Ceraphron salazar, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 275-278

Ceraphron salazar sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:74328F6A-0F27-45F6-A522-3983F37D1489

Fig. 79

Diagnosis

Sensillae on flagellomeres distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres; preoccipital carina distinct; head width 1.06–1.18× (1.07) head height. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/ gvc index 0.43; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds; lateral margin of harpe slightly concave; genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc and apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpe; longest median setae more than three quarters as long as harpe.

Etymology

The species is named after the Salazar Circuit which is part of a hiking trail in the Kakamega Forest and close to the type locality.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36.1 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036886 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389022 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′21.1 N, 34°51′44.9 E; 1632 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 16; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK- HYM-00036901 ) • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′52.3 N, 34°52′5.3 E; 1607 m a.s.l.; 14 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036907 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 21 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036908 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°12′42.6 N, 34°55′52.3 E; 1615 m a.s.l.; 10 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 20; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00036902 ) • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 16 Aug. 2007; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389023 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00793 , SMNS-HYM-T00794 • 5 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036887, ZFMK-HYM-00036888, ZFMK-HYM-00036900, ZFMK-HYM-00036903, ZFMK-HYM-00036904 • 3 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′45.7 N, 34°52′2.8 E; 1573 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 21; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036889, ZFMK-HYM-00036905, ZFMK-HYM-00036906 .

Description

Male (N = 4 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.84–1.35 mm (1.21 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa brown and proximal quarter of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.8× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.2× as long as wide, F1 1.7× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.8 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and distinctly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.06–1.18 × (1.07) head height; head width 1.81–1.97 × (1.97) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.25–1.41× (1.39) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.60–1.77 × (1.72) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.36– 0.50:0.45–0.63 (1.00:0.50:0.45); OOL 1.83–2.20× (2.20) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.97–1.09× (0.97) mesosoma width; Weber length 331–400 µm (400 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.79–1.88 × (1.79) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.40–1.57 × (1.54) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.52–1.74× (1.57) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.02–1.10 × (1.02) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.24–1.38 × (1.28) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.38–1.66 × (1.45) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt, lighter and bifurcated end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least seven distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.97–3.27× (2.97) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 116–141 µm (141 µm); Weber length 2.84–3.15 × (2.84) genital length; gvc width 50–66 µm (66 µm); genital length 2.05–2.31 × (2.14) gvc width; gvc width two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.35 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 79C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 79A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 79B ), slightly indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc ascending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc slightly descending ventrally ( Fig. 79B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.43; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 79A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin slightly convex ( Fig. 79B ), lateral margin slightly concave, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 79A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in basal third, slightly concave and slightly diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds ( Fig. 79C ), apex of harpe pointed ( Fig. 79A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae one third as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae two thirds as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least five median setae, longest median setae more than three quarters as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 79A, C ) and as ventral as apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc and apical aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The number of longitudinal carinae on the syntergum varies between at least seven (ZFMK- HYM-00036886) and at least ten (ZFMK-HYM-00036889). A pair of translucent patches are present on the metasomal syntergum in ZFMK-HYM-00036887 and ZFMK-HYM-00036889. Multiporous plates on the flagellomeres are larger in ZFMK-HYM-00036889.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

See remarks under C. tenuimeris sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the posterior third of the metasoma is detached, thus the body length measurement in not precise.

Figures

Fig. 79. Holotype of Ceraphron salazar sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036886). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.