Scelio phaeoprora Yoder

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Polaszek, Andrew, Noort, Simon van, Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2014, Monograph of the Afrotropical species of Scelio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), egg parasitoids of acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae), ZooKeys 380, pp. 1-188 : 38-40

Scelio phaeoprora Yoder sp. n. Figures 91-96; Morphbank 32

Description.

Female body length: 3.80 mm (n=1). Shape of compound eye: not or only slightly bulging. Color pattern of pilosity below anterior ocellus in female: bi colored, with brown setae reaching to near ventral margin of eye. Sculpture of frons in female: reticulate rugulose, rugae finer, with slight dorsoventral trend. Genal carina in female: absent. Width of gena in lateral view: strongly bulging, posterior margin diverging ventrally from posterior margin of eye. Density of genal setae: moderately to highly dense, setae conspicuous. Color of genal setae: white to off-white. Sculpture of base of mandible in female: minutely reticulate. Color of A1 in female: yellow throughout. Color of A3 in female: yellow. Sculpture of dorsal pronotal nucha in female: predominantly to completely sculptured. Color of pilosity of pronotal shoul der in female: predominantly white to off-white. Sculpture along humeral margin of mesoscutum: well-defined throughout. Color of pilosity of mesonotum in female: predominantly light to dark brown. Transition from lateral to posterior margin of propodeum in dorsal view: forming distinct angle, corner of propodeum well defined. Shape of mesoscutum in lateral view: bulging in anterior third. Pilosity on metapleuron above hind coxa: glabrous or with few scattered setae. Form of fore wing submarginal vein in female: tubular throughout from base to costal margin. Fine pilosity of lateral T1 in female: present. Width of metasoma: moderately wide, width of S3 1.5-1.6 times medial length. Distribution of pilosity on T2-T5 in female: more or less evenly distributed throughout. Sculpture of T3 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Overall sculpture of S3: with dense, fine longitudinal carinae. Sculpture of medial S3 in female: with broadly obliterated or with distinct smooth patch.

Diagnosis.

Similar to Afrotropical ernstii-group species without the genal carina. Differing from all these species by the unique color pattern of the setae of the frons, with brown pilosity reaching near to the base of the eye (Fig. 95).

Etymology.

From the Greek “phaeo” for brown and “prora” - prow/bow, in reference to the front or face of the insect; The epithet is used as a noun in apposition.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=244953

Material examined.

Holotype, female: IVORY COAST: Ivory Coast, rice field, Bouaké, III-1980, P. Cochereau, OSUC 213076 (deposited in CNCI).

Comments.

Scelio phaeoprora is most similar to Scelio exophthalmus in general habitus and sculpture. The pilosity of the gena is slightly bushier in Scelio phaeoprora , but not to the degree observed in Scelio exophthalmus , and the eye is not distinctly bulging. All specimens of Scelio exophthalmus have A3 onwards light brown to brown, A3 is bright yellow in Scelio phaeoprora . While there are frequently a row or a few scattered brown setae below the anterior ocellus on the frons, the continuation of brown setae to the extent observed in Scelio phaeoprora (Fig. 95) is extremely rare for all Afrotropical Scelio . The metasoma of Scelio phaeoprora is quite narrow, and T2 appears to be slightly shorter and more elongate than in individuals of Scelio exophthalmus . The frons of Scelio phaeoprora is somewhat narrowed throughout.