Ceraphron hitagarciai, 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 : 187-191

Ceraphron hitagarciai sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9373039D-83D5-4290-AED4-8B3567747044

Fig. 53

Diagnosis

OOL 1.60–1.80 × (1.60) lateral ocellus diameter; scape slightly longer than F1 and F2 combined; Weber length 1.35–1.48 × (1.35) mesoscutum width; fore wing length 2.67–2.73× (2.68) width; preoccipital carina distinct. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.36; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, concave and diverging distolaterally in middle third, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third; harpe with at least two lateral setae of harpe restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae half as long as harpe; longest apical setae longer than as long as harpe; apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus dorsal to apex of harpe; genital length 2.21–2.55× (2.55) gvc width.

Etymology

The species is named after the myrmecologist Francisco Hita García, who collected all examined ceraphronoid wasps from Kakamega Forest.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°22′43.7 N, 34°41′57.3 E; 1452 m a.s.l.; 25 Aug. 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 35; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036876 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.9 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; no date on label, 2007 or 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 1; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034473 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034474 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 2 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034476 • 2 ♂♂; 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-00034479 , ZFMK-HYM-00036875 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034475 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°13′15.5 N, 34°53′24.7 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 23 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 22; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034477 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 25 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00034478 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.90–1.45 mm (0.94 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown except anterior third lighter; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa brown and proximal third of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.9× as long as pedicel, scape slightly longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.0 × as long as wide, F1 1.6× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3 × 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 1.1 × as high as F9; few medium-sized multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.04–1.14× (1.14) head height; head width 1.81–2.00 × (1.81) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.21–1.25 × (1.25) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.68–1.79 × (1.72) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.56– 0.63:0.50–0.67 (1.00:0.63:0.50); OOL 1.60–1.80× (1.60) 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 0.96–1.08 × (1.08) mesosoma width; Weber length 338–406 µm (338 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 setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.57–1.90× (1.90) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.36– 1.55 × (1.52) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.43–1.67× (1.67) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.00-1.09× (1.09) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.35–1.48× (1.35) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.54–1.74× (1.54) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt, lighter and bifurcated end; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb indistinct. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.67–2.73 × (2.68) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 175–194 µm (175 µm); Weber length 1.80–2.10 × (1.93) genital length; gvc width 69–88 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.21–2.55× (2.55) gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.31 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 53C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 53A ); ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 53B ), slightly indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 53B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.36; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 53A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 53B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at apical quarter ( Fig. 53A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, concave and diverging distolaterally in middle third, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third ( Fig. 53C ), apex of harpe pointed ( Fig. 53A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae longer than as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least three median setae restricted to apical half, longest median setae one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 53A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at all margins of harpe and aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Paratype ZFMK-HYM-00034478 is darker. The anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is longer in ZFMK-HYM-00034478 and without a bifurcated end in ZFMK-HYM-00034475. Pairs of translucent patches on the metasomal syntergum and synsternum are present in ZFMK-HYM-00034475.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

The male genitalia of C. hitagarciai sp. nov. and C. isecheno sp. nov. can be distinguished by the very long apical setae in C. hitagarciai and by the elongated harpes in C. hitagarciai , which result in a higher harpe/gvc index (0.36 in C. hitagarciai and 0.30 in C. isecheno ).

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right F9, and the mesotibia and mesotarsus of the left fore leg are missing.

Figures

Fig. 53. Holotype of Ceraphron hitagarciai sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036876). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in dorsolateral view; inset: head and mesosoma in lateral view.