Protosclerogibba australis Olmi, Marletta, Guglielmino & Speranza, 2016

Olmi, Massimo, Marletta, Alessandro, Guglielmino, Adalgisa & Speranza, Stefano, 2016, Protosclerogibba australis gen. et sp. nov., new genus and species of sclerogibbid wasps (Hymenoptera: Sclerogibbidae) from South Africa, Zootaxa 4085 (1), pp. 127-134 : 129-131

Protosclerogibba australis Olmi, Marletta, Guglielmino & Speranza , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–5 )

Material examined. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape, Kimberley, Bro. Power [= Brother J.H. Power] leg., 1916 ( SAMC). Paratype: same label as holotype, 1♀ ( SAMC).

Diagnosis. See the description of Protosclerogibba gen. nov.

Description. Female. Micropterous ( Figs 1, 2 , 4, 5 ); fore wing very reduced, about twice as long as scutellum, without veins; hind wing reduced, about half as long as fore wing. Length 5.1 mm. Head brown-black, except gena and mandible ferruginous; antenna brown; mesosoma brown black; legs brown. Antenna filiform, composed of 12 segments ( Figs 1, 2 ); antennal segment 1 much longer than 2 (11:3), slightly longer than broad (11:7). First antennal segment slightly longer than anterior flat surface of the hypostomal bridge (11:9) ( Fig. 3 ). Mandible with unique very long tooth. Head dull, setose, flat, granulated. Frontal line absent. Frons without small shallow pit anteriorly, not produced over base of antennae (antennal toruli not concealed in dorsal view) ( Figs 2 , 4, 5 ). Occipital carina absent; ocelli normally developed ( Fig. 1 ); POL = 8; OL = 5; OOL = 5; TL = 0.5; greatest breadth of posterior ocelli shorter than OL (1.5:5); length of eyes slightly less than head (33:41); distance between eyes and antennae much shorter than length of eyes (10:33). Pronotum dull, setose, granulated, without track of median longitudinal furrow. Scutum reduced, transverse, situated partly between the two posterior lateral angles of the pronotum. Notauli absent. Scutellum convex, ovoid, dull, granulated, not trapezoidal, slightly shorter than broad (7:10), slightly longer than scutum (7:6). Metanotum reduced, divided medially and retained as narrow, scale-like pieces at sides of the posterior half of the scutellum. Propodeum ( Fig. 4 ) shiny, setose, granulated, without median longitudinal groove, without transverse keels, laterally with longitudinal keel separating propodeum from metapleuron. Mesopleuron and metapleuron shiny, setose, granulated. First and second metasomal terga not separated from lateral surfaces by longitudinal furrow. Mesotibia with long brown spines on outer face. Palpal formula 6/4. Tibial spurs 1/2/2.

Male. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. See Protosclerogibba gen. nov.

Hosts. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after the austral area where it was collected.

Distribution. South Africa.

Remarks. Following the description of Protosclerogibba gen. nov., the following new key to females of world Sclerogibbidae genera is presented.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Protosclerogibba australis sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 1, dorsal view; 2, lateral view; 3, head in ventral view (a: first antennal segment; h: hypostomal bridge). Seventh exposed segment of gaster very small. Scale bar 1.89 mm (1), 1.87 mm (2), 0.93 mm (3).

FIGURES 4 – 5. Protosclerogibba australis sp. nov., holotype, ♀. 4, dorsal view; 5, lateral view (metasoma in unnatural horizontal position for better gluing it to the label; natural position is oblique and vertical as in figure 2). Scale bar 1.94 mm (4), 1.80 mm (5).