Synopeas kira Awad, 2021

Awad, Jessica, Bremer, Jonathan S., Butterill, Philip T., Moore, Matthew R. & Talamas, Elijah J., 2021, A taxonomic treatment of Synopeas Foerster (Platygastridae, Platygastrinae) from the island of New Guinea, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 87, pp. 5-65 : 5

Synopeas kira Awad sp. nov.

Description.

Body length 1.2-1.6 mm. Body color: black. Color of legs: coxae brown, otherwise yellow. Color of mesoscutellar spine: concolorous with mesoscutellar disc.

Head. Shape of head in anterior view: slightly ovoid. Central keel: absent. Sculpture on frons: reticulate microsculpture. Epitorular sculpture: minute rugulae; reticulate microsculpture. Number of clypeal setae: 4. Length of median pair of clypeal setae: longer than lateral pair. Arrangement of clypeal setae: evenly spaced; medial setae closer to each other than to lateral setae. Shape of mandible: bidentate. Distance between lateral ocellus and compound eye (OOL): less than 1 ocellar diameter. Hyperoccipital carina: complete. Hyperoccipital carina strength: uniformly robust. Distance between lateral ocellus and hyperoccipital carina: less than 1 ocellar diameter; approximately 1 ocellar diameter.

Mesosoma. Epomial carina: present, complete or nearly so. Microsculpture of lateral pronotum: present dorsally, absent ventrally. Lateral pronotal sculpture coverage: 1/2 to 2/3; 2/3 to 3/4. Mesoscutellar spine: long and thick. Mesoscutellar spine in lateral view: pointing posteriorly. Posterior margin of lateral propodeal carina in lateral view: pointed dorsally and ventrally. Mesosomal dorsum in lateral view: convex. Notauli: unmarked or faintly suggested. Parapsidal lines: very faint. Setation of mesoscutum: sparse. Mesoscutal lamella: long and narrow; roughly triangular. Setation of mesoscutellum: laterally dense, medially sparse.

Metasoma. Microsculpture of S2: long band at posterior margin. Sculpture of T2: long transverse band of microsculpture at posterior margin; microsculpture present in patch at posterior margin, not extending to posterolateral corners. Length of T2: shorter than mesosoma; approximately as long as mesosoma.

Wing. Length of setae on disc of forewing: longer than distance between setal bases. Density of setae on disc of forewing: dense. Arrangement of setae on disc of forewing: uniformly setose distally, proximally glabrous with linea setosa. Forewing marginal setae: setae on posterior margin distinctly longer than setae on anterior margin.

Diagnosis.

Synopeas kira is similar to S. kalubia , from which it can be separated by the pattern of microsculpture at the posterior margin of S2. In S. kira , the sculpture forms a wide band, longer than S3 (Fig. 6D ), and in S. kalubia it is limited to a very narrow band. The absent or faint notauli of S. kira enable it to be easily separated from S. klingunculum and S. anunu . Synopeas kira has a dorsally convex and blunt mesoscutellar spine, distinguishing it from S. sanga and S. occultum , both of which have a short, pointed mesoscutellar spine.

Comments.

The arrangement of the clypeal setae is variable, with the median pair of setae either closer to each other than to the lateral setae, or with all four setae evenly spaced.

Etymology.

The epithet " Synopeas kira " is Manam for "stone axe" ( Osmond and Ross 1998) and refers to the shape of the mesoscutellar spine. The name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Plant associations.

Reared from galls on Cypholophus ( Urticaceae ) [GALL266, GALL428, GALL429]. One record from Debregeasia longifolia ( Urticaceae ) [GALL268].

Specimens examined. Holotype: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan, 6.14141°S, 146.87415°E, 17.VII.2012, Philip Butterill leg., Cypholophus macrocephalus (FSCA 00090258). Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: ♀, Morobe, Yawan, 25.XI.2010, Debregeasia longifolia , (FSCA 00090431); ♂, Morobe, Yawan, 25.I.2011, Cypholophus friesianus (FSCA 00090434); 12♀ 2♂, Morobe, Yawan, 28.III.2012, Cypholophus sp. 1 (FSCA 00090416, 00094498-00094501, 00094516-00094523, 00094616); 2♂, Morobe, Yawan, 29.III.2012, Cypholophus sp. 1 (FSCA 00000416, 00094503); 2♂, Morobe, Yawan, 10.VII.2012, Cypholophus sp. 1 (FSCA 00000398, 00094546); ♀ ♂, Morobe, Yawan, 17.VII.2012, Cypholophus macrocephalus (FSCA 00094566-00094567).

Figures

Figure 6. Sculpture of metasomal sternite 2 A S. sanga (FSCA 00000399) B S. occultum (FSCA 00090403) C S. roncavei (FSCA 00090249) D S. kira (FSCA 00000398) E S. codex (FSCA 00034030) F S. luli (FSCA 00090412). Scale bars: 0.2 mm.