Axea adro Valerio & Yoder

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Masner, Lubomír & Johnson, Norman F., 2009, Identity and synonymy of Dicroscelio Kieffer and description of Axea, a new genus from tropical Africa and Asia (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Platygastridae), Zootaxa 2003, pp. 1-45 : 13-15

Axea adro Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E3DB8C8B-62CA-4E10-8E18-3F8512C08611 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223463 Figures 23–28; Morphbank24

General (Figs 23, 24): Female body length: 1.8–2.1 mm (n=20). Male body length: unknown. Head: Color of female head: black. Mandible color: mostly dark brown to black. Body color of male: unknown. Lateral ocellus position: touching compound eye. Pilosity of medial frons between anterior ocellus and apex of torular triangle: absent, a small patch without setae clearly visible. Sculpture of medial glabrous area of frons: present, with horizontal to slightly arcuate striae or, if patch minute, then irregularly rugulose (Fig. 27). Mesosoma (Figs. 25, 26): Color of female mesosoma: dark brown to nearly black. Dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent to mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: with uniform microsculpture only. Setae on netrion: absent. Notaulus: indicated by a row of pits. Metascutellum: projecting, truncated throughout, roughly rectangular. Mesopleural depression sculpture: irregularly foveate, majority of fovea not transverse, fovea interspersed with nitid areas, in some individuals some fovea reduced to punctures, or mostly transversely rugulose, larger fovea absent. Pilosity bounding anterior margin of posterior mesepimeral area: completely absent, or partially present dorsally. Legs: Coxae color: yellow (as in remainder of leg). Color of

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226855 FIGURES 23–28 .25 Axea adro , paratype female (OSUC 211775). 23, dorsal habitus; 24, lateral habitus; 25, mesosoma, dorsal view; 26, mesosoma, lateral view; 27, head, anterior view; 28, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

legs beyond coxae: uniformly yellow, without infuscations. Wings: Length of fore wing: not or just reaching posterior margin of metasoma, or surpassing posterior margin of metasoma. Hind wing submarginal vein: absent to spectral everywhere but basal stub that is nebulous to tubular. Metasoma: Color of female metasoma: dark brown to nearly black, or yellow to amber or orange yellow, or light brown. Longitudinal sculpture of T1: carinate, parallel to subparallel, interspersed with fine rugulose sculpture. Female T1 horn: absent, sculpture more or less uniform throughout T1. Anterior strip of T2: punctulate. Female T6 width to http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226902 length ratio: more or less equal in length (subtriangular). Female T6 carinate basal extension of lateral spine: short, not extending past 1/2 length of T6. T6/S6 apical curvature: absent, sclerites more or less linear in lateral view, or present, tips flexed outwards in lateral view. T6 posterolateral margin: with sharp spine (Fig. 28). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

Diagnosis. Differentiated from all other species of Axea by the combination of the absence or extreme reduction of the lateral projections and associated carina of T6 (Fig. 28) and the presence of yellow legs on an otherwise brown to dark brown body (Figs. 23–24).

Etymology. Named in reference to a male god of the Lugbara people of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Link to Distribution Map. 26

Comments. Axea adro is presently the most widespread species within Africa. While there is some slight variation in the degree of development of the lateral spines on T6 the overall morphology is quite uniform throughout its range. This is the only species for which we have some information pertaining to the potential hosts of species of Axea . A long series of males collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (specimens deposited in ISNB) have labels stating "ex oothéque Phasmidae ". This record is remarkable in two ways. First, Phasmatidae do not produce oothecae. The hosts may instead be mantids, which do so. Second, all of the numerous specimens are males, suggesting perhaps that this host may not have been optimal in some way.

Material Examined. Holotype female: MALAWI: Kasungu, Mtunthama, VII–IX.1983, J. Feehan, Malaise trap, OSUC 211753 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: 49 females, 12 males. BENIN: 3 females, OSUC 167042, OSUC 211725 ( CNCI), OSUC 148188 ( OSUC). CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 3 females, OSUC 180936, OSUC 214001, OSUC 214219 ( SAMC). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: 10 males, OSUC 181956, OSUC 214371–214374, OSUC 214376–214380 ( ISNB). GABON: 4 females, OSUC 167041, OSUC 211605, OSUC 211699, OSUC 211700 ( CNCI). GUINEA-BISSAU: 1 female, OSUC 167034 ( CNCI). IVORY COAST: 7 females, OSUC 167032, OSUC 167036, OSUC 211732, OSUC 211736, OSUC 211747, OSUC 211764, OSUC 211781 ( CNCI). KENYA: 7 females, OSUC 167026, OSUC 211734, OSUC 211767, OSUC 214388, OSUC 214397 ( CNCI); OSUC 56309, OSUC 56310 ( OSUC). MALAWI: 2 females, OSUC 167076, OSUC 211724 ( CNCI). NIGERIA: 9 females, OSUC 167021, OSUC 167064, OSUC 211714, OSUC 211722, OSUC 211726, OSUC 211760, OSUC 211773, OSUC 211782 ( CNCI); OSUC 56311 ( OSUC). SOUTH AFRICA: 2 females, 1 male, OSUC 167044, OSUC 167067, OSUC 213805 ( CNCI). YEMEN: 2 females, OSUC 167069, OSUC 211776 ( CNCI). ZIMBABWE: 9 females, 1 male, OSUC 211615, OSUC 211720, OSUC 211740, OSUC 211742, OSUC 211746, OSUC 211756, OSUC 211770, OSUC 211775, OSUC 211778, OSUC 213804 ( CNCI).