Arge taitaensis, Koch & Eardley, 2011

Koch, Frank & Eardley, Connal, 2011, Revision of the Afrotropical Arge mirabilipes group, with description of two new species and annotations to other Arge species of this region (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Argidae: Arginae), African Invertebrates 52 (2), pp. 457-457 : 460-462

Arge taitaensis sp. n.

Figs 6–12 , 25

Etymology: This species is named after its collection locality Taita, in the south-west part of Kenya’s Coast Province.

Description:

Female.

Head black; labrum dark brown, apical half of mandible light brown, becoming reddish brown apically; frons and base of clypeus dark brown; antenna black. Thorax black with pronotum, tegulae, mesoscutellum and mesoscutellar appendage yellow. Legs dark brown except for femora black, fore tibia and fore tarsus light brown. Wings slightly infuscate; substigmal spot of forewing indistinct, stigma dark brown, costa yellow, dark brown at apex, subcosta and rest of venation dark brown, becoming light brown apically. Abdomen yellow, except tergum 1 black with yellow posterior margin, terga 2–7 with large black medial spots becoming smaller posteriorly, sawsheath black, ventral margin and apex yellow.

Head slightly enlarged behind eyes. Antenna 1.4× maximum head width; 3 rd segment conspicuously enlarged toward apex ( Fig. 6 ), slightly quadrangular in cross section, interior surface with distinctly compressed longitudinal carina, dorsal surface with weaker compressed longitudinal carina, ventral and lateral surface with indistinct longitudinal carina, more rounded and gradually disappearing apically. PO:OOL =

1.0:1.2; MS:IA = 1.0:3.9. Eyes scarcely converging below, lower interocular distance 1.4× eye length; clypeus circularly emarginated medially, supraclypeal area roundly protruding to point of interantennal carinae ( Fig. 8 ), interantennal carinae obtusely ULGJHG EHWZHHQ DQWHQQDH, EHFRPLQJ JUDGXDOO\ ÀDWWHQHG, FRQYHUJLQJ GRZQZDUG, H[‒ WHQGLQJ DERXW ѿ ZD\ IURP YHQWUDO PDUJLQ RI WRUXOL WR FO\SHXV. 9HUWH[DQG JHQD VSDUVHO\ micropunctate, shining; frons, supraclypeal area and clypeus irregularly, densely punctuate, shining, malar space rugosely sculptured, dull; pubescence white, shorter than the diameter of lateral ocellus. Micropunctures and pubescence of mesoscutum similar to those on vertex. Abdomen smooth and shining; tergum 1 irregularely transversally microridged. Sawsheath in lateral view moderately pointed at apex ( Fig. 9 ), in dorsal YLHZ EURDGO\ SLQFHU‒VKDSHG DSLFDOO\ ()LJ. lo). /DQFHW DV LQ)LJ. ll ZLWK ¿OLIRUP WULFKRLG sensillae, with about 20 serrulae; serrulae at centre saddle-shaped, broadly rounded at apex, with about 5–7 irregular posterior sub-basal teeth and one large notched anterior sub-basal tooth ( Fig. 12 ).

Length: 8.3 mm.

Male. Unknown.

+RORW\SH: Ƃ ³GHW. 5. %. %HQVRQ, 1963”; “ Arge mirabilipes Ƃ, GpW. -. Lacourt”; “ Holotypus, Arge taitaensis VS. Q. Ƃ, GHW. :)..RFK, ƻolo´>UHG@ (01+1).

Distribution: Kenya ( Fig. 28 ).

Host plant: Unknown.

Remarks: The large posterior subapical tooth of the serrulae of A. taitaensis is typical for this species ( Fig. 12 ) and differentiates it from A. mirabilipes and A. kungveldensis . Further differences are discussed under those species.

Figures

Figs 6–12. Arge taitaensis sp. n.: (6) antenna; (7) hind tibia with basitarsomere; (8) head, lateral aspect; (9) sawsheath, lateral aspect; (10) sawsheath, dorsal aspect; (11) lancet, lateral aspect; (12) serrulae 10–12.

Figs 24–27. (24) Arge kungveldensis sp. n., female; (25) A. taitaensis sp. n., female; (26) A. mirabilipes, female; (27) A. bisignata, female.

Fig. 28. Distribution of Arge kungveldensis sp. n., A. taitaensis sp. n., A. mirabilipes Pasteels, A. bisignata Konow and A. intermedia Pasteels.