Axea talana 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 : 34-35

Axea talana Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:666B735F-FBA1-47D5-97DD-68745B7324F9 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223469 Figures 95–100; Morphbank58

General (Figs. 95, 96): Female body length: 2.2 mm (n=1). 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: absent, area more or less smooth throughout (Fig. 99). Mesosoma (Figs. 97, 98): Color of female mesosoma: black. Dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent to mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: with conspicuous crenulations or scrobes. Setae on netrion: absent. Notaulus: indicated by a row of pits. Metascutellum: projecting, broadly bilobed. Mesopleural depression sculpture: irregularly foveate, fovea frequently somewhat elongate. Pilosity bounding anterior margin of posterior mesepimeral area: present along full length of margin, completely absent, or partially present dorsally. Legs: Coxae color: brown to dark brown (contrasting remainder of leg which is yellow). Color of legs beyond coxae: femur light to dark brown with base and tip lighter, yellowish, remaining yellow. Wings: Length of fore wing: not or just reaching posterior margin of metasoma, 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. Longitudinal sculpture of T1: carinate, parallel to subparallel, interspersed with fine rugulose sculpture. Female T1 horn: present, a large nitid area at apex. 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. T6 posterolateral margin: without short spine or carinate expansion absent or apparently so (Fig. 100). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

Diagnosis. Differs from all other species by the very strongly developed T1 horn and the absence of sculpture dorsally on T1 (Fig. 97).

Etymology. The specific epithet is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Link to Distribution Map. 59

Material Examined. Holotype female: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Sangha-Mbaéré Préf. Écon., Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, 03°02.01'N 16°24.57'E, 510 m, CAR 01-M03, lowland rainforest/marsh

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223471 http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226875

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223469 clearing, Mabéa Bai, 21.4 km (53°) NE Bayanga, 1–2.V.2001, Malaise trap, S. van Noort, OSUC 176080 (deposited in SAMC). Paratypes: 1 female. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: OSUC 244015 ( SAMC).

FIGURES 95–100. 60 Axea talana , holotype female ( OSUC 176080). 95, dorsal habitus; 96, lateral habitus; 97, mesosoma and base of metasoma, dorsal view; 98, mesosoma, lateral view; 99, head, anterior view; 100, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226914