Tessmannella nigra Hedicke

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 95-99

Tessmannella nigra Hedicke Figures 45-48

Tessmannella nigra Hedicke, 1912: 304.

Description.

Coloration of head, mesosoma, and metasoma black to dark brown; legs reddish brown. Sculpture on vertex, lateral surface of pronotum and mesoscutum present, gently striate on vertex, pronotum, mesoscutum striate-foveate.

Head. Broadly triangular, in anterior view. Pubescence on head present, sparse setae scattered over head. Sculpture along lateral margin of occiput absent. Gena (measured from compound eye to posterolateral margin of head) short, ratio of length of gena to length of compound eye in dorsal view <0.3, in dorsal view. Sculpture of gena smooth with remnants of costulae along posterior margin. Lateral margin of occiput defined by distinctly angled, raised, sharp carina. Occiput (except extreme lateral margin) smooth. Ocelli small, ratio of maximum diameter of a lateral ocellus to shortest distance between lateral ocelli 0.2-0.4. Anterior ocellus close to posterior ocelli, posterior margin of anterior ocellus behind or subcontiguous with a transverse line running through anterior margins of posterior ocelli. Relative position of toruli close to ocelli, ratio of vertical distance between inner margin of torulus and ventral margin of clypeus to vertical distance between anterior ocellus and torulus <2.0. Median keel of face present, short, not extending beyond toruli. Vertical carina adjacent to ventral margin of torulus absent. Facial sculpture transversely striate with remnants of foveae. Facial impression absent, face flat. Antennal scrobe absent. Anterior tentorial pits small. Vertical delineations on lower face absent. Ventral clypeal margin laterally, close to anterior mandibular articulation, straight. Ventral clypeal margin medially emarginate. Clypeus horizontally striate. Malar space adjacent to anterior articulation of mandible evenly rounded, striate. Malar sulcus absent. Compound eye close to posterior ocellus, ratio of distance between compound eye and posterior mandibular articulation to distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye> 1.2. Compound eye, in dorsal view, distinctly protruding from the surface of the head, particularly laterally. Pubescence on compound eye absent. Orbital furrows absent. Lateral frontal carina of face absent. Dorsal aspect of vertex smooth to lightly punctate. Posterior aspect of vertex punctate. Hair punctures on lateral aspect of vertex present, distinctly enlarged. Posterior surface of head deeply impressed around postocciput.

Labial-maxillary complex. Apical segment of maxillary palp with pubescence, consisting only of erect setae. First segment of labial palp shorter than apical segment. Labial palp composed of three segments. Apical seta on apical segment of maxillary palp shorter than twice length of second longest apical seta. Erect setae medially on apical segment of maxillary palp present. Maxillary palp composed of four segments. Last two segments of maxillary palp (in normal repose) curved inwards. Distal margin of subapical segment of maxillary palp slanting inwards, apical segment bending inwards. Apical segment of maxillary palp more than 1.5 times as long as preceding segment.

Antenna. Articulation between flagellomeres in antenna connate with articles broadly joined. Female antenna composed of 11 flagellomeres. Female F1 as long as F2. Flagellomeres of female antenna cylindrical, not widened towards apex, non-clavate. Placoidal sensilla absent. Distal flagellomeres of female antenna not conspicuously enlarged compared to proximal flagellomeres.

Pronotum. Macrosculpture on lateral surface of pronotum present, dorsomedially foveate, laterally foveate-costate. Pubescence on lateral surface of pronotum present, sparse, consisting of few short hairs. Anterior flange of pronotal plate distinctly protruding anteriorly, longitudinally striate. Carinae extending posteriorly from lateral margin of pronotal plate absent. Lateral pronotal carina present. Pronotal crest present, raised into a distinct process projecting above anterior margin of mesoscutum. Submedian pronotal depressions difficult to see, appear to be closed laterally, deep. Lateral margin of pronotal plate defined all the way to the dorsal margin of the pronotum. Pronotal plate wide, almost as wide as head.

Mesoscutum. Mesoscutal surface convex, evenly curved. Sculpture on mesoscutum present, transversely costate with dorsally projected serrations. Notaulus present, composed of deep furrows, transversely costate, distinctly wider anteriorly. Median mesoscutal carina absent. Anterior admedial lines absent. Median mesoscutal impression present, long, reaching over 1/2 length of mesoscutum. Parascutal carina distinctly sinuate, posteriorly ending in posteroventrally directed projection.

Mesopleuron. Dorsally with strigae running dorsoventrally; ventrally smooth, medially sparsely setose. Subpleuron anteriorly strigate, posteriorly smooth; medially with sparse, long setae. Lower mesopleuron medially smooth, glabrous; costate laterally, ventrally. Epicnemial carina absent. Lateroventral mesopleural carina present, marking abrupt change of slope of mesopectus. Mesopleural triangle present, distinctly impressed into longitudinal trough ventrally; dorsally striate, glabrous. Subalar pit large and well defined, lying in posterior end of mesopleural triangle. Speculum present, striate. Mesopleural carina absent.

Scutellum. Dorsal surface of scutellum foveate-areolate. Circumscutellar carina absent. Posterior margin of axillula marked by distinct ledge, axillula distinctly impressed adjacent to ledge. Lateroventral margin of scutellum posterior to auricula smooth, becoming dorsoventrally striate posteriorly. Dorsoposterior part of scutellum produced posteriorly into sharp spine, less than 1.0 × length of petiole. Dorsal part of scutellum entirely rugose. Scutellar plate absent. Scutellar foveae present, three. Longitudinal scutellar carinae present as single central carina. Single longitudinal carina separating scutellar foveae absent. Posterolateral margin of scutellum drawn out into distinct protuberance. Lateral bar with strong strigate sculpture, narrow.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapectal cavity anterodorsal to metacoxal base absent. Anterior margin of metapectal-propodeal complex seperated from mesopleuron by distinct dorso-ventral ledge. Posteroventral corner of metapleuron (in lateral view) extended posteriorly. Anterior impression of metepimeron present, triangular, with broadest part ventrally. Posterior margin of metepimeron distinct, separating metepimeron from propodeum. Subalar area slightly broadened anteriorly, without longitudinal division indicated. Calyptra present, blunt, v polished posteriorly with setiferous punctures anteriorly. Dorsellum present, horizontally striate. Anterior impression of metepisternum, immediately beneath anterior end of metapleural carina, large and wide. Pubescence consisting of few scattered hairs on posterior part of metapleuron and lateral part of propodeum. Propodeal spurs present, striate. Lateral propodeal carinae present, not reaching scutellum. Ventral end of lateral propodeal carina reaching nucha, carinae separated from each other. Inter propodeal carinae space lightly setose, foveate. Petiolar foramen removed from metacoxae, directed posteriorly. Horizontal carina running anteriorly from lateral propodeal carina present. Lateral propodeal carina straight, sub-parallel. Calyptra, in lateral view, rounded. Propodeum 'neck-like', drawn out posteriorly. Calyptra, in posterior view, rounded.

Legs. Pubescence posterolaterally on metacoxa sparse to moderately dense, confined dense hair patch absent. Microsculpture on hind coxa absent. Longitudinal carina on the posterior surface of metatibia absent. Metafemoral spine present, elongate, with adjacent serrate ridge posteriorly. Distal mesotibial spurs longer than medial spurs. Distal metatibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Ratio of first metatibial segment to remaining 4 segments less than 1.0. Pubescence on outer surface of metatarsal claw sparse, consisting of few setae. Outer surface of metatarsal claw microcarinate. Apical seta of metatarsal claw positioned on outer surface below dorsal margin. Base of metatarsal claw weakly expanded, apex slightly bent, ratio width of base to length of apex <0.6.

Forewing. Pubescence of forewing absent on basal half of wing, sparse distally. Apical margin of female forewing rounded. Rs+M of forewing tubular. Mesal end of Rs+M vein situated closer to posterior margin of forewing, directed towards posterior end of basalis. Vein R1 tubular along at least basal part of anterior margin of marginal cell. Basal abscissa of R1 (the abscissa between 2r and the forewing margin) of forewing as broad as adjacent wing veins. Forewing entirely lightly infuscate. Marginal cell of forewing membranous, similar to other wing cells. Areolet absent. Hair fringe along apical margin of forewing absent.

Petiole. Distinctly elongate,> 5 –6× longer than broad. Surface of petiole longitudinally costate, ventral keel absent, ventral costulae ribbed. Posterior part of female petiole not abruptly widened. Ventral flange of annulus of female petiole absent.

Metasoma. Setal band (hairy ring) at base of tergum 3 absent, base of metasoma glabrous. Tergum 3 distinctly smaller than tergum 4. Posterior margin of tergum 3 smoothly rounded. Posterior margin of tergum 4 straight. In lateral view, sternum 3 exposed, ventral border of T2-T7 visible. Sculpture on metasomal terga present, dorsally smooth, posteroventrally micropunctate. Syntergum absent, all postpetiolar terga free. Annulus absent. Peg-like setae on T6-T7 absent. Posteroventral cavities of female metasoma T7 present, setose. Female posteroventral margin of T6-T7 straight, parallel, with medial carina. Terebrum and hypopygium (in lateral view) straight, pointing posteriorly.

Ovipositor. First valvula of ovipositor narrowing gradually, not broadened apically, smooth at tip. Ovipositor clip absent.

Diagnosis.

Closely resembles Tessmannella spinosa and Tessmannella expansa in having uniform infuscation of the forewings (basally hyaline in Tessmannella copelandi , Tessmannella kiplingi , and Tessmannella roberti ); distinguished from Tessmannella spinosa and Tessmannella expansa by having the ventral malar space, immediately adjacent to the mandibular base, gently shagreened (distinctly striate in the latter two species).

Distribution.

Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo. Link to Distribution Map. [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=181550]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Uelleburg, VI-1908 - VIII-1908, von Tessman, USNM ENT 00764790 (deposited in ZMHU). Other material: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Kibombo, 2.XI.1910, Bequaert (1 female, USNM ENT 00764793 (MRAC)).