Ifrika nyigu Colombo and Azevedo, 2023

Dondoni Colombo, Wesley & Azevedo, Celso Oliveira, 2023, Discovery of a new Afrotropical genus of flat wasps Ifrika gen. n. (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), Journal of Natural History 57 (29 - 32), pp. 1472-1494 : 1479-1481

Ifrika nyigu Colombo and Azevedo sp. n.

( Fig. 5 )

Diagnosis

This species differs from the others of the genus by having the hind wing with five distal hamuli, the genitalia with median projection wide in lateral view, narrowing apically and mediodorsal fold teardrop-shaped.

Description

Male. Body ~ 4.2 mm long. Forewing ~4.0 mm long. Antenna ~2.0 mm long. Colour. Head, clypeus and mesosoma black; antenna and mandible castaneous; palpi light castaneous to castaneous; legs light castaneous; wings subhyaline, veins and pterostigma castaneous; metasoma dark castaneous. Head. Heptagonal, about as long as wide. Mandible with four teeth, two ventral-most sharpened and larger, otherwise rounded and short, progressively increasing in length ventrad. Clypeus with median lobe rounded; median carina absent. Antenna with dense erect pubescence, about as long as half flagellomeral diameter, with some outstanding erect setae on first five flagellomeres. Vertex crest straight. Frons with small sparse punctures and coriaceous. Ocellar triangle with frontal angle obtuse, anterior ocellus almost crossing to supra-ocular line. Mesosoma . Dorsal pronotal area polished, with some irregularly sized large punctures, posterior area much wider than anterior one. Anteromesoscutum with notauli well impressed, reaching anterior margin of anteromesoscutum and reaching posterior one, weakly converging posterad. Parapsidal signums well impressed, but missing anteriorly, straight. Metascutellum polished and coriaceous, lateral margin straight, surface convex; metanotal fovea almost rectangular. Mesoscuto-scutellar sulcus straight medially. Metapectal-propodeal disc wider than long, metapostnotal median carina complete, extending posteriorly, lateral marginal carina distinguishable from background texture. Propodeal declivity irregularly alveolate. Mesopleuron with posterior oblique sulcus well delimited and deep. Wings. Hind wing with five distal hamuli. Metasoma. Hypopygium with spiculum surpassing inner membrane apically. Posterior margin strongly excavated forming two round lobes, excavation about two-fourths as long as hypopygeal plate. Genitalia. Harpe with dorsal arm 2× wider than ventral arm basally; basal appendicular process semicircular, wider than long; aedeagus subrectangular with apex as wide as base in dorsal view, dorsal valve with ventral margin apex little emarginated in lateral view, mediodorsal fold teardrop-shaped, median projection narrowing apically, laminar, dull, wide; basal cover plate heart-shaped, all margins incurved; apodeme weakly dorsally curved and almost touching basal cover plate in lateral view.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined

Type material. Holotype: male, UGANDA, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara, Makerere University Biological Field Station , 1500 m, 0°33.784 ʹ N 30°21.617 ʹ E, 2–12.viii.2008, S.van Noort, UG08-KF4-M04, Malaise trap, primary mid-altitude Rainforest ( SAM-HYM-P101786). Paratypes: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, 1 male, Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki , 38.6 km 173° S Lidjombo, 2°21.60 ʹ N 16°09.20 ʹ E, 350 m, 21– 22.v.2001, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, CAR01-M169, Lowland rainforest ( SAM-HYMP101790 ) ; 1 male, Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki , 38.6 km 173° S Lidjombo, 2°21.60 ʹ N 16°09.20 ʹ E, 350 m, 26–27.v.2001, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, CAR 01-M224, Lowland rainforest ( SAM-HYM-P101791 ) ; GABON, 1 male, Prov . OgoouéMaritime, Réserve des Monts Doudou , 25.2 km 304° NW Doussala, 2°13.63 ʹ S 10°23.67 ʹ E, 600 m, 14–15.iii.2000, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, GA00-M64, Lowland Rainforest, along stream, ( SAM-HYM-P0024147 ) ; KENYA, 1 male, Western Prov. Kakamega Forest , 0°14.13 ʹ N 34°51.8 ʹ E, 21–28.v.2000, Malaise trap, R. Copeland, ABM 32 ( NMKE) ; UGANDA, 1 male, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara, Makerere University Biological Field Station , 1498 m, 0° 33.960 ʹ N 30°21.267 ʹ E 12–26.viii.2008, S.van Noort, UG08-KF1-M11, Malaise trap, secondary mid-altitude Rainforest ( SAM-HYM-P101789 ) ; 1 male, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara, Makerere University Biological Field Station , 1587 m, 0°33.408 ʹ N 30°22.603 ʹ E, 30vii– 5viii.2005, S.van Noort, UG05-M10, Malaise trap, degraded mid-altitude Rainforest ( SAM-HYM-P101788 ) ; 1 male, Kibale National Park, Kanyawara, Makerere University Biological Field Station , 1505 m, 0°33.859 ʹ N 30°21.630 ʹ E, 31vii-3viii.2005, S.van Noort, UG05-Y33, Yellow pan trap, primary mid-altitude Rainforest ( SAM-HYM-P101787 ).

Etymology

The epithet nyigu from Kiswahili means wasp. Treat as a noun in apposition.

Variations

Some paratypes from the Central African Republic have the dorsal arm of the harpe 3× wider than ventral arm basally.

Distribution

Central African Republic, Gabon, Kenya and Uganda ( Figure 2B ).

Figures

Figure 2. Distribution of Ifrika gen. n. (A) Ifrika mnyama sp. n. (B) Ifrika nyigu sp. n. Sources: NMKE, RESOLVE Ecoregions, RQIS and SAMC.

Figure 5. Ifrika nyigu Colombo and Azevedo sp. n. (A) Head, dorsal view. (B) Mesosoma, dorsal view. (C) Hypopygium, dorsal view. (D) Genitalia, dorsal view. (E) Genitalia, ventral view. (F) Harpe, gonostipes and volsella, inner view. (G) Harpe, gonostipes and volsella, outer view. (H) Aedeagus, lateral view. (I) Harpe, lateral view. Scale bars: A, B = 0.2 mm; C–I = 0.1 mm.