Synopeas togoense, Buhl, 2014

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2014, New species and new records of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae from Togo (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), African Invertebrates 55 (1), pp. 68-68 : 111-112

Synopeas togoense sp. n.

Figs 77–80

Etymology: Named after the type locality country, Togo.

Diagnosis: A rather small species with female A4 hardly more than half as long as A5; A9 1.5× as wide as long; notauli absent; scutellum with a strong spine, slightly surpassing hind margin of propodeum; female metasoma 0.85× as long as rest of body, 1.25× as wide as high.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.9 mm. Black,A1–A6, mandibles and legs including coxae light brownish. Head from above ( Fig. 77 ) 1.8× as wide as long, 1.2× as wide as mesosoma, finely but distinctly reticulate-coriaceous (not transversely so); hyperoccipital carina weak and incomplete. Eyes with numerous short setae. LOL= 3 OOL. Head in frontal view 1.15× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 78 ) with A1 0.65× as long as height of head, very slightly longer than distance between inner orbits; A5 as long as A3–A4 combined; A9 1.5× as wide as long. Mesosoma 1.5× as long as wide, 1.2× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum smooth, only slightly reticulate-coriaceous in upper anterior corner. Mesoscutum bare along middle, the rest evenly and moderately densely setose, finely and uniformly reticulate-coriaceous, smooth just in front of scutellum; notauli absent; hind margin straight over entire width in front of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves small, each with only two inconspicuous setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 79 ) bare along middle, towards sides moderately densely setose, finely and uniformly reticulate-coriaceous, in dorsal view narrowed in straight lines into a strong, dark spine, hind margin of scutellum including lower edge of spine slightly translucent. Metapleuron smooth, in anterior half with sparse pilosity, in posterior half with very dense and erect whitish pilosity. Propodeal carinae dark brown, fused. Fore wing 0.9× as long as entire body, overreaching tip of metasoma by a distance equal to 1.5× combined length of T3–T6, 2.5× as long as wide, with faint yellowish tint and fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia absent. Hind wing 6.1× as long as wide; marginal cilia about 0.4× width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 80 ) 0.85× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 1.2× as long as mesosoma and slightly wider (15:14), 1.25× as wide as high. T2 smooth. T3–T5 smooth, with weak reticulate microsculpture along hind margins, T6 with such sculpture all over. T3–T6 with setae inserted in shallow punctures (about 2 setae on T3, 10 on T4, 8 on T5, 6 on T6).

Comparison: This species runs to S. semihyalinum Buhl, 2011 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but that species has more slender antennae, conformation of scutellum very different with a much smaller scutellar tooth, rather long marginal cilia on fore wings, and longer and more flattened metasoma.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région du Centre , Tèntkro SE of Yégué (SW of Blitta), at creek Koflo (08°05'20"N 00°45'51"E), 28.iv. 2008, 530 m, remains of secondary rainforest, mainly swept above fresh sawdust in shade, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Figs 77–80. Synopeas togoense sp. n., female: (77) head in dorsal view; (78) antenna; (79) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (80) metasoma in dorsal view.