Trichoteleia subtilis 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 : 89-91

Trichoteleia subtilis Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 5251-256Morphbank 40

Description.

Female body length: 2.22-3.32 mm (n=7). Male body length: 2.05-2.44 mm (n=20). Color of head: dark brown to black. Central keel of frons: present, bifurcating ventrally around 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: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: dorsoventrally strigose throughout; densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate; densely punctate; rugulose with faint concentric tendency. Occipital rim: comprised of small to miniscule cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

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; striate, striae short and poorly defined. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: smooth and sparsely punctate posteriorly, densely punctate and transverely rugulose anteriorly; moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout; smooth medially, sparsely punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: present as a smooth furrow. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: punctate rugose; weakly rugulose. 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; brown throughout.

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: absent. Microsculpture on T3: absent. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Horn on T1 in female: absent; present as a small bulge. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: weakly longitudinally striate; absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: weakly longitudinally striate; absent. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: absent. Punctation of T4 in female: moderately dense throughout; absent along midline, otherwise sparse; absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout; sparse throughout. 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: smooth with fine setigerous punctures laterally. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: absent; weakly longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: absent; weakly longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: absent. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse throughout; absent along midline, otherwise sparse. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: moderately dense throughout; sparsely present throughout. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate throughout; longitudinally striate anteromedially, otherwise smooth. 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: 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.

Trichoteleia subtilis is best identified by the fine striation of the gena, the absence of a basal node on the mandible, and the ventrally bifurcating central keel on the frons. T3-T4 are typically smooth, but some specimens bear faint striation on T3.

Etymology.

The Latin adjectival epithet subtilis refers to the fine striation of the gena.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=243406]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa Auto. Prov., Bell Vue Trail, tropical forest, Ranomafana National Park, 1000m, 12. XII– 21.XII.1999, malaise trap, M. E. Irwin & E. I. Schlinger, OSUC 237786 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 6 females, 33 males, CASENT 2043434, 2118411, 2134158, 2134173, 2134187, 2135761, 2135779-2135781, 2135798, 2135821, 2135830, 2135870, 2135874, 2135878, 2136121, 2136161, 2136183, 8106464 (CASC); OSUC 181052-181053, 181055-181059, 181064, 181067-181068 (CNCI); CASENT 2042843, 2043799, 2118410, 2135833, 2135871, 2136061, 2136181, 2136186 (OSUC); OSUC 241854, 241856 (USNM).

Comments.

This species varies in the definition of the striae on the vertex and below the median ocellus. Some specimens have well-defined striae, and others have primarily punctate sculpture with only a trace of striation.