Trichoteleia rugifrons 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 : 82-85

Trichoteleia rugifrons Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 39233-238Morphbank 37

Description.

Female body length: 2.45-3.26 mm (n=18). Male body length: 2.65-2.92 mm (n=14). Color of head: dark brown to black. 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: present. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: finely punctate throughout, dorsoventrally strigose laterally; dorsoventrally strigose throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate, rugose posterior to eyes and posterior ocellus. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: dark brown to black; reddish brown throughout. Color of mesosoma in male: dark brown to black. 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: moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout; smooth medially, coarsely punctate laterally; smooth medially, sparsely punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: coarsely 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: punctate rugose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: yellow throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: dark brown to black throughout; reddish brown. Color of metasoma in male: pale to dark brown throughout; reddish brown. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T3: absent. 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; absent; longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: punctate rugulose; longitudinally strigose. Punctation of T4 in female: absent in medial third, moderately dense laterally. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: punctate rugulose throughout; punctate rugulose laterally. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout; absent along midline, otherwise 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: punctate rugulose. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: longitudinally strigose laterally; punctate rugulose laterally. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse in medial third, moderately dense laterally; sparse throughout; absent in medial third, sparse laterally. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: punctate crenulate. Punctation of T5 in male: absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense throughout. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate medially with sparse fine punctation. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: infuscate throughout; slightly infuscate throughout. 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.

This species is most similar to Trichoteleia solocis and Trichoteleia warreni . Trichoteleia warreni has evenly striate sculpture immediately below the median ocellus (Fig. 291), whereas the striae in Trichoteleia rugifrons and Trichoteleia solocis attenuate medially. Trichoteleia solocis is entirely yellow and has weak rugae laterad of the median ocellus (Fig. 243). In Trichoteleia rugifrons the rugae laterad of the median ocellus are prominent (Fig. 237) and the specimens are brown to black.

Etymology.

The name rugifrons, a noun in apposition, refers to the coarse sculpture of the upper frons.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=238242]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., rainforest, 7km W Ranomafana, 21°16'S 47°25'E, 1000m, 10. IX– 22.IX.1993, pan trap, W. Steiner, OSUC 181042 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 18 females, 14 males, CASENT 2042871, 2118419, 2134777, 2135938-2135939, 2135945-2135946, 2135952-2135953, 2135955, 2135957, 2136015, 2136162, 2137894, OSUC 181039 (CASC); OSUC 181045, 181048-181049 (CNCI); CASENT 2135760, 2135940, 2135958, 2136157 (OSUC); OSUC 181040-181041, 181043-181044, 181047, 181050, 223959-223960, 241855, 241857 (USNM). Other material: MADAGASCAR: 1 male, 1 unknown, OSUC 265214, 266092 (OSUC).