Scelio bayanga Yoder

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Polaszek, Andrew, Noort, Simon van, Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2014, Monograph of the Afrotropical species of Scelio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), egg parasitoids of acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae), ZooKeys 380, pp. 1-188 : 24-25

Scelio bayanga Yoder sp. n. Figures 49-54; Morphbank 25

Description.

Female body length: 4.79 mm (n=1). Shape of compound eye: not or only slightly bulging. Color pattern of pilosity below anterior ocellus in female: predominantly white throughout. Sculpture of frons in female: reticulate rugose, rugae somewhat thickened, without dorsoventral trend. Genal carina in female: absent. Width of gena in lateral view: weakly expanded, posterior margin parallel to posterior margin of eye. Density of genal setae: moderately to highly dense, setae conspicuous. Color of genal setae: white to off-white. Sculpture of base of mandible in female: minutely reticulate. Color of A1 in female: light to dark brown throughout, or with apex and base slightly lighter, often yellowish. Color of A3 in female: brown. Sculpture of dorsal pronotal nucha in female: predominantly to completely sculptured. Color of pilosity of pronotal shoulder in female: predominantly light brown to brown. Sculpture along humeral margin of mesoscutum: well-defined throughout. Color of pilosity of mesonotum in female: predominantly light to dark brown. Transition from lateral to posterior margin of propodeum in dorsal view: forming distinct angle, corner of propodeum well defined. Shape of mesoscutum in lateral view: bulging in anterior third. Pilosity on metapleuron above hind coxa: glabrous or with few scattered setae. Form of fore wing submarginal vein in female: tubular throughout from base to costal margin. Fine pilosity of lateral T1 in female: present. Width of metasoma: very wide, width of S3> 2 times medial length. Distribution of pilosity on T2-T5 in female: more or less evenly distributed throughout. Sculpture of T3 in female: longitudinally striate laterally with prominent reticulate to rugulose elements medially. Overall sculpture of S3: with sparse, fine longitudinal carinae. Sculpture of medial S3 in female: with broadly obliterated or with distinct smooth patch.

Diagnosis.

Most similar to species that share the absence of the genal carina ( Scelio copelandi , Scelio aphares , Scelio phaeoprora , Scelio exophthalmus and Scelio mauritanicus ). Scelio bayanga differs from all these by the combination of size (larger), width of gena (very broad), and sculpture of the mesoscutum (robustly reticulate, with large cells).

Etymology.

A reference to the locality on the label of the holotype. The epithet is used as a noun in apposition.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=244948

Material examined.

Holotype, female: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Sangha-Mbaéré Préf. Écon., 21.4km (53°) NE Bayanga, Mabéa Bai, lowland rainforest / marsh clearing, CAR01-M03, 510m, 03°02.01'N, 16°24.57'E, Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, 1.V-2.V.2001, malaise trap, S. van Noort, OSUC 211845 (deposited in SAMC).

Comments.

The single known specimen is more similar in Gestalt to larger individuals of Scelio taylori which have the genal carina present.