Trichoteleia tahotra 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 : 91-93

Trichoteleia tahotra Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 16192536257-262Morphbank 41

Description.

Female body length: 2.96-3.48 mm (n=8). Male body length: 2.71-3.28 mm (n=16). Color of head: dark brown to black. Central keel of frons: present, extending onto 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: present. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: moderately punctate throughout; punctate throughout with a groove parallel to orbital carina; finely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: moderately punctate; punctate rugulose; finely punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: present.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably orange to brown; reddish brown throughout. Color of mesosoma in male: pale brown throughout; dark brown to black. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae short and poorly defined; rugulose. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: mostly smooth with few punctures, punctures denser anteriorly; smooth and sparsely punctate posteriorly, densely punctate and transverely rugulose anteriorly; longitudinally rugulose posteriorly, transversely rugulose anteriorly; moderately punctate in posterior half, becoming denser anteriorly; sparsely punctate, becoming denser anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth with sparse fine punctures throughout; smooth medially, coarsely punctate laterally; smooth medially, moderately punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: present as a smooth furrow. Mesopleural carina: present only in anterior half. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: 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: rugulose; punctate rugose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex; with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: yellow throughout; pale brown throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: dark brown to black throughout. Color of metasoma in male: pale to dark brown throughout; dark brown to black throughout. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: absent; present. Microsculpture on T3: absent; present. Microsculpture on T4: absent; present. Horn on T1 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: wea kly longitudinally striate; longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: longitudinally strigose; longitudinally striate. Punctation of T4 in female: sparse laterally and along posterior margin, otherwise absent. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent; weakly rugulose laterally. 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: moderately punctate throughout. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally striate throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: absent; weakly longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally striate. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: longitudinally strigose laterally; absent. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse laterally and along posterior margin, otherwise absent. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent; weakly rugulose laterally. Punctation of T5 in male: sparsely present throughout; absent in medial third, sparse laterally. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate throughout; longitudinally strigose throughout, punctate interstitially. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: infuscate throughout; 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: less than 1.5 times as long as rs. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

Trichoteleia tahotra shares the presence of a posterior projection of the propodeum and shape of the lateral propodeal area with Trichoteleia oculea . In addition, R1 (postmarginal vein) in both species is approximately equal in length to r (stigmal vein). It differs from Trichoteleia oculea by the presence of a basiconic sensillum on A7 and in having short rugulae along the posterior margin of the lateral pronotum instead of well-defined striae (Fig. 16).

Etymology.

The Malagasy word for “fear”, tahotra, is given to this species as a noun in apposition in reference to its typically large metascutellar spines.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=241271]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Auto. Prov., Marojejy National Park, 14°06'S 49°46.7'E, 750m, 22. X– 19.XI.1996, malaise trap, E. Quinter, OSUC 181002 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 7 females, 17 males, CASENT 2043325, 2043340, 2043782, 2043787, 2134151, 2134186, 2134759, 2135842, 2136058, 2136422, 2136571, 2138067, OSUC 181000, OSUC 181009, OSUC 181010, OSUC 181065, OSUC 181066 (CASC); OSUC 181001, 262099 (CNCI); CASENT 2135802, 2135843, 2136187, 2136575, OSUC 215615 (OSUC). Other material: MADAGASCAR: 1 male, CASENT 2134733 (CASC).

Comments.

This species exhibits variation in color, ranging from pale brown to nearly black, in the length of the metascutellar spines, and in overall body size.