Axea atai 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 : 15-17

Axea atai Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BFFA697D-0724-46AE-9EC6-400CE22B5577 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223470 Figures 18, 29–34; Morphbank27

General (Figs. 29, 30): Female body length: 2.1–2.4 mm (n=11). 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: present, with horizontal to slightly arcuate striae or, if patch minute, then irregularly rugulose (Fig. 33). Mesosoma (Figs. 31, 32): Color of female mesosoma: black, or dark brown to nearly black. Dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent to mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: with conspicuous crenulations or scrobes.

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223463 http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226857

Setae on netrion: absent. Notaulus: indicated by a row of pits. Metascutellum: projecting, broadly bilobed. 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: present along full length of margin, completely absent, or partially present dorsally. Legs: Coxae color: yellow (as in remainder of leg). Color of legs beyond coxae: uniformly yellow, FIGURES 29–34 .28 Axea atai , paratype female (OSUC 211601). 29, dorsal habitus; 30, lateral habitus; 31, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 32, head and mesosoma, lateral view; 33, head, anterior view; 34, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226903 without 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: dark brown to nearly black. 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: 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. 34). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

Diagnosis. Differs from all other species of Axea by the relatively large, shining, and weakly sculptured patch of the frons in combination with the relatively well-developed scrobes of the dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent the meososcutal suprahumeral sulcus.

Etymology. Named in reference to the wife of the god Abassi of the Efik people of Nigeria and Cameroon.

Link to Distribution Map. 29

Material Examined. Holotype female. IVORY COAST: Lamto Research Station, 06°13'N 05°02'W, 160 km NW Abijan, 1.XI.1988, J.S. Noyes, Malaise trap, OSUC 211777 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: 13 females. CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: OSUC 213809, OSUC 244016 ( SAMC). IVORY COAST: OSUC 167043, OSUC 211735, OSUC 211741, OSUC 211762, OSUC 211766, OSUC 211774 ( CNCI). NIGERIA: OSUC 211601, OSUC 211602, OSUC 211603, OSUC 211604 ( CNCI). UGANDA: OSUC 167035 ( CNCI).