Synopeas zhangi 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 zhangi Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.1-1.3 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: absent; partial. Sculpture on frons: reticulate microsculpture. Epitorular sculpture: minute rugulae; reticulate microsculpture. Number of clypeal setae: 4. Length of median pair of clypeal setae: longer than lateral pair. Arrangement of clypeal setae: uncertain, medial setae closer to lateral setae than to each other. Shape of mandible: unidentate. Distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (OOL): less 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: absent or inconspicuous. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: pointed dorsally and ventrally. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: unmarked or faintly suggested. Parapsidal lines: very faint. Setation of mesoscutum: sparse. Mesoscutal lamella: roughly triangular. Setation of mesoscutellum: laterally dense, medially sparse.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: narrow band at posterior margin. Sculpture of T2: absent; narrow transverse band of microsculpture at posterior margin. Length of T2: shorter than mesosoma; approximately as long as mesosoma.

Wing. Length of setae on disc of forewing: shorter than distance between setal bases. Density of setae on disc of forewing: sparse. 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.

Synopeas zhangi may be recognized by its head shape, which is distinctly wider than high, the unidentate mandible, and the absence of a hyperoccipital carina. The dorsal mesosoma is moderately convex, allowing it to be easily distinguished from an undescribed species known from a single male specimen, which has an extremely convex mesosoma.

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of the hymenopterist Yuanmeng Miles Zhang.

Plant associations.

Reared from galls on Nauclea spp. ( Rubiaceae ) [GALL218, GALL219, GALL222], Macaranga strigosa ( Euphorbiaceae ) [GALL357], Ficus adenosperma ( Moraceae ) [GALL318], and Elaeocarpus dolichostylus ( Elaeocarpaceae ) [GALL241].

Material examined.

Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 26.I.2011, Philip Butterill leg., Macaranga strigosa (FSCA 00090250) . Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 15.XI.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000367) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 16.XI.2010, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00090407) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 01.I.2011, Elaeocarpus dolichostylus (FSCA 00090422) ; ♀ 4♂, Morobe, Yawan , 24.I.2011, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00033887, 00094611-00094614) ; 3♀ 9♂, Morobe, Yawan , 25.I.2011, Nauclea tenuiflora (FSCA 00000291, 00000370-00000373, 00000383-00000384, 00033886, 00094475-00094478) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 25.I.2011, Ficus adenosperma (FSCA 00090424) ; 1♀ 4♂, Morobe, Yawan , 26.I.2011, Macaranga strigosa (FSCA 00090252, 00094472-00094473, 00094497, 00094582) ; ♀ ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 26.I.2011, Nauclea sp. 1 (FSCA 00000324, 00000353) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 08.X.2012, Nauclea tenuiflora (FSCA 00000387) .