Trichoteleia ravaka 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 : 80-82

Trichoteleia ravaka Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 227-232Morphbank 36

Description.

Female body length: 3.72 mm (n=1). Color of head: dark orange, becoming brown at vertex. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto 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: densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably orange to brown. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae well defined. Notaulus: smooth furrow incomplete, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as row of punctures. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: absent. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth except for 1 or 2 rows of fine punctures parallel to mesopleural carina. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: rugulose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex. Color of legs: apical hind femur and tibia, all tarsi brown, legs otherwise yellow.

Color of metasoma in female: T1, junctions of tergites brown, otherwise orange. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: present. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: weakly longitudinally strigose. Punctation of T4 in female: sparse throughout. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent. Punctation of T5 in female: 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: finely punctate throughout. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: infuscate in apical two-thirds, with white patches along anterior and posterior margins. 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.

This species is similar to Trichoteleia hemlyae and Trichoteleia pauliani . It differs from Trichoteleia pauliani by having a central keel (as in Figs 3, 130) and a punctate to rugulose metapleural triangle (Fig. 228), and from Trichoteleia hemlyae by the presence of banding in the forewing (Fig. 231). Color patterns of the body in this species group are particularly plastic and should be avoided during identification.

Etymology.

The word ravaka means “jewel” in Malagasy and is used as a noun in apposition in reference to the beauty and rarity of this species.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=249112]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Toamasina Auto. Prov., botanical garden nr. entrance, tropical forest, MA-01-08B-15, Mantadia (Andasibe) National Park, 18°55.58'S 48°24.47'E, 1025m, 8. X– 16.X.2001, malaise trap, R. Harin’Hala, CASENT 2135788 (deposited in CASC).