Ceraphron banda, 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 : 141-144

Ceraphron banda sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1408B925-3F3B-4FF7-989E-6BBCC523A984

Fig. 39

Diagnosis

OOL:POL 1.41–2.27 (1.41); OOL:LOL 1.56–2.27 (1.56); OOL 1.56–1.88 × (1.56) lateral ocellus diameter. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.42; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, convex and diverging distolaterally in middle third, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third, apex of harpe pointed, oriented distolaterally; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially; harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical half; longest apical setae more than half as long as harpe; aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex in lateral parts; harpe with at least five median setae restricted to apical quarter.

Etymology

The species is named after the Banda, a traditional round and grass-thatched African house. Bandas can be used for accommodation in Kakamega Forest.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036879 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′10.6 N, 34°51′48.7 E; 1676 m a.s.l.; 19 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 4; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036842 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′10.6 N, 34°51′48.7 E; 1676 m a.s.l.; 26 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 4; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036843 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00036844 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 16 Aug. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036845 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.95–1.06 mm (0.95 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown except anterior third lighter; scape, pedicel and flagellum light brown; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa light brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.6× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.0× as long as wide, F1 1.5× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.5 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.11–1.21× (1.11) head height; head width 1.92–2.22 × (2.22) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.24–1.29× (1.24) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.55–1.77 × (1.77) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.44– 0.71:0.44–0.64 (1.00:0.71:0.64); OOL 1.56–1.88 × (1.56) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.99–1.04× (1.02) mesosoma width; Weber length 338–372 µm (350 µm); mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus present (= scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.74–1.88 × (1.83) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.35–1.46 × (1.35) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.52–1.63× (1.57) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.09–1.16 × (1.16) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.32–1.35 × (1.33) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.53–1.56 × (1.56) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt and lighter end; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb indistinct. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.70–2.90 × (2.90) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 169–175 µm (175 µm); Weber length 1.96–2.20 × (2.00) genital length; gvc width 75–78 µm (78 µm); genital length 2.20–2.25 × (2.24) gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.39 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly concave; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex in lateral parts ( Fig. 39C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 39A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 39B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc strongly descending ventrally ( Fig. 39B ). Harpe trapezoidal in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.42; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 39A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin convex, ( Fig. 39B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at apex of harpe ( Fig. 39A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, convex and diverging distolaterally in middle third, straight and diverging distolaterally in apical third ( Fig. 39C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 39A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae more than half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae more than half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least five median setae restricted to apical quarter, longest median setae one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 39A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The proximal third of the metacoxa is brown in ZFMK-HYM-00036845 and the end of the anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is slightly bifurcated in ZFMK- HYM-00036843.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron banda sp. nov. and C. kakamegaensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by body colour (a bit darker in C. kakamegaensis ), and by the following differences in the male genitalia: the genital length to gvc width ratio is lower in C. banda (2.20–2.25) than in C. kakamegaensis (2.54–2.67) and the harpe/ gvc index is higher in C. banda (0.42) than in C. kakamegaensis (0.32). The Weber length to genital length ratio is lower in C. kakamegaensis (1.70–1.82) than in C. banda (1.96–2.20). Most strikingly, the setal arrangement on the harpes differs in number and relative length. The harpe of C. banda seem to be open on the ventral side and therefore it looks less sclerotized than in C. kakamegaensis .

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. isecheno sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left F9 and the left hind wing are missing. The left middle leg (except coxa) and the right fore wing are detached.

Figures

Fig. 39. Holotype of Ceraphron banda sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036879). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.