Sycidiphaga Liu, Rasplus & Huang, 2017

Liu, Yang, Rasplus, Jean-Yves, Noort, Simon Van, Li, Zi & Huang, Dawei, 2017, Sycidiphaga, a new genus of Sycophaginae Walker, 1975 (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Agaonidae) associated with Ficus subgenus Sycidium in southern China, Zootaxa 4306 (1), pp. 91-107 : 98-99

Sycidiphaga Liu, Rasplus & Huang n. gen.

Type species. Sycidiphaga cyrtophyllae n. sp.

Diagnosis. Coloration black. Head and mesosoma with engraved sculpture. Toruli separated by a distance approximately equal to torulus diameter. Antennae inserted at level below middle of eyes and above ocular line. Interantennal projection conspicuous, blade-like, extending well above level of toruli, but not reaching median ocellus. Antenna with 14 antennomeres, including a nipple-like terminal flagellomere; F1 and F2 anneliform; F3 narrower and shorter than F4. Clypeal margin straight, not bilobed. Malar sulcus absent. Petiole conspicuous, short and transverse. Fore and hind wings with long and dense pilosity.

Description. Female. Head in frontal view an almost inverse triangle. Antenna with 14 antennomeres (11263+1, including a nipple-like terminal antennomere), inserted at level below middle line of eyes ( Fig. 14 ). Toruli separated by a distance approximately equal to torulus diameter ( Fig. 14 ). Median ocellus not within scrobal cavity. Interantennal projection conspicuous, blade-like, extending well above level of toruli, but not reaching median ocellus ( Fig. 14 ). Eye about half height of head. Malar sulcus absent ( Fig. 15 ). Clypeal margin straight, not bilobed ( Fig. 14 ). Clypeal and paraclypeal margin dorsally sinuate, curved. Supraclypeal area and clypeus not separated, and delimited laterally by shallow grooves. Maxillary palpi 3-segmented; labial palpi 2-segmented, with the last segment seta-like ( Fig. 16 ).

Mesosoma 1.5× as long as metasoma ( Fig. 13 ). Pronotum and mesoscutum wider than long. Mesoscutellum trapezoidal, anterior margin wider than distance between notauli posteriorly ( Fig. 17 ). Notauli complete and deep, slightly curving. Axilullar grooves slightly concave. Propodeum transverse ( Fig. 20 ).Wings with long and dense pilosity; postmarginal vein shorter than stigmal vein ( Fig. 23 ); parastigma inflated, surrounded by a dark coloration ( Fig. 23 ).

Petiole conspicuous, short and transverse ( Figs 20, 21 ). Hypopygium short and triangular ( Fig. 21 ). Ovipositor sheaths bearing dense setae, without constriction or depigmentation ( Fig. 13 ). Cercus with four setae ( Fig. 22 ).

Male. Apterous. Head depressed; eyes conspicuous, inserted on lateral margins of head and about same size as toruli ( Figs 26, 27 ). Antenna 5-segmented; scape flattened and widened, appressed to head surface; pedicel clavate; flagellum reduced to two flagellomeres ( Figs 26, 27 ). Clypeal margin deeply sinuate, v-like ( Fig. 26 ).

Pronotum with a conspicuous median sulcus, deep in its anterior part, becoming shallow at centre and disappearing before reaching posterior margin ( Fig. 28 ). Mesonotum without sulci. Metanotum and propodeum fused, the posterior margin of overlapping and hiding anterior part of petiole ( Fig. 29 ). Coxae and femora conspicuously flattened; tibiae with multiple strong spines laterally ( Fig. 30 ). All ta1 with four odontoid spurs at apex and pretarsus with a pair of curved claws.

Metasomal spiracles without long and whip-like peritremata.

Etymology. The generic name is feminine and derived from the prefix “ Sycidi” used for Sycidium , the host plant subgenus in apposition to “ phaga” meaning eating.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 18. Sycidiphaga cyrtophyllae Liu, Rasplus & Huang ♀. 13, habitus, lateral view; 14, head and clypeal area, anterior view; 15, head in latero-ventral view, 16, head, ventral view; 17, mesosoma, dorsal view; 18, mesosoma, ventral view.

FIGURES 19 – 24. Sycidiphaga cyrtophyllae Liu, Rasplus & Huang ♀. 19, mesosoma, lateral view; 20, scutellum and propodeum, dorsal view; 21, metasoma, lateral view; 22, metasoma, dorsal view; 23, fore wing; 24, hind wing.

FIGURES 25 – 30. Sycidiphaga cyrtophyllae Liu, Rasplus & Huang ♂. 25, habitus, lateral-dorsal view; 26 & 27, head: 26, dorsal view, 27, lateral view; 28, pronotum and mesonotum; 29, metanoto-propodeum and petiole; 30, metasoma in dorsal view and legs.