Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, 2022

van Noort, Simon, Shaw, Scott Richard & Copeland, Robert S., 2022, Revision of the endemic African genus Dinapsis (Dinapsini, Megalyridae, Hymenoptera) with description of seven new species, ZooKeys 1112, pp. 27-122 : 27

Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw sp. nov.

Figs 21 , 22 , 23

Material examined.

Holotype. Tanzania • ♂; Tanga, Muheza Dist. Kwamgumi For. Res.; 4°57S 38°44E; 170-220 m a.s.l.; 9 Nov. 1995; Fog 18-CD, NHMD, Denmark; U. Copenhagen UDSM Canopy Fogging Project; S.H. McKamey et al. leg.; Dinapsis sp. ♂, Megalyridae ; IMAGED WaspWeb LAS 4.9 SAMC 2021 (yellow label) ; HOLOTYPE Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, 2022 (red label); NHMD.

Diagnosis.

Extremely stout bodied, uniquely with two sharply elongate, parallel, stout spines positioned in close apposition on hind tibial apex (Fig. 23A-F ). Head with strong coarsely foveate sculpture and massive genae. Mesosoma strongly sculptured with raised transverse mesoscutal carinae, projecting into dorsolateral teeth (Fig. 21E ).

Distribution.

(Fig. 44 ) Tanzania.

Comments.

Dinapsis spinitibia is known only from the Kwamgumi Forest Reserve.

Etymology.

This species is named after the sharply pointed, stout spines present on the apex of the hind tibia (Fig. 23A-F ). Noun in apposition.

Description.

Holotype female. Body length 3.6 mm.

Colour. Head orange-brown; mandibles grading to dark brown in apical 1/2. Mesosoma with black ground plan, dorsally diffused with small orange-brown areas on mesoscutum. Pronotum, mesopleuron and propodeum black. Metasoma light brown. Head with a covering of sparse white setae which are longer on face and frons. Scape, pedicel, F1 and basal F2 yellowish brown, F3-F12 orange-brown. Coxae and trochanters orange-brown, femora and tibiae dark orange-brown, tarsi yellowish brown. Eyes and ocelli silvery. Wing membrane clear except for two light brown pigmented patches extending partly across forewing as semi-bands.

Head oval, 1.25 × wider than high; vertex, frons, and face coarsely foveate; ocelli small, OOL 1.6 × ocellar diameter; all ocelli bounded by a partial semi-circular depression on the side facing outer edge of the triangle; ocellar triangle equilateral; eye large and slightly protuberant, medially parallel in anterior view, but diverging dorsally and ventrally; eye devoid of ocular setae; eye margined posteriorly by wide foveate groove bounded by strong carina; these carinae extend through genae to meet anteriorly above toruli; foveae absent in section of groove present on gena; genae massive; postocular orbital carina weakly present; antenna with 12 thin, elongate flagellomeres having flagellar length/width ratios as follows: F1 = 8.5 (very narrow basally), F2-F4 = 10.0, F5 = 6.7, F6-F7 = 6.4, F8 = 6.0, F9 = 7.0, F10 = 5.7, F11 = 5.2, F12 = 7.3; temple adjacent to ocular orbital carina coarsely foveate, temple large, width 1.4 × eye width in lateral view; malar length equivalent to mandible width basally; occiput largely polished between postocular carina and occipital carina; occipital carina evenly wide, crenulate.

Mesosoma. Pronotum polished, laterally excavated with a row of large oblong foveae situated posteriorly on the margin with the mesopleuron, no foveae along dorsolateral margin. Mesoscutal anterior plate polished, with a medial suture grading into a row of punctures, anterior plate with strong lateral carinae extending dorsally into two teeth-like projections; mesoscutum 0.9 × wider than long, with strong transverse carina extending into two lateral, dorsally projecting teeth; sparse, short setae; anterodorsally with two diffuse parallel orange-brown elongate patches; axillae and posterolaterally on the scutellum with diffuse orange-brown patches; medial mesoscutal furrow with jagged edges and foveae; transscutal articulation a smooth, narrow furrow, anterior edge largely straight except medially, posterior edge straight; scutoscutellar sulcus poorly defined, absent medially, laterally comprising three elongate foveae; scutellar disc strongly rugulose, with scattered erect, short white setae; mesopleuron coarsely foveate with short white setae, in posterior medial 1/2 polished area grading into striations anteriorly and abutting vertical row of foveae posteriorly, with large median mid-pit. Metanotum with raised, setose medial area flanked laterally by depression with 3-5 foveae. Propodeum medially polished with strong transverse carinae between the submedian longitudinal carinae defining the three central tracks; lateral longitudinal tracks with defined transverse carinae. All five tracks anteriorly with deep foveae.

Legs. All legs with white setae. Apex of fore and mid tibiae with comb of four or five stout spines; hind coxa shagreened, with sparse, small, white setae; hind femur stout, shagreened, 2.4 × longer than wide, with strong, long, erect white setae projecting from dorsal and ventral margin, outer surface of hind femur sparsely, covered with short, erect, white setae; inner surface of hind femur polished with very short setae; surface of hind tibia rugulose, with two sharp stout, but elongate black (grading to white apically) spines, in close apposition, projecting from dorsoapical margin (almost as long as basitarsus 0.83 ×); two hind tibial spurs strong, curved, longitudinally striate with minute setae; hind tibia with long, erect, white setae dorsally and ventrally, shorter setae laterally; dorsal setae lacking spatulate tips; inner ventral margin of hind tibia with a dense longitudinal patch of shorter white setae; hind basitarsus long, 1.4 × length of remaining four tarsomeres combined; basitarsus ventrally with dense preening brush consisting of numerous short, white setae, inclined posteriorly; basitarsus dorsally with two or three strong, long, erect white setae, lacking spatulate tips; T2 and T3 slightly longer than wide, T4 ca. as long as wide, T5 3.4 × as long as wide; all tarsomeres with normal small hair-like setae; tarsal claw simple, weakly curved.

Wings. Forewing length 3.15 mm, 3.3 × longer than wide; wing basally with cells R and 1A largely devoid of setae, but with widely spaced strong erect setae projecting from surrounding veins; remaining wing surface evenly, but sparsely covered with small, scattered setae; basally and medially with scattered stronger, short setae; wing clear, with two light brown pigmented patches, positioned in two vertical semi-bands. Basal wing band narrowest dorsally, covering basal 1/10 of cell 1M, posterior 1/5 of cell R, and anterior 1/8 of cell 1Cu, extending ventrally to wing margin, diffusely covering basal 1/2 of cell 2CU and all of 3A, both of which are hardly demarcated by ephemeral veins; apical wing band reduced to two patches; dorsal patch starting at base of pterostigma, and anterior end of 1R1, extending apically to cover basal posterior quarter of marginal cell 2R1, ventrally to cover almost entire cell 1+2RS, ventrally wider and more diffuse; ventral patch starting below vein M and extending to but not reaching posterior margin of wing; forewing venation with vein Rs apically curving abruptly towards anterior wing margin to form short, truncate marginal cell 2R1; apical segment of vein M long, extending beyond apex of marginal cell, vein M with small white bulla 1/3 of vein length. Hind wing with apical stub of vein Rs 2/3 of shortest width between the propodeal submedian longitudinal carinae.

Metasoma in dorsal view 1.3 × as long as wide, with seven dorsally visible terga, all polished, with row of long erect, white setae, terminally with white setae in dense patch; pygostyles long (as long as hind tarsus 2), elongate, projecting.

Figures

Figure 21. Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov. holotype female (NHMD) A habitus, lateral view B habitus, dorsal view C head, mesosoma, lateral view D head, mesosoma, dorsal view E head, mesosoma, dorsolateral view F habitus, ventral view. Scale bars: 500 µm (A-D, F); 200 µm (E).

Figure 22. Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov. holotype female (NHMD) A head, anterior view B head, ventrolateral view C head, mesoscutum, dorsal view D head, mesoscutum, dorso-anterior view E propodeum, metasoma, dorsal view F wings, dorsal view. Scale bars: 200 µm (A-D); 500 µm (E, F).

Figure 23. Dinapsis spinitibia van Noort & Shaw, sp. nov. holotype female (NHMD) A hind leg, antiaxial view B tibial spines, lateral view C tibial spines, basitarsus, antiaxial view D tibial spines, basitarsus, axial view E habitus, lateral view (specimen in ethanol prior to being mounted) F hind leg antiaxial view (specimen in ethanol prior to being mounted). Scale bars: 200 µm (A, B, D); 100 µm (C).

Figure 44. Distribution map of Dinapsis species occurring on the African mainland (specimen point data plotted on a topographical relief map).