Synopeas occultum 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 occultum Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.1-1.5mm. 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: slightly ovoid. Central keel: absent. Sculpture on frons: reticulate microsculpture. Epitorular sculpture: reticulate microsculpture. 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): less than 1 ocellar diameter. Lateral ocellar depression: present laterally. Hyperoccipital carina: complete. Hyperoccipital carina strength: uniformly robust. Distance between lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina: less than 1 ocellar diameter.

Mesosoma. Epomial carina: present, complete or nearly so. Microsculpture of lateral pronotum: present dorsally, absent ventrally. Lateral pronotal sculpture coverage: 1/2 to 2/3. Mesoscutellar spine: short and pointed. Mesoscutellar spine in lateral view: pointing posteriorly. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: pointed ventrally. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: unmarked or faintly suggested. Parapsidal lines: very faint. Setation of mesoscutum: sparse. Mesoscutal lamella: short, projecting less than its width beyond margin. Setation of mesoscutellum: laterally dense, medially sparse.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: present at posterior margin and in posterolateral corners. Sculpture of T2: narrow transverse band of microsculpture at posterior margin. Length of T2: approximately as long as mesosoma.

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

Diagnosis.

Synopeas occultum has a short, pointed scutellar spine and a robust, complete hyperoccipital carina. It may be distinguished from similar-looking species by the patch of microsculpture on posterior and posterolateral S2 (Fig. 6B ). It resembles S. sanga , but differs in the length of T2, which is much more elongate in S. occultum (compare Figs 35 and 41 ). Additionally, S. sanga has a long patch of microsculpture at the dorsal margin of T2, which in S. occultum is much shorter (Fig. 7 ).

Etymology.

The epithet " Synopeas occultum " is Latin for “hidden”. It is applied to this species because it was not initially recognized from morphology alone, and its hidden identity was revealed by DNA barcoding.

Plant associations.

Reared from nodule-like galls on Cypholophus friesianus ( Urticaceae ) [GALL266].

Material examined.

Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 24.V.2012, Philip Butterill leg., Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090403) . Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: ♀ 4♂, Morobe, Yawan , 04.X.2010, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090435, 00094460-00094463) ; 3♂, Morobe, Yawan , 07.X.2010, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090436, 00094464-00094465) ; ♂, Morobe, Yawan , 29.XI.2010, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090433) ; ♀, Morobe, Yawan , 24.V.2012, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00094493) .

Figures

Figure 6. Sculpture of metasomal sternite 2 A S. sanga (FSCA 00000399) B S. occultum (FSCA 00090403) C S. roncavei (FSCA 00090249) D S. kira (FSCA 00000398) E S. codex (FSCA 00034030) F S. luli (FSCA 00090412). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.

Figure 7. Sculpture of metasomal tergite 2 A S. sanga (FSCA 00094615) B S. occultum (FSCA 00094465) C S. kira (FSCA 00090258) D S. klingunculum (FSCA 00000411). Scale bar: 0.2 mm.

Figure 35. Synopeas occultum (female holotype; FSCA 00090403) A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C ventral habitus.

Figure 41. Synopeas sanga (female holotype; FSCA 00000399) A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C ventral habitus.