Anacharoides quadrus Quinlan

Buffington, Matthew & van Noort, Simon, 2009, A revision of Anacharoides Cameron, 1904 (Hymenoptera, Figitidae) with a description of a new species, ZooKeys 20 (20), pp. 245-274 : 266-267

Anacharoides quadrus Quinlan

Figs 1D, 3B and 7

Anacharoides quadrus Quinlan, 1979:101–102

Anacharoides astrida Quinlan, 1979: 97 , syn. n.

Diagnosis. Most similar to A. paragi , but distinguished by the number of anteroadmedial signum struts (2 in A. paragi , 3 or more in A. quadrus ), by the relative length of F1 of the female antenna (1.5 × length of F 2 in A. quadrus ; nearly 2 × length of F 2 in A. paragi ), and by the shape and sculpturing of the mesoscutellar fovea (anteriorly triangular and with more horizontal striae in A. quadrus , anteriorly rounded and mostly smooth in A. paragi ). Distinguished from all other Anacharoides by the sculpture of the mesoscutum (shagreened in A. pallida , strigate in A. stygius , rugose in A. nicknacki and A. striaticeps ).

Redescription. Length = 2.90–3.30 mm, n=14; holotype length = 3.0 mm. F1 of female gradually expanded distally. F1 of male nearly cylindrical, slightly kinked at midpoint, not excavated laterally. Length of F1 of female antenna 1.4–1.5 × F2. Ocellar groove present, simple ridge posterior to central ocellus. Lateral aspect of pronotum porcate antero-dorsally, antero-ventrally; remainder of sclerite shagreened. Microsculpture of mesoscutum coriaceous over entire surface. Antero-admedial signum of mesoscutum present with 2–3 antero-admedial signum struts. Inter antero-admedial signum ridges absent. Surface of mesoscutum rugulose-strigate anteriorly, with distinct carinae, posteriorly shagreened. Shape of posterior mesoscutellar fovea rounded. Mesoscutal keel present along entire length of mesoscutum, punctate. Mesoscutellar fovea smooth with 1–2 carinae present anteriorly, smooth posteriorly. Mesoscutellum in lateral view with a slight hump. Length of posterior mesoscutellar fovea short, comprising less than 1/5 length of mesoscutum. Lateral aspect of mesoscutum distal of notauli shagreened with faint carinae anteriorly. Sculpture of notauli crenulate with transverse ridges posteriorly. Anterior margin of scutellar fovea rounded. Shape of notauli distinctly wider at posterior margin than anterior margin.

Distribution (Fig. 7). Sub-Saharan Africa: Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: Anacharoides quadrus : Holotype [first label, circular with red ring]; RHODESIA [=Zimbabwe], Salisbury, A. Watsham [second label] ; Holotype male, Anacharoides quadrus Quinlan , det. J. Quinlan, 1977 [third label, hand written]; BM TYPE HYM 7-232 [fourth label]. The holotype is a male, card mounted on the venter, in good condition; deposited in BMNH . HOLOTYPE: Anacharoides astrida : HOLOTYPUS [first label]; COLL. MUS. CONGO, RUANDA [=Rwanda]: env. Astrida, 1954/1955, ‘82’, G. Foucart [second label] ; Holotype [third label, circular with red ring]; Holotype Anacharoides astrida Quinlan , det. J. Quinlan 1978 [fourth label] deposited in MRAC .

Additional material. CAMEROON: Nkoemvon, Mal. tr. I–II.1980, Ms. D. Jackson (1 female, BMNH) ; Nkoemvon, Mal. tr. IX.1979, Ms. D. Jackson (1 female, BMNH) ; Nkoemvon, Mal. tr. 12–29.VIII.1979, Ms. D. Jackson (1 female, BMNH) . DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Mont Hoyo, 1280m, 7–15.VII.1955, sur plantes basses, P. Vanschuytbroeck 13274-309 (1 male, BMNH) ; Shaba Reg, Mufuempa, 4.III.1987, attacking larvae of syrphids, R. Hennessey, sp. H17, CIE A19122 (1 female, BMNH; identified by J. Quinlan as A. eurytergis ) . NIGERIA: Ibadan, 1925, O. Ts. Lean, from Paragus cocoon on cotton, USNM ENT 00653525 (1 male, USNM) . UGANDA: Mulange, XI.1923, R. Dummer, SAM-HYM P002875 (1 male, SAMC) . ZIMBABWE: [Rhodesia] Salisbury, A. Watsham (1 male, BMNH) ; Chishawasha, nr. Salisbury, II.1978, A Watsham (1 female, BMNH) .

Biology. One specimen listed above from the BMNH is labeled as “attacking larvae of syrphids”; this specimen lacks host remains. The label of a second specimen from Nigeria deposited in the USNM (above) records the host as “ Paragus cocoon on cotton”, but lacks host remains.

Image collections: 465422 ( A. astrida ); 465349 ( A. quadrus ).

Comments. As suggested above, based on the morphology of the mesoscutum, this species is most likely closely related to A. paragi . The number of antero-admedial signum struts is readily visible in all specimens, though the most anterior strut in some specimens of A. paragi is very small and nearly continuous with the admedial signum.