Xiphentedon wieringai, 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 : 53-58

Xiphentedon wieringai sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C46D749F-7576-428D-8EBA-583041ED6314

Figs 26–28

Diagnosis

As for the group and also: entire antenna dark, head dorsally slightly more than 2.0 × as wide as long, ocelli larger than in X. danielssoni comb. nov. ( Fig. 27A ); interantennal space without a process ( Fig. 27C, F ); gena considerably bulging ( Fig. 27C, F ) fore tibiae with two stripes, femora dark, mid and hind tibiae dark only basally ( Fig. 26A–C ) or entirely pale ( Fig. 26D ), just tips of tibiae, femora and two basal tarsomeres paler; axillular projection bidentate ( Fig. 28 ); median propodeal strip Y-shaped, lightly coriaceous, with fine carinulae ( Figs 26E , 27D , 28A, C ); metasomal petiole about 2.0× as long as wide ( Figs 26E , 27D , 28A ); CC asetose; without setae on ventral margin; WIP with broad red field along apical margin followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 26B ).

Female

Pedicel plus flagellum about 2.0 × as long as scape, nearly evenly wide, with narrow thin ‘neck’; flagellars short, robust, connected by long peduncles ( Fig. 27B ); spur of hind tibia 1.2 × width of tibia; gaster about as long as wide, syntergum strongly transverse ( Fig. 26B ).

Etymology

The species is named in honour of the collector, Jan Wieringa, who contributed much to our understanding of the African flora and entomofauna. The species epithet is a Latin noun in the genitive case, not changing with the gender of the genus.

Type material examined

Holotype

GABON • ♀; Tchimbélé, Woleu-Ntem, Monts de Cristal ; 0°37′ N, 10°24′ E; 600 m a.s.l.; 24 Jan. 1990; J. Wieringa leg.; piége malaise [Malaise trap]; RMNH.

Paratypes

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC • 1 ♀; Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki , 38.6 km 173° S of Lidjombo; 2º21.60′ N, 16º03.20′ E; 350 m a.s.l.; 22 May 2001; S. van Noort leg.; sweep; lowland rainforest; CAR01-S236; SAM-HYM P067747 ; SAMC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; CAR01-S218, SAM-HYM P065300 ; SAMC • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 23 May 2001; CAR01-S266; SAM-HYM P067746 ; SAMC .

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♀; Tshopo Province, Kisangani Region, Yoko Forest Reserve , Block B; 4 Feb. 2013; A. Gumovsky leg.; extraction from debris in a sweep net; SIZK .

Other material examined

IVORY COAST • 1 ♀ (mentioned below as FCI, i.e., “Female from Côte d’Ivoire ”); Lamto; 23 May 1986; J.-Y. Rasplus leg.; fauchage [sweeping]; CBGP .

Description

Female

Length 1.38 (FCI) to 2.0 (holotype) mm. Body dark with blue or green tint, face with weak golden (holotype) or blue (FCI) tint; trochanters pale, all femora dark metallic, fore tibia with two pale stripes; mid and hind tibiae slightly darkened proximally or entirely pale ( CAR), if the tibiae somewhat darkened, then mid and hind tibiae dark on their proximal ¼ (holotype) or in ⅔ (FCI); fore tarsi brown, mid and hind basitarsi paler than following tarsal segments (holotype) or just pretarsi of mid and hind legs darker than preceding tarsomeres; antenna entirely dark; wings transparent, venation pale brown; OMA dark in most specimens, but pale in SAM-HYM-P067746 from CAR (SAMC).

Head in dorsal view slightly more than 2.0× as broad as long; ocelli large, MDO: OOL: OCL in ratio 41: 29: 23 (holotype) or 40:30:30 (FCI); POL 2.2 × (FCI) – 2.5× (holotype) OOL. Occipital margin marked off by sharp carina extending laterally into small projections. Dorsal surface of head evenly reticulate. Eye and occiput moderately pubescent.

Head in frontal view about 1.3 × as wide as high. Frons with very lightly reticulate area just above bifurcation of frontal sutures. Eye height and interocular distance in ratio 23: 17 (holotype) or 21: 17 (FCI). Eye densely pubescent, about 4.5× malar space. Face with slightly raised border along eye margin, and with row of setae along this border. Surface between scrobal depressions just slightly raised, without process. Width of oral fossa slightly more than 2.0 × (holotype) or about 2.5× (FCI) as long as malar space. Gena curved with traced callus below eye. Distance between lower eye margin and antennal torulus as long as or slightly longer than major diameter of torulus.

Antennal scape about 3.3× as long as wide, 0.5–0.6× eye height, with basal part expanded but apex narrow; combined length of pedicel and flagellum 0.8× width of head and about as long as antennal scape; pedicel 1.6 × as long as wide, 0.8× F1, which is about 2.0 ×, F2 1.7×, F3 about 1.6× as long as wide in holotype; F1 and F2 about 1.2–1.3× as long as wide, F3 as long as wide in FCI. Clava two-segmented, about 2.0× (holotype) as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma 1.4× (FCI) – 1.6× (holotype) as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate. Prosternum with notable protruding flange, propleuron with lateral posterior inflation visible as a narrow flange. Mesoscutum 2.0× as broad as long. Mesoscutellum 1.3×as long as wide and 1.3 × as long as mesoscutum. Axillula with a bidentate projection.

Propodeum with trapeziform (Y-shaped) median strip delimited by two submedian carinae which somewhat diverge anteriorly. Surface of median strip with irregular carinulae (holotype) or with tiny longitudinal carinula interrupted anteriorly by a transverse carinula (FCI). Posterior part of median strip with another transverse carinula continued to the exterior. Submedian areas of propodeum nearly smooth, poorly convex. Spiracular elevation of propodeum weakly convex, with short sharp tubercle posteriad, lateral propodeal sulcus complete; supracoxal flange wide (holotype) or moderate (FCI). Spur of hind tibia as wide as width of tibia.

Fore wing nearly 2.0× as long as wide, CC asetose, slightly more than 7.0 × as long as wide, SC with two dorsal setae; MV 1.3–1.4× as long as (holotype, paratypes) or just slightly longer than (FCI) CC, PMV as long as STV; speculum open below; apical marginal fringe slightly longer than width of PR in its widest part.

Metasomal petiole 2.0 × as long as wide. Gaster about as long as wide, syntergum strongly transverse.

Male

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

Gabon, Ivory Coast, CAR, DRC.

Remarks

This species is very similar to X. danielssoni comb. nov., but differs mainly in having the interantennal space without an acute process (the process is distinct in X. danielssoni ). The FCI differs from the holotype in size and some characters. The main difference between them is the sculpture of the propodeal median strip: irregular carinula in the holotype, and the single thin longitudinal carinula interrupted anteriorly by the transverse carinulae in FCI. The other differences concern the coloration of the mid and hind tibiae (more broadly darkened in smaller specimen, FCI), the length of the metasomal petiole (shorter in FCI), the length of the flagellar segments (shorter in FCI) and the width of the mesoscutum (slightly wider in FCI). The difference in the sculpture of the propodeal median strip is likely associated with size variation (a similar variation is mentioned below for X. forceps sp. nov.). However, I consider a low, but reasonable possibility that the smaller specimen (FCI) is not conspecific; thus, it is not included in the type material.

Figures

Fig. 26. Xiphentedon wieringai sp. nov. A–B. ♀, holotype (Gabon; RMNH). C–F. ♀, paratypes (CAR; SAMC). A–D. Habitus in lateral (A, D), dorsal (B) and dorso-lateral (C) views. E. Propodeum. F. Mesosoma in dorso-lateral view; the axillula is arrowed.

Fig. 27. Xiphentedon wieringai sp. nov., ♀, holotype (Gabon; RMNH). A, C, F. Head in dorsal (A) and frontal (C, F) views. B. Head, mesosoma and anterior part of metasoma. D. Propodeum and petiole. E. Mesosoma, ventral view. The flange on the arc of the prosternum is arrowed in E–F.

Fig. 28. Xiphentedon wieringai sp. nov. A–B. ♀, holotype (Gabon; RMNH). C–D. ♀, ‘FCI’ specimen (CBGP). A, C. Propodeum (arrows indicate axillula). B, D. Axillula.