Synopeas anunu Awad, 2021

Awad, Jessica, Bremer, Jonathan S., Butterill, Philip T., Moore, Matthew R. & Talamas, Elijah J., 2021, A taxonomic treatment of Synopeas Foerster (Platygastridae, Platygastrinae) from the island of New Guinea, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 87, pp. 5-65 : 5

Synopeas anunu Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.3-1.9 mm. Body color: black. Color of legs: coxae brown, otherwise yellow to brown. Color of mesoscutellar spine: concolorous with mesoscutellar disc.

Head. Shape of head in anterior view: distinctly ovoid. Central keel: partial. Sculpture on frons: rugose macrosculpture. Epitorular sculpture: rugose. Number of clypeal setae: 4. Length of median pair of clypeal setae: longer than lateral pair. Arrangement of clypeal setae: medial setae closer to each other than to lateral setae. Shape of mandible: bidentate. Distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (OOL): approximately 1 ocellar diameter; greater than 1 ocellar diameter. Hyperoccipital carina: absent.

Mesosoma. Epomial carina: present, complete or nearly so. Microsculpture of lateral pronotum: present dorsally, absent ventrally. Lateral pronotal sculpture coverage: 1/4 to 1/2. Mesoscutellar spine: long and thick. Mesoscutellar spine in lateral view: pointing posteriorly. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: pointed dorsally and ventrally. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: distinctly grooved. Parapsidal lines: marked by absence of sculpture. Setation of mesoscutum: sparse. Mesoscutal lamella: truncate, with striate sculpture. Setation of mesoscutellum: present lateral to striate sculpture.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: narrow band at posterior margin. Sculpture of T2: microsculpture present in patch at posterior margin, not extending to posterolateral corners. Length of T2: shorter than mesosoma.

Wing. Length of setae on disc of forewing: shorter than distance between setal bases. Density of setae on disc of forewing: moderately dense. Arrangement of setae on disc of forewing: setose distally, glabrous proximally. Forewing marginal setae: setae on posterior margin distinctly longer than setae on anterior margin.

Diagnosis.

The head of this species is mostly covered in rugose macrosculpture and the notauli are distinctly grooved, characters which it shares with S. klingunculum . The mesoscutellar spine of S. anunu is long and thick, with its length more than twice the thickness at its midpoint (Fig. 13B ). Synopeas klingunculum has a mesoscutellar spine that is more wart-shaped, with the length only slightly greater than its thickness in lateral view (Fig. 13A ). The sculpture of the lateral pronotum in S. klingunculum is present dorsally and absent ventrally, with a smooth band anterior to the tegula. This smooth band is lacking in S. anunu . Additionally, the epomial carina of S. klingunculum terminates posteriorly in a pit, while that of S. anunu does not.

Comments.

The central keel is variable and difficult to discern due to the sculpture of the frons. The keel is present ventrally, and occasionally also present dorsally, just ventral to the median ocellus.

Etymology.

The epithet " Synopeas anunu " is Manam for “shadow” ( Osmond and Ross 2016). It is applied to this species because it resembles S. klingunculum , being distinguishable based on the silhouette or shadow of the mesoscutellar spine. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Plant associations.

Reared from a vein swelling gall on Nauclea sp. ( Rubiaceae ) [GALL217].

Material examined.

Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 30.XI.2010, Philip Butterill leg., Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00090255) . Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: 1♀ 1♂, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 30.XI.2010, Philip Butterill leg., Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00094589-00094590) .

Figures

Figure 13. Mesoscutellar spine A S. klingunculum (FSCA 00000376) B S. anunu (FSCA 00090255). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.