Xiphentedon sangha, 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 : 63-65

Xiphentedon sangha sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0299B4AF-E10D-40EE-BBA5-231C2BAFA914

Fig. 31

Diagnosis

As for the group and also: scape pale, narrow, pedicel plus flagellum dark ( Fig. 31D–E ); head dorsally about 2.5 × as wide as long ( Fig. 31E ); interantennal space without a process; gena moderately bulging; pedicel plus flagellum 2.2–2.3 × as long as scape; fore tibia with two pale stripes, all tibiae darkened on proximal ½; axillular projection bidentate, anterior margin of mesoscutellum with very short anteromedian indentation ( Fig. 31F ); median propodeal strip Y-shaped, lightly coriaceous, other areas smooth ( Fig. 31F ); metasomal petiole cylindrical; gaster slightly longer than broad, ovate, syntergum triangular, slightly broader than long ( Fig. 31A–B ); CC asetose; WIP with broad red field along apical margin, followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 31C ).

Etymology

The species name reflects the locality name and the Sangha River. The specific epithet is a noun that does not change with a changing generic gender.

Type material examined

Holotype

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC • ♀; Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Réserve Spéciale de Forêt Dense de Dzanga-Sangha , 12.7 km 326° NW of Bayanga; 3º00.27′ N, 16º11.55′ E; 420 m a.s.l.; sweep in lowland rainforest; 13 May 2001; S. van Noort leg.; CAR01-S170; SAM-HYM-P067745 ; SAMC.

Description

Female

Length 1.6 mm. Body dark green, face and first gastral tergum bright metallic; trochanters paler, femora dark metallic, fore tibia with two pale stripes, mid and hind tibiae dark metallic on proximal ½; fore tarsi and pretarsi of mid and hind legs dark brown; antenna with pale scape, rest dark; wings hyaline, venation pale brown; metasoma bright green, OMA dark, traced mainly by sculpture.

Head in dorsal view about 2.5 × as wide as long. Ocelli large, POL about 2.5× OOL, MDO: OOL: OCL in ratio 40: 81: 26. Occipital margin traced as a blunt carina poorly raised laterally.

Head in frontal view about 1.3× as wide as high. Smooth area above frontal sutures reaching at most half distance between cross point of frontal sutures and level of their junction with eye orbits. Eye height and interocular distance in ratio 212: 194. Gena with shallow depression under lower eye margin. Eye merely pubescent along its posterior margin, eye height almost 3.6 × malar space. Surface between toruli weakly raised. Width of oral fossa 1.8 × malar space. Antenna inserted at a distance as long as major diameter of torulus above level of ventral eye margin.

Scape about 5.0 × as long as wide, 1.4× eye height; pedicel plus flagellum 2.2–2.3× as long as scape; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 0.8 × width of head; pedicel 1.5 × as long as wide, as long as F1. The latter 1.5× and F2 1.8×, F3 1.5×, clava about 2.0× as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma nearly 1.7× as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate; mesoscutum 1.7 × as broad as long; mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad, slightly longer than mesoscutum, with weak indentation anteriorly. Axillula with a sessile bidentate projection.

Propodeum with Y-shaped median propodeal strip, lightly coriaceous, other areas smooth. Spiracular elevation of propodeum weakly convex, with short projection beneath spiracle. Lateral propodeal sulcus complete, with regular carinulae. Supracoxal flange of moderate width. Spur of hind tibia slightly shorter than width of tibia.

Fore wing about 2.2 × as long as wide. CC asetose, about 7.0× as long as wide, SC with two setae on dorsal margin; MV slightly longer than CC, PMV as long as STV. Speculum open below. Apical marginal fringe slightly longer than width of PR at its widest part.

Metasomal petiole cylindrical, about 1.2 × as long as wide, with a collar, about 1.3 × as long as propodeum. Gaster slightly longer than broad, syntergum transverse, about 3.0 × as broad as long, about 1/10 of length of entire metasoma.

Male

Unknown

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

CAR.

Remarks

This species is isolated within the danielssoni group in the possession of a pale antennal scape.

Figures

Fig. 31. Xiphentedon sangha sp. nov., ♀, holotype (CAR; SAM-HYM-P067745). A–C. Habitus in dorsal view. D–E. Head in frontal (D) and dorsal (E) views. F. Mesosoma, dorso-lateral view, the axillula is arrowed.