Platyscelio striga Taekul & Johnson

Taekul, Charuwat, Johnson, Norman F., Masner, Lubomir, Polaszek, Andrew & Rajmohana K.,, 2010, World species of the genus Platyscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), ZooKeys 50, pp. 97-126 : 113-115

Platyscelio striga Taekul & Johnson sp. n. Figures 61-66Morphbank36

Description. General:

Body length of male: 3.05-3.22 mm (n=2). Body length of female: 2.89-3.40 mm (n=2).

Head:

Length between anterior ocellus and posterior ocellar line in frontal view: less than 0.5 times POL. Striae within ocellar triangle: dense (greater than 20). Vertex sculpture between inner orbit and posterior ocellus: smooth or with few faint striae. Frontal sculpture between inner orbit and central keel: with few (4-5) striae, striae limited to upper half of frons. Submedial ventral area of head anterior to fossa: longitudinally striate throughout. Orbital carina: absent. Sculpture of malar region: longitudinally striate or with few faint striae.

Antenna:

Color of female antenna: A1-A7 brown, A8-A12 dark brown to black, in some antennae sequentially darker from scape to apex. Female outer lateral apex of scape: sharply pointed. Claval shape: apical margin of A9-A11 straight, antennomeres distinctly separated. Color of male antenna: dark brown to black throughout.

Mesosoma:

Sculpture on medial lobe of mesoscutum: longitudinally striate. Setation of medial lobe of mesoscutum: sparse to glabrous. Notaulus: present. Notaulus form: mesal margin arched, lateral margin straight. Length of notaulus: abbreviated, clearly not reaching anterior margin of mesoscutum. Width of notaulus anteriorly: narrowed anteriorly. Pilosity of notaulus: absent. Number of lateral carinae on mesoscutum: 2. Medial carina of mesoscutum: absent. Parapsidal line: absent or faint. Posterior scutellar sulcus: complete. Setation of posterior half of ventral metapleural area: sparse (less than 25 setae). Metascutellum size: wide, metanotum lateral to metascutellum reduced, with 0-3 foveae. Sculpture on ventral metapleural area: strongly reticulate rugose with foveolae. Median propodeal sulcus: narrow throughout length. Sculpture of submedian propodeal field: smooth throughout or with few faint striae. Posterolateral margin of propodeum: longitudinally striate laterally, rugulose posteriorly. Color of legs: coxae dark brown to black, otherwise yellow in female and brown in male.

Wings:

Postmarginal vein: absent. Fore wing: hyaline.

Metasoma:

Sculpture on T1: longitudinally striate throughout. Sublateral carina on T2-T4: absent. Sculpture on T2-T4: longitudinally striate throughout, uniformly setigerous punctate within interstices on T3-T4.

Diagnosis.

Platyscelio striga is unique in the genus in having two lateral carinae on the mesoscutum (Fig. 63), and no sublateral carinae on T2-T4 (Figs 61, 64).

Etymology.

The epithet striga, Latin for swath, refers to the distinct striae of the frons.

Link to distribution map.

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Material examined.

Holotype female: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, Cape Arid N.P., 33°31.134'S, 123°26.052'E (WDPA-UN), 30. XII– 3.I.1987, Malaise trap, J.S. Noyes, OSUC 250630 (deposited in ANIC). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 1 female, 2 males, OSUC 250629, 250631, 250632 (CNCI).