Platygaster tschirnhausi, 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 : 104-106

Platygaster tschirnhausi sp. n.

Figs 66–69

Etymology: Named after the collector, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Diagnosis: Head 2.25× as wide as long, rather strongly striated behind, with an inconspicuous hyperoccipital carina among the striae; female A3 not longer than wide, A4 slightly less than twice as long as wide, A5 very slightly longer than wide, A7–A9 each at most as long as wide; notauli absent; mid lobe in front of scutellum short; scutellum distinctly and evenly convex; female metasoma 0.9× as long as rest of body; T2 striated for half of its length, medially to hardly 0.2.

Description:

Female.

Body length 1.05 mm. Black, tegulae and T1 with dark brownish tint; A1–A6 and legs yellowish brown; A7–A10, mandibles, coxae and last segment of tarsi darker, medium-dark brown. Head from above ( Fig. 66 ) 2.25× as wide as long, fully 1.25× as wide as mesosoma; occiput rather markedly, half-circularly striated all over, with an inconspicuous hyperoccipital carina mixed with the striation; vertex finely reticulatecoriaceous, with weak transverse striation behind ocelli and a few weak transverse wrinkles lateral to ocelli; frons smooth in most of upper half, with faint transverse reticulation along inner orbits, in lower half finely and obliquely reticulate all over, only very few wrinkles just above antennal insertions transverse. OOL= 1.25 LOL. Head in frontal view fully 1.3× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 67 ) with A1 0.8× as long as height of head, shorter than distance between inner orbits (13:14); A9 about as long as wide. Mesosoma almost 1.4× as long as wide, fully 1.05× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum smooth, with rugosity only in upper anterior corner and having scattered setae. Mesoscutum bare along middle, towards sides sparsely setose, smooth, with slight rugosity only at anterior ends of imaginary notaulic courses; notauli absent; hind margin medially very slightly pointed to base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves narrow, each covered by about eight moderately strong setae. Mesopleuron with 4–5 distinct longitudinal wrinkles in upper 0.3, the rest smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 68 ) evenly convex, smooth, bare along middle, rather densely setose towards sides. Metapleuron with pilosity all over. Propodeal carinae parallel; area between them hardly wider than long, smooth. Fore wing 0.8× as long as entire body, 2.3× as long as wide, faintly infuscated and with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.1× width of wing. Hind wing 5.6× as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia hardly 0.3× width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 69 ) 0.9× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 0.9× as wide as mesosoma. T1 with numerous, rather even longitudinal carinae. T2 finely striated from basal foveae to half of length, medially to hardly 0.2 of length, rest of tergite as well as following tergites smooth; apical tergites with setae inserted in shallow punctures (about 12 on each of T3–T5, 10 on T6).

Comparison: Runs to P. baezi Buhl, 2003 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but P. baezi has head only twice as wide as long, about 1.1× as wide as mesosoma, occiput less markedly striated, frons transversely striated, most of sides of pronotum finely reticulate­striate, T1 lighter and body appendages more darkly coloured than in P. tschirnhausi . If a hyperoccipital carina is considered to be present, P. tschirnhausi runs to P. nigeriana Buhl, 2004 , in the key mentioned above, but that species has the occiput mostly smooth, basal flagellar segments more elongate, and scutellum lower than in P. tschirnhausi .

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, near Atigba (07°09'52"N 00°41'33"E), 14.iv. 2008, 775 m, remains of secondary rainforest, underwood, forest plantation, road side with much Sida acuta , swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Figs 66–69. Platygaster tschirnhausi sp. n., female: (66) head in dorsal view; (67) antenna; (68) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (69) metasoma in dorsal view.