Axea dorothae 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 : 20-22

Axea dorothae Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:87EFE6EE-82DA-489F-84D4-CFA0CF169A05 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223425 Figures 47–52; Morphbank34

General (Figs. 47, 48): Female body length: 2.0– 2.3 mm (n=20). Male body length: unknown. Head: Color of female head: dark brown to nearly black. Mandible color: mostly yellow to amber or orange yellow. 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. 51). Mesosoma (Figs. 49, 50): Color of female mesosoma: yellow to amber or orange yellow. Dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent to mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: with conspicuous crenulations or scrobes. Setae on netrion: present. Notaulus: indicated by a row of pits. Metascutellum: projecting, truncated throughout, roughly rectangular. Mesopleural depression sculpture: rugose, rugae broad and smooth. Pilosity bounding anterior margin of posterior mesepimeral area: present along full length of margin. Legs: Coxae color: yellow (as in remainder of leg). Color of legs beyond coxae: uniformly yellow, without infuscations. Wings: Length of fore wing: 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: 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 length ratio: wider than long (striplike). Female T6 carinate basal extension of lateral spine: absent. T6/S6 apical curvature: absent, sclerites more or less linear in lateral view or present, tips flexed outwards in lateral view. T6 posterolateral margin: without short spine or carinate expansion absent or apparently so (Fig. 52). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

Diagnosis. Differs from all other species of Axea by the combination of the extremely reduced or absent spines on lateral T6, the color pattern of black head, yellow to amber mesosoma and light brown metasoma, and the relatively long fore wings.

Etymology. Named in honor of the collector, Dorothy Jackson.

Link to Distribution Map.35

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=234167 http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226859

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223425 Comments. This species was first recognized and delimited by LM. While A. dorothae is remarkable for the relative length of the fore wing we noted wing length variation in a number of species including A. adro , A. yurugu , A. talana , A. atai , and A. fisherhala .

FIGURES 47–52 .36 Axea dorothae , paratype female (OSUC 211749). 47, dorsal habitus; 48, lateral habitus; 49, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 50, head and mesosoma, lateral view; 51, head, anterior view; 52, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226906 FIGURES 53–58 .37 Axea eshu , holotype male (OSUC 167023). 53, dorsal habitus; 54, lateral habitus; 55, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 56, head and mesosoma, lateral view; 57, head, anterior view; 58, lateral ocellus, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

Material Examined. Holotype female: CAMEROON: Nkoemvom, 02.X.1979, D. Jackson, Malaise trap, OSUC 211800 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: 21 females. CAMEROON: 19 females, OSUC 211800, OSUC 167025, OSUC 211707, OSUC 211708, OSUC 211709, OSUC 211710, OSUC 211711, OSUC 211712, OSUC 211713, OSUC 211737, OSUC 211744, OSUC 211748, OSUC 211749, OSUC 211754, OSUC 211755, OSUC 211768, OSUC 211779, OSUC 211784, OSUC 211785 ( CNCI). CENTRAL

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226907 AFRICAN REPUBLIC: 2 females, OSUC 211730, 213980 ( SAMC).