Ceraphron digiti, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 167-171

Ceraphron digiti sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35B2013D-F758-4BF4-8031-D61230CA915A

Fig. 47

Diagnosis

Mesosoma brown with light brown mesoscutellum; flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9. Male genitalia: harpe triangular to cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.46; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal quarter, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical three quarters, apex of harpe pointed; proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending and slightly emarginated ventrally; longest lateral setae of harpe more than two thirds as long as harpe.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of the murdered mountain gorilla Digit, which was observed and named by Dian Fossey. The name refers to the light brown mesoscutellum of the otherwise brown mesosoma which reminded us of the famous silverback.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°23′6.2 N, 34°33′37.8 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 23 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 11; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036883 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′0.9 N, 34°50′52.9 E; 1649 m a.s.l.; 3 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 8; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036884 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′52.3 N, 34°52′5.3 E; 1607 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036885 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.88–1.03 mm (0.88 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown with light brown mesoscutellum, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except coxae brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.6× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.0× as long as wide, F1 1.5× as long as pedicel, F1 1.2× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.5 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.06–1.15 × (1.09) head height; head width 1.92–2.00 × (1.92) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.05–1.38× (1.19) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.62–2.14 × (1.80) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.35– 0.50:0.39–0.50 (1.00:0.39:0.43); OOL 1.67–2.56 × (2.30) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.00–1.13× (1.02) mesosoma width; Weber length 344–375 µm (356 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.81–1.96 × (1.81) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.48–1.53 × (1.48) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.43–1.58× (1.43) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.97–1.03 × (0.97) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.28–1.50 × (1.50) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.62–1.90 × (1.90) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt and lighter end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct and straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb present. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.81–2.91 × (2.91) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 150–156 µm (150 µm); Weber length 2.24–2.40 × (2.38) genital length; gvc width 69–73 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.13–2.18 × (2.18) gvc width; gvc width two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.26 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly concave; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 47C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 47A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 47B ); proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending and slightly emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc slightly descending ventrally ( Fig. 47B ). Harpe triangular to cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.46; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 47A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 47B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 47A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal quarter, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical three quarters ( Fig. 47C ), apex of harpe pointed ( Fig. 47A, C ). Harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical third, longest lateral setae more than two thirds as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least six median setae restricted to apical half, longest median setae more than one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 47A, C ) and as ventral as apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at harpe and aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex has a bifurcated end in ZFMK-HYM-00036884 and ZFMK-HYM-00036885.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron digiti sp. nov. and C. sp. 5 differ distinctly in their body colouration patterns. However, the genitalia of the two species are similar, but C. digiti can be separated from C. sp. 5 by the pointed apex of the harpe (rounded in C. sp. 5) and the different setal arrangement in both species.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. sp. 2.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left hind wing is detached.

Figures

Fig. 47. Holotype of Ceraphron digiti sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036883).A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.