T6.

Etymology.

Trichoteleia levii is named for T. Levi Blankenship (USA), a friend of the first author, in commemoration of his marriage to Mirjana Milosavljevic-Cook (USA).

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=243405]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Auto. Prov., 9.1km (233°) SW Daraina, rainforest, BLF9657, Binara Forest, 13°15'48 ’’ S 49°36'12 ’’ E, 650-800m, 3.XII.2003, yellow pan trap, B. L. Fisher, CASENT 2135724 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 5 females, 4 males, CASENT 2043788, 2043790, 2135725-2135726, 2135729-2135730 (CASC); CASENT 2043789, 2135727-2135728 (OSUC).

Comments:

Two color patterns, corresponding with different collecting locations, exist in this species. The specimens found near the northern tip of Antsiranana were collected in dwarf forest along Kakalava beach and have a red head and mesosoma and a black metasoma (161, 305). Specimens collected farther south in rainforest habitat are slightly smaller and almost entirely yellow with finer punctation on the head and mesosoma (Figs 156-160).