Gonatopus chiruanus, Olmi & Guglielmino & Natha & Alfredo, 2012

Olmi, Massimo, Guglielmino, Adalgisa, Natha, Sultan Adamo & Alfredo, Alberto Albino Nota, 2012, A catalogue of Dryinidae of Mozambique, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), African Invertebrates 53 (2), pp. 715-715 : 718-721

Gonatopus chiruanus sp. n.

Figs 2 , 3

Etymology: This species is named after Chirua Lake, on the banks of which it was collected.

Description:

Male.

Fully winged; length 1.9 mm. Head black, except mandible testaceous; antenna brown; mesosoma, metasoma and legs black. Antenna hairy, filiform; antennal segments in the following proportions: 4:4:5:5:5:5:5:4:4:7; antennal segment 3 less than 3 times as long as broad (5:2). Head dull, hairy, granulated; frontal line complete; occipital carina absent; POL = 4; OL = 2; OOL = 4; greatest breadth of posterior ocelli about as long as OL. Vertex of head with two oval, smooth, granulated areas situated between posterior ocelli and compound eyes and surrounded anteriorly by very high carina and posteriorly by lower carina not continuing on temples and behind ocellar triangle. Temple distinct, granulated, not crossed by carina. Palpal formula: 4/2. Scutum dull, granulated. Notauli complete, posteriorly separated; minimum distance between notauli about half as long as greatest width of posterior ocelli. Scutellum and metanotum shiny, smooth, punctate, without sculpture among punctae. Propodeum dull, weakly reticulate rugose, with small areolae; dorsal surface with median longitudinal furrow; posterior surface without longitudinal or transverse keels. Forewing hyaline, without dark transverse bands, and with only costal cell surrounded by strongly pigmented veins; marginal cell open; stigmal vein regularly curved, with distal part longer than proximal part. Dorsal process of paramere absent; paramere with an inner membranous band along the entire length ( Fig. 2 ). Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

Female.

Apterous; length 3.1–3.9 mm (holotype 3.4 mm). Head black, except mandible, clypeus, anterior region of face (more along orbits) and part of ventral side testaceous; antenna brown, except segment 1 testaceous; prothorax black, except posterior margin of pronotum testaceous; scutum dark testaceous, except anterior and posterior margin black; rest of mesosoma black; metasoma brown; foreleg brown, except tarsus testaceous; mid- and hindleg brown, except tarsal segments 1–4 testaceous. Antenna clavate; antennal segments in the following proportions: 8:6:16:15:14:12:10:9:7:8. Head excavated, dull, granulated; frontal line incomplete, absent on anterior third of face; occipital carina absent; temple prominent, granulated and crossed by longitudinal keel; POL = 1; OL = 1; OOL = 7; greatest breadth of posterior ocelli about as long as POL. Palpal formula: 4/2. Pronotum crossed by strong transverse impression, granulated. Scutum very long, about 4 times as long as broad, dull, granulated. Scutellum hardly visible, dull, granulated. Stalk between pronotum and metanotum composed of scutum + scutellum, more than 4 times as long as broad (19:4). Metanotum very long, granulated, not transversely striate, not hollow behind scutellum. Metathorax + propodeum dull, completely granulated, with posterior surface not transversely striate. Mesopleura and metapleura granulated, not transversely striate. Meso-metapleural suture distinct and complete. Protarsal segments in the following proportions: 13:2.5:4:14:21. Enlarged claw ( Fig. 3 ) with small subapical tooth and one row of five peg-like hairs + one normal hair. Segment 5 of protarsus ( Fig. 3 ) with one row of 10–14 lamellae (10 in holotype); distal apex with about 10 lamellae. Tibial spurs 1/0/1.

Holotype: ♀ “ MOZAMBIQUE: Niassa: Mecanhelas District, Entre-Lagos, Lake Chirua bank in front of Railway Station , 14°58'S 35°53'E, C. 6.iii.2011, B. 9.iii.2011, E. 22.iv.2011, reared from a nymph of Nicolaus attenuatus Stiller, M. Olmi and A. Nota ”; [in red] “ Gonatopus chiruanus sp. n. M. Olmi det. 2011 ♀ ” ( OLM).

Paratypes: same data as holotype: 1♀, C. 13.iii.2011 , B. 15.iii.2011, E. 12.v.2011 ( OLM); 1♀, C. 13.iii.2011 , B. 14.iii.2011, E. 14.v.2011 ( OLM); 1♀, C. 13.iii.2011 , B. 15.iii.2011, E. 15.v.2011 ( OLM); 1♀, C. 13.iii.2011 , B. 16.iii.2011, E. 15.v.2011 ( OLM); 1♂, C. 13.iii.2011 , B. 14.iii.2011, E. 14.v.2011 ( OLM) .

Hosts: Nicolaus attenuatus Stiller (Cicadellidae) .

Comments: Because of the strong pronotal transverse furrow, the palpal formula 4/2 and the small subapical tooth of the enlarged claw, the female of G. chiruanus belongs to the Gonatopus incognitus group (Olmi 2007). The female of G. chiruanus is characterized by the long and slender stalk between pronotum and metathorax + propodeum and by the temple being crossed by a sharp carina. For this reason, it is very similar to G. leptothorax Ceballos, 1936 , and G. fortis Olmi, 2007 . The holotype of the new species was compared with the holotypes of G. leptothorax from Madagascar, Bekily (deposited in MNHN) and G. fortis from Namibia, 51 km S Grünau (deposited in NNIC). Following the description of G. chiruanus , the key to the females of the Afrotropical Gonatopus of incognitus group published by Olmi (1984, 2007) can be modified by replacing couplet 18 as follows:

18 Temple with a strong, sharp carina (Olmi 2007: fig. 26)....................................18'

– Temple without a sharp carina .............................................................................19

18' Posterior surface of propodeum granulated, not transversely striate; scutum very long, about 4 times as long as broad............................................. chiruanus sp. n.

– Posterior surface of propodeum transversely striate; scutum shorter, about 2–3 times as long as broad.................................................................................................. 18''

18'' Scutum very long, approximately 2.5–3.0 times as long as broad; temple rugose ............................................................................................... leptothorax Ceballos

– Scutum shorter, about twice as long as broad; temple smooth ............. fortis Olmi

Because of the complete notauli, the antennal segment 3 less than 3 times as long as broad, and the area between posterior ocelli and eyes having an ovoidal area anteriorly delimited by a strong and high carina, the males of G. chiruanus and bekilyanus are very similar to those of G. cornutus (Benoit, 1951) and G. ridens Olmi, 1984 . The main differences between these four species can be summarized as follows:

1 Dorsal process of paramere absent; paramere with an inner membranous band along the entire length ( Fig. 2 ) ............................................................... chiruanus sp. n.

– Dorsal process of paramere (Olmi 2004: fig.7; 2007: fig.25; Fig.1 ) short and slen- der, with distal apex pointed ..................................................................................2

2 Notauli posteriorly joint, or separated, but very close, with minimum distance between notauli shorter than half of posterior ocellus breadth; head and scutum dull, granulated............................................................................................. ridens Olmi

– Notauli posteriorly separated; minimum distance between notauli longer than half of posterior ocellus breadth; head and scutum dull and granulated, or shiny, punctate, without sculpture among punctae ..........................................................................3

3 Head punctate, without sculpture among punctae, with a shiny, unsculptured, ovoidal area between posterior ocelli and eyes, surrounded posteriorly by a lower carina continuing on the temples and behind the ocellar triangle (Olmi 2007: fig. 24); scutum shiny, strongly punctate, without sculpture among punctae........................ .................................................................................................... cornutus (Benoit)

– Head granulated, with a dull, granulated, ovoidal area between posterior ocelli and eyes, not surrounded posteriorly by a lower carina continuing on the temples and behind the ocellar triangle; scutum dull, granulated............... bekilyanus (Benoit)

CHECKLIST OF DRYINIDAE OF MOZAMBIQUE An asterisk indicates that specimens are known only from Mozambique. Provinces are in italics.

Figures

Figs 1, 2. Male genital armatures of (1) Gonatopus bekilyanus (Benoit) from Cuamba and (2) paratype of Gonatopus chiruanus sp. n. Left half removed. Scale bar = 0.04 mm for both figures.

Fig. 3. Chela of holotype of Gonatopus chiruanus sp. n. Scale bar = 0.1 mm.