Axea yasigi 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 : 37-39

Axea yasigi Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8E51DDA5-60FA-46BE-AE0A-72923A90BA9F urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223464 Figures 21, 107–112; Morphbank64

General (Figs. 107, 108): Female body length: 2.2–3.2 mm (n=19). Male body length: 2.4–2.5 mm (n=2). Head: Color of female head: yellow to amber or orange yellow. Mandible color: mostly yellow to amber or orange yellow. Body color of male: yellow laterally and ventrally, darkening to light brown to brown dorsally. 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. 111). Mesosoma (Figs. 109, 110): Color of female mesosoma: yellow to amber. 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, more or less truncate, but with a narrow medial notch. Mesopleural depression sculpture: irregularly foveate, majority of fovea not transverse, fovea interspersed with nitid areas, in some individuals some fovea reduced to punctures. 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 legs beyond coxae: uniformly yellow, without

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223467 http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226877

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: 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: punctate, punctures nearly the length of strip, puncture borders confluent. Female T6 width to length ratio: wider than long (striplike). Female T6 carinate basal extension of lateral spine: short, not extending past 1/2 length of T6. T6/S6 apical curvature: present, tips flexed outwards in lateral view. T6 posterolateral margin: with sharp spine (Fig. 112). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

FIGURES 107–112. 65 Axea yasigi , holotype female (OSUC 211772). 107, dorsal habitus; 108, lateral habitus; 109, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 110, head and mesosoma, lateral view; 111, head, anterior view; 112, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. n, netrion. Scale bars in millimeters.

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226916 Diagnosis. Differs from most species by the orange head. Axea yasigi may be separated from A. yurugu by the numerous carina interrupting the course of the notaulus, resulting in the appearance of a row of pits (Fig. 109, cf. Fig. 18, nt).

Etymology. Named in reference to a goddess of the Dogon people of Mali, Sudan, and Upper Volta.

Link to Distribution Map. 66

Material Examined. Holotype female: ZIMBABWE: Harare, IV.1981, A. Watsham, OSUC 167028 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: 21 females, 2 males. BENIN: 1 female, OSUC 211701 ( CNCI). GABON: 2 females, OSUC 211616, OSUC 211703 ( CNCI). IVORY COAST: 6 females, OSUC 211702, OSUC 211704–211706, OSUC 211718, OSUC 211799 ( CNCI). KENYA: 2 females, OSUC 211745, OSUC 214399 ( CNCI). SOUTH AFRICA: 1 male, OSUC 167029 ( CNCI). ZIMBABWE: 11 females, 1 male, OSUC 167047, OSUC 211721, OSUC 211731, OSUC 211733, OSUC 211738, OSUC 211739, OSUC 211750, OSUC 211752, OSUC 211772, OSUC 211783, OSUC 213806 ( CNCI).