Xiphentedon dewittei, Gumovsky, 2023

Gumovsky, Alex, 2023, Revision of Xiphentedon Risbec, 1957 and Colpixys Waterston, 1916 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with descriptions of new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 905, pp. 1-83 : 41-44

Xiphentedon dewittei sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC7A10F2-B077-4963-B853-E0C9062E5AC3

Fig. 20

Diagnosis

As for the group and also: scape pale basally and dark terminally ( Fig. 20D ), pedicel and flagellum dark; head in dorsal view nearly 3.0× as wide as long; interantennal space without a process ( Fig. 20D ); gena evenly curved; all legs dark, just tips of tibiae and femora and two basal tarsomeres paler ( Fig. 20A– B ); axillular projection nearly sessile, with six teeth ( Fig. 20F ); median propodeal strip intermediate between Y- or broad V-shaped, the strip and posterior part of submedian areas (near nucha) lightly coriaceous ( Fig. 20E ).

Female

Pedicel plus flagellum about 2.6 × as long as scape; gaster about 2.0× as long as wide, syntergum wider than broad ( Fig. 20B ); CC with two to three short setae on ventral surface; WIP with broad red field along apical margin followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 20C ).

Etymology

This species is named in honour of the collector, Gaston-François de Witte (1897–1980), a Belgian herpetologist who explored the Albert National Park (now Virunga National Park in North Kivu Province) in 1933–1935, when the holotype specimen was also collected. The species epithet is a Latin noun in the genitive case, not changing with the gender of the genus.

Type material examined

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♀; “ Congo belge: P.N.A., Kanyabayongo ( Kabasha ), 1760 m, 7 Dec. 1934, G.F. de Witte: 876”; MRAC.

Description

Female

Length 2.0 mm. Body bright blue-green, face and propodeum bright metallic; trochanters dark, femora dark metallic, tibiae dark metallic except for paler extreme tips; fore tarsi and two terminal tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi dark brown, rest of tarsi pale; antenna with scape pale on its proximal ⅔–¾, rest of antenna dark; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; gaster green metallic, OMA dark, traced mainly by sculpture.

Head in dorsal view nearly 3.0× as wide as long. Ocelli large, MDO:OOL: OCL in ratio 70: 80: 40, POL 2.6× OOL. Occipital margin traced as a sharp carina raised laterally into small peaks.

Head in frontal view about 1.3 × as wide as high. Smooth area above frontal sutures small, reaching less than half distance between cross point of frontal sutures and level of their junction with eye orbits. Eye height just slightly longer than interocular distance. Eye weakly pubescent along its posterior margin, eye height about 2.8 × malar space. Surface between traceable scrobal depressions weakly raised (without a process). Width of oral fossa about 2.0× as long as malar space. Gena evenly curved. Antenna inserted slightly above a distance slightly longer than major diameter of torulus above level of ventral eye margin.

Scape about 6.0× as long as wide, 1.3 × eye height; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 0.9× as long as width of head; pedicel about 1.6 × as long as wide, 0.5 × F1, this and other funiculars are 1.5× as long as wide, clava about 2.2 × as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma about 1.5× as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate; mesoscutum nearly 2.0× as broad as long, posteriorly as shallow depressions; mesoscutellum nearly 2.0× as long as wide, 1.3 × as long as mesoscutum. Axillula with a sessile jagged projection bearing six teeth.

Propodeum with median strip of broad Y shape; submedian areas flat, smooth anteriorly, lightly reticulate posteriorly. Spiracular elevation of propodeum convex, with short tubercle posteriad. Lateral propodeal sulcus complete, with wide fovea in its mid part. Supracoxal flange of moderate width.

Fore wing about 2.0× as long as wide. CC with two to three short setae on ventral side, moved from SC, 7.0× as long as wide, SC with two setae on dorsal margin; MV about as long as CC, PMV slightly shorter than STV. Speculum open below. Apical marginal fringe slightly shorter than width of PR at its widest part.

Metasomal petiole conical, slightly wider than long, about 0.7 × as long as propodeum. Metasoma about 0.8 × as long as mesosoma, 1.8 × as long as wide, syntergum wide, about 2.0× as long as wide, almost 0.1× length of entire gaster.

Male

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

DRC.

Remarks

This species is similar, to some extent, to X. musimba sp. nov., but is easily distinguishable in having a half pale scape, a short conical metasomal petiole and a shorter gaster with a transverse syntergum.

Figures

Fig. 20. Xiphentedon dewittei sp. nov., ♀, holotype (DRC; MRAC). A–B. Habitus. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Fore wing, WIP. D. Head and anterior part of mesosoma. E. Propodeum. F. Part of mesosoma (axillula is arrowed).