The tetrastichine wasps (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eulophidae) associated with galls on Erythrina species (Fabaceae) in South Africa, with the description of five new species
Prinsloo, Rd. L.
Kelly, Ne. A.
Zootaxa
2009
2009-04-27
2083
1
27
45
Prinsloo & Kelly
2009
[151,387,809,835]
Insecta
Eulophidae
Aprostocetus
Animalia
Hymenoptera
14
41
Arthropoda
species
nitens
sp. nov.
Figs. 31–37. Female.Length: 1.1–1.7 mm. Colour: head and body black, shiny with a distinct dark metallic green tinge, the base of gaster broadly suffused with yellow; antenna mostly yellowish, or with flagellum a little darker in some specimens; legs yellowish save hind coxa largely black with a metallic tinge, the middle and hind coxae slightly darkened in some specimens; tarsal tips dark; wings hyaline, venation pale brown. Head ( Fig. 35) in frontal view 1.2–1.3 X as wide as high, about 1.7 X as wide as frontovertex at its narrowest; malar space 0.5–0.6 X as long as an eye, the sulcus almost straight, without a triangular fovea beneath the eye; POL 1.6–1.9 X OOL, more than 4 X OD; mandible with two teeth and a truncation; head rather densely setose as in Fig. 35, eyes naked; lower margin of the toruli a little above lower eye margins; clypeus distinctly bilobed. Antenna ( Fig 32) somewhat variable: scape approximately 3 X as long as wide, about 0.7 X the length of an eye, not reaching vertex; pedicel 1.8–2.5 X as long as wide, subequal in length to basal funicle segment; antenna with four strongly transverse anelli, the middle two distinctly shorter than the remaining two, which are about equal in size; funicle three-segmented, either with basal two segments about equal in length, each 2.0–2.6 X as long as wide and segment III a little shorter, or segment II intermediate in length between segments I and III; club as long as the distal two to two and a half funicle segments combined, 2.7–3.3 X as long as wide; basal club segment as long as wide to distinctly longer than wide, wider than apical funicle segment; apical club segment as wide as long to wider than long; apical spine distinctly shorter than length of apical club segment; sensilla sparse, the flagellum rather sparsely setose, as in Fig. 32. Mesosoma ( Fig. 34) about 1.3 X as long as broad; mesoscutum in profile slightly convex dorsally, in dorsal view gently rounded from side to side; mesoscutal midlobe about 1.2 X as wide as long with a distinct median line, with 2–3 strongly developed adnotaular setae at each side; mesoscutum with clearly discernible lineate-reticulate sculpture; scutellum strongly convex, 1.1–1.3 X wider than long with distinct submedian and sublateral lines; sculpture much as in mesoscutum; scutellum with 2 pairs of setae, anterior pair placed slightly behind mid-length of scutellum; dorsellum a narrow band, hardly convex, smooth, medially much longer than propodeum; propodeum medially very short, barely visible in some specimens, without a median and paraspiracular carinae, mostly smooth with fine, poorly defined sculptural cells; spiracles less than their own diameter from anterior propodeal margin; cali each with 3 – 4 setae. Middle leg with tibal spur slightly shorter than basitarsus. FIGURES 31–38. Aprostocetusspp.: 31–37, A. nitens sp. n.: 31, forewing, female; 32, antenna, female; 33, antenna, male; 34, mesosoma, female; 35, head, frontal view, female; 36, ovipositor and middle tibia, same scale, female; 37, male genitalia. 38, A. exertusLa Salle, female, lateral view. Forewing ( Fig. 31) 2.2–2.5 X as long as wide; costal cell 14–18 X as long as broad, about 0.75 X as long as marginal vein, with a short row of 3–4 ventral setae at distal end; submarginal vein with 2 dorsal setae; marginal vein 4.3–5.3 X as long as stigmal; postmarginal vein very short, less than 0.25 X as long as stigmal; subcubital line of setae extending basally as far as basal vein, closing speculum posteriorly; longest marginal cilia varying from 0.5 X to almost as long as longest setae on marginal vein. Metasoma with gaster (including protruding gonostyli) long, slender, about 3.5 X as long as wide, 2.5 X as long as mesosoma, tapering strongly to an acute apex; epipygium conical, at least about 1.3 X as long as wide; hypopygium extending about half way length of gaster; ovipositor, as seen in cleared slide mounted specimens ( Fig. 36), longer than gaster, 2.2–2.9 X as long as middle tibia, 2.9–3.5 X as long as gonostyli, the later very long, slender, protruding prominently caudally, more than 5 X as long as middle tibial spur. Male.Length: 0.8–1.1 mm. Colour: head and body black, shiny with a dark metallic green tinge as in female, the basal third or so of gaster white in contrast; antenna whitish or with flagellum a little darker in some specimens; plaque shiny brown in contrast, visible as a distinct dark subapical patch on ventral margin of scape; legs entirely white save dark tarsal tips; wings entirely hyaline. Differing structurally from female mainly in antenna ( Fig. 33): scape 3.0–3.4 X as long as wide with a short, strongly raised subapical plaque on ventral margin as in Fig. 33; two transverse anelli; funicle with four subequal funicle segments, each 1.4–1.7 X as long as wide; flagellar setae fairly sparse, gently curved; Genitalia as in Fig. 37.
Remarks.Some of the specimens from Tanzaniathat are listed below differ from the majority of the study material by the base of the gaster which is not palely marked and by the legs which are, besides the coxae, not entirely yellow but with the femora distinctly infuscated to a varying degree. In addition, a few Tanzanian specimens have a single dorsal seta on the submarginal vein, instead of the normal two. Since these differences were found among specimens of the same series they are attributed to intraspecific variation. Aprostocetus nitensis readily separated from A. tritus, A. exertusand the known undescribed Erythrinagall-associated Aprostocetusspeciesby the following combination of characters: body with a metallic green tinge and prominently protruding ovipositor (but not unusually long and tail-like as in A. exertus); strongly developed row of 2–3 adnotaular setae; 2 (rarely 1) dorsal setae on the submarginal vein; male antenna with 2 anelli, scape with a short, strongly raised plaque. Although Kostjukov (2004)restored the generic status of OotetrastichusPerkinswe here follow Graham (1987), La Salle (1994)and many other subsequent authors in treating this taxon as a subgenus of Aprostocetus. In so doing the subgeneric placement of A. nitensremains uncertain since it has several character states that have been attributed to either Ootetrastichusor Aprostocetus, as defined by Graham (1987)and La Salle (1994).
Type material examined. Female holotype, 39 female, 26 male paratypesas follows: SOUTH AFRICA. Limpopo Province: Blouberg NW of Polokwane, 23°04’S 28°59’E, v.2006, ex leaf galls on Erythrina lysistemon( Female holotype, 1 female; HYMC03797); Gauteng Province: Pretoria, Rietondaleexperiment farm, 25°43’S 28°14’E, ii.2006, ex leaf galls on E. lysistemon( 14 females, 14 males; HYMC05082); Pretoria, Botanical Gardens, 25°44’S 28°16’S, ii.2006, ex leaf and vein galls on E. acanthocarpa( 8 females, 7 males; HYMC03798); Mpumalanga Province: Pongola, 27°23’S 30°38’E, v.1996, from Erythrinasp.( 3 females, 5 males; HYMC02269); Western Cape province: Stellenbosch, vii.1980, ex leaf galls on E. lysistemon( 13 females; HYMC02281). Allseries collected by S. Neser. 2 female, 2 male paratypeseach: BMNH, ANIC, MNHN. Non typematerial examined. SOUTH AFRICA: Gauteng Province: Pretoria, Rietondaleexperiment farm, 25°43’S 28°14’E, xi. 2004, ex leaf galls on E. lysistemon( 14 females, 3 males; HYMC03774); same data except ii.2006( 3 females, 6 males; HYMC03790); Pretoria, Rietondaleexperiment farm, ii.1997, in inflorescens of E. humeana( 1 female, 1 male; HYMC02275); Pretoria, iii.1986, ex leaf galls on E. lysistemon( 3 females, 2 males; HYMC02284); same data except iii.1990( 2 females, 1 male; HYMC02279); Pretoria, ii.1986, ex leaf veins of E. zeyheri( 1 male; HYMC02272); Western Cape Province: Stellenbosch, xii.1975, ex leaf galls on E.? caffra( 1 female; HYMC03780); all series collected by S. Neser; KwaZulu-Natal Province: Durban, i.2006, M. Ramadan, ex leaf galls on E. lysistemon( 8 females). TANZANIA. Morogoro region, ii.2007, ex galls on Erythrina abyssinicafrom the following villages: Bwawaniand Gweta( 28 females); Arusha region, Masaicamp village, ii. 2007ex galls on E. abyssinica( 8 females); Mwanza region, Emeleia village, ii.2007, ex leaf galls on E. variegatavar. ? indica( 15 females); Iringa, i.2006, ex leaf galls on E. latissima( 2 females); all series collected by M. Ramadan; in ANIC.
2006-05
HYMC
Female
South Africa
-23.066668
Blouberg
1257
28.983334
16
43
HYMC03797
1
1
Limpopo
holotype
2006-02
HYMC
Pretoria & Botanical Gardens
South Africa
-28.266666
Rietondale
1233
28.233334
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC05082, HYMC03798
43
22
21
Gauteng
holotype
1996-05
HYMC
South Africa
-27.383333
Pongola
1237
30.633333
16
43
HYMC02269
8
3
5
Mpumalanga
holotype
1980-07
BMNH, ANIC, MNHN
All & S. Neser.
South Africa
Stellenbosch
16
43
HYMC02281
17
15
2
Western Cape
paratype
2004-11
HYMC
South Africa
-25.716667
Rietondale
1245
28.233334
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC03774
17
14
3
Gauteng
holotype
2006-02
HYMC
South Africa
-25.716667
Rietondale
1245
28.233334
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC03790
9
3
6
Gauteng
holotype
1997-02
HYMC
South Africa
Rietondale
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC02275
2
1
1
Gauteng
holotype
1986-03
HYMC
South Africa
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC02284
5
3
2
Gauteng
holotype
[591,1321,1892,1918]
1990-03
HYMC
South Africa
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC02279
3
2
1
Gauteng
holotype
1986-02
HYMC
South Africa
Pretoria
16
43
HYMC02272
1
1
Gauteng
holotype
1975-12
HYMC
South Africa
Stellenbosch
16
43
HYMC03780
1
1
Western Cape
holotype
2006-01
S. Neser & M. Ramadan
South Africa
Durban
16
43
8
8
KwaZulu-Natal
holotype
2007-02
Bwawani & Gweta
Tanzania
17
44
Morogoro region
16
43
28
28
Morogoro
holotype
[268,1232,190,216]
2007-02
Tanzania
Masai
17
44
8
8
Arusha
holotype
2007-02
Tanzania
Emeleia village
17
44
15
15
Mwanza
holotype
2006-01
ANIC
M. Ramadan
Tanzania
Iringa
17
44
2
2
Iringa
holotype