Platygaster subanguliceps, 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 : 100-102

Platygaster subanguliceps sp. n.

Figs 61, 62

Etymology: Derived from Latin sub (almost), angulus (angle) and cephalus (head); in reference to the characteristically shaped head which is almost angled,

Diagnosis: Head fully 1.5× as wide as mesosoma, 2.4× as wide as long, unusually narrowed towards mouth, outer upper margin of eyes more or less angled; female A9 1.5× as long as wide; mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide; female metasoma 0.85× as long as rest of body.

Description:

Female.

Body length 1.1 mm. Black; mandibles, propodeal carinae and area between these, and T1 dark reddish brown; A1–A5 and legs including coxae light brownish yellow; A6– A10 medium dark brown. Head from above (Fig. 61) 2.4× as wide as long, fully 1.5× as wide as mesosoma; occiput finely and half­circularly reticulate­striated, with two longitudinal crenulae postero-medially; hyperoccipital carina absent but anterior part of occiput and posterior part of vertex with fine transverse striation and carinae, rest of vertex finely and weakly reticulate­coriaceous (not transversely so); most of frons faintly and transversely reticulate-striated, with a few more obvious transverse wrinkles just above antennal insertions. LOL half as long as OOL. Head in frontal view (Fig. 62) slightly more than 1.4× as wide as high, unusually narrowed towards mouth, outer upper margin of eyes almost angled. Antenna with A1 0.8× as long as height of head, 0.9× as long as distance between inner orbits; A2 as long as A3–A4 combined, A4 1.5× as long as A3;A9 1.5× as long as wide. Mesosoma (Fig. 61) 1.4× as long as wide, 1.05× as high as wide.Sides of pronotum with very faint rugosity in upper anterior part, in about lower 0.6 having distinct longitudinal microstriation, smooth along wide hind and upper margins. Mesoscutum with few setae, most of them near margins and along imaginary notaulic courses; disc smooth, towards sides and anteriorly faintly reticulate-coriaceous; notauli poorly visible in at most, posterior one-third; mid lobe blunt behind, slightly projecting to base of scutellum, at each side with about eight long setae over scutoscutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum evenly convex, slightly above level of mesoscutum, smooth, with sparse setae towards sides. Metapleuron almost smooth, with moderately dense pilosity all over. Propodeal carinae very slightly divergent, area between them slightly transverse, smooth and shiny. Fore wing 0.85× as long as entire body, 2.5× as long as wide, almost clear, with moderately fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.09× width of wing. Hind wing 5.75× as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia almost 0.4× width of wing (3:8). Metasoma about 0.85× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 0.9× as wide as mesosoma. T1 with two moderately strong longitudinal carinae, and having four weaker ones between them. T2 striated in basal foveae to about half of length, medially to 0.15 of length. T3–T6 smooth, with setae inserted in moderately deep punctures (about eight on each of T4–T6).

Comparison: The head of the paratype is less angular in frontal view than in the holotype. This species runs to P. polaszeki Buhl, 2004 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but that species has head only 1.1× as wide as mesosoma, only twice as wide as long, without an angled eye margin, more elongate wings, and a less striated T2 than P. subanguliceps . The head shape of P. subanguliceps is somewhat similar to that of P. oculata Buhl, 2004 , from Uganda, but that species has head only twice as wide as long and female A9 hardly longer than wide.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, E of Ounabe at the border between Préf. D’Amou and Préf. de Wawa, NW of Témédja, NW of Atakpamé, at creek Ofê (07°32'35"N 00°59'59"E), 19.iv. 2008, 705 m, remains of secondary rainforest at creek with coffee plantation, dense understorey, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratype: 1♀ same data as holotype .