Trichoteleia minima Talamas

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 59-61

Trichoteleia minima Talamas sp. n. Figures 1021168-173Morphbank 26

Description.

Female body length: 2.87-2.91 mm (n=2). Color of head: reddish brown. Central keel of frons: present, ending above interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: finely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: punctate rugose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: reddish brown throughout. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae short and poorly defined. Notaulus: smooth furrow incomplete, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as row of punctures. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: smooth and sparsely punctate posteriorly, densely punctate and transverely rugulose anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with few very fine punctures laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of large cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: longitudinally striate; coarsely punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: coarsely punctate in longitudinal rows. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: finely punctate. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: dense. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: with triangular point near intersection with metapleural sulcus; with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: brown throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: S1-S2 orange, otherwise reddish brown. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: weakly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: present. Horn on T1 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: lon gitudinally strigose throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: longitudinally strigose; rugulose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: longitudinally strigose. Punctation of T4 in female: absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: 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: finely punctate throughout. Sculpture of S2: coarsely punctate throughout, with longitudinal rugae laterally. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: hyaline with transverse infuscate bands medially and apically. Color of hind wing: hyaline throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: reduced posterior to Sc+R in basal half. Density of setation in hind wing: reduced posterior to Sc+R. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: spectral.

Diagnosis.

Trichoteleia minima is similar to Trichoteleia afo and Trichoteleia jiro with which it shares the absence of a prominent orbital carina and the lack of a horn on T1 in females. It is easily separated from them by the very small metascutellar points, darkly banded forewing, and longitudinally strigose sculpture on T3.

Etymology.

The adjectival epithet minima, meaning “smallest”, refers to the size of the metascutellar points in this species.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=243407]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., Vohiparara, broken bridge, high altitude rainforest, MA-02-09A-12, Ranomafana National Park, 21°13.57'S 47°22.19'E, 1100m, 14. I– 21.I.2002, malaise trap, R. Harin’Hala, CASENT 2043543 (deposited in CASC). Paratype: MADAGASCAR: 1 female, CASENT 2132759 (CASC).