Trichoteleia irwini Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 46-49

Trichoteleia irwini Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 132-137Morphbank 20

Description.

Female body length: 3.31-3.90 mm (n=2). Male body length: 3.20-3.20 mm (n=2). Color of head: dark brown to black. Central keel of frons: present, ending above 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: present. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: punctate throughout with a groove parallel to orbital carina; densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: concentrically rugose. Sculpture of gena: coarsely striate. Basiconic sensillum on A7: present.

Color of mesosoma in female: dark brown to black. Color of mesosoma in male: dark brown to black. 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 anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout; smooth medially, sparsely punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present; present only in anterior half. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: rugulose; finely punctate. 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: dark brown to black throughout. Color of metasoma in male: dark brown to black 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: present. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: striate anteriorly, with few striae reaching T3. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: present as 1 or 2 strigae along junction of dorsal and lateral surfaces. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: present as 1 or 2 strigae along junction of dorsal and lateral surfaces. Punctation of T4 in female: absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: weakly rugulose laterally. Punctation of T5 in female: sparse throughout. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin less than length. Microscupture on T6 in female: present throughout. Sculpture of T6 in female: finely punctate throughout. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: striate anteriorly, with few striae reaching T3. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: present as 1 or 2 strigae along junction of dorsal and lateral surfaces. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: absent. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse throughout; absent in medial third, sparse laterally. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: sparsely present 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. Color of forewing in male: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: hyaline, slightly infuscate at tip. 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 irwini shares with Trichoteleia albidipes and Trichoteleia ketrona the presence of large concentric rugae on the posterior vertex that are not interrupted by coarse punctures (Figs 64, 135, 153). Trichoteleia albidipes has striae that reach from the posterior margin of the lateral pronotum anteriorly to the mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus (Fig. 62), while the striae of the pronotum in Trichoteleia irwini are clearly separated from the mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus by a smooth area (Fig. 133). Trichoteleia irwini is separated from Trichoteleia ketrona by the presence of dense microsculpture through the metasoma and the weakly striate T2 (Fig. 136). Additionally, females of Trichoteleia irwini have a basiconic sensillum on A7 which is not found in the other two species.

Etymology.

Trichoteleia irwini is named after Dr. Michael Irwin for his excellent field work in Madagascar.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=238234]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., Belle Vue trail, Ranomafana National Park, 21°15.99'S 47°25.21'E, 1150m, 8. XII– 20.XII.1999, M. E. Irwin, OSUC 181013 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 1 female, 3 males, CASENT 2136023-2136024, 8106455 (CASC); CASENT 2134796 (OSUC).