Scelio chapmani Nixon

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 : 26-28

Scelio chapmani Nixon Figures 55-60; Morphbank 26

Scelio chapmanni Nixon, 1958: 311 (original description, keyed); Masner 1965: 92 (type information).

Description.

Female body length: 3.16-4.10 mm (n=20). Male body length: 3.24-3.96 mm (n=13). Shape of compound eye: not or only slightly bulging. Color pattern of pilosity below anterior ocellus in female: predominantly white throughout. Sculpture of frons in female: reticulate rugulose, sculpture finer, typically without 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; brown; yellow basally, darkening to brown near apex. Sculpture of dorsal pronotal nucha in female: predominantly to completely sculptured. Color of pilosity of pronotal shoulder 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: more or less flat. Pilosity on metapleuron above hind coxa: with large patch of dense fine 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: present throughout; with broadly obliterated or with distinct smooth patch.

Diagnosis.

Males and females are easily distinguished from all Afrotropical ernstii-group species except Scelio ardelio by the presence of a large setose patch (Fig. 58) above the hind coxa. This species may be separated from Scelio ardelio by the dense white pilosity of the gena (fine, sparse and brown in Scelio ardelio ) and the well-developed posterior propodeal margin (more or less rounded in Scelio ardelio ).

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=5194

Material examined.

Holotype, female: TANZANIA: Rukwa Reg., Rukwa Rift, Kafukola, 27.XI.1955, R. F. Chapman, B.M. TYPE HYM. 9.540 (deposited in BMNH). Other material: (21 females, 13 males) CAMEROON: 1 female, OSUC 212119 (CNCI). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 5 females, 1 male, OSUC 213977 (OSUC); OSUC 211667, 213317, 213916, 214199, 214218 (SAMC). IVORY COAST: 2 females, OSUC 213222 (CNCI); OSUC 142576 (OSUC). KENYA: 1 female, OSUC 212354 (CNCI). NIGERIA: 8 females, 7 males, OSUC 211380, 212166, 212182, 212690, 212695, 212715, 212812, 212843, 213144, 213258, 213265, 213273, 250781, 250945 (CNCI); OSUC 59134 (OSUC). SOUTH AFRICA: 1 female, 2 males, OSUC 213337, 213357, 213477 (SANC). YEMEN: 1 male, OSUC 251064 (CNCI). ZIMBABWE: 3 females, 2 males, OSUC 212219, 212576, 213039 (CNCI); OSUC 57105, 57109 (OSUC).

Comments.

The identity of this species was determined by examination of the type by AP. This is perhaps the most easily diagnosed species within the group due to the characteristic distribution of metapleural setae. It is interesting to note that a similar state can be observed in species from other species groups, including Scelio philippinensis . The pilosity of the frons immediately below the anterior ocellus is characteristically oriented dorsoventrally. The color of the brown pilosity of the dorsal head is somewhat more golden/copper than the brown observed in other species. See also comments for Scelio ardelio .

In the original description of this species Nixon (1956) states in two places that the material was collected by R.F. Chapman. Therefore, the proper spelling of the genitive is chapmani, and not chapmanni. According to article 32.5.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature "If there is in the original publication itself, without recourse to any external source of information, clear evidence of an inadvertent error, such as a lapsus calami or a copyist’s or printer’s error, it must be corrected." The change is a justified emendation and retains the original authorship and date.