Gonatopus acutus ( Olmi, 1984 )

Olmi, Massimo, Copeland, Robert S. & Noort, Simon Van, 2019, Dryinidae of the Afrotropical region (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea), Zootaxa 4630 (1), pp. 1-619 : 421-422

2. Gonatopus acutus ( Olmi, 1984)

( Figs 168C, D , 171A )

Pseudogonatopus acutus Olmi 1984: 1230 .

Gonatopus acutus (Olmi) : Olmi 2004a: 363; 2006: 45; Guglielmino & Olmi 2006: 45; 2007: 124; Olmi 2009b: 459.

Description. ♀. Apterous; body length 1.9–3.5 mm. Head black or brown, except clypeus, mandible and occasion- ally anterior region of frons yellow; antenna brown, except scape yellow and flagellomere 8 whitish; mesosoma black or brown-reddish, with posterior extremity of propodeal declivity testaceous; occasionally posterior half of mesoscutum yellow; petiole black; metasoma black or brown-black; legs yellow, except coxae, clubs of femora and tibiae brownish. Head shiny, excavated ( Fig. 168C ), granulate; POL = 3; OL = 10; OOL = 20. Palpal formula 4/2. Pronotum dull, granulate, crossed by strong transverse impression. Mesoscutum shiny, slightly granulate, without lateral pointed apophyses. Metanotum weakly excavated behind mesoscutellum, transversely striate, with sides protruding; lateral protrusions of metanotum pointed. Metapectal-propodeal disc shiny, unsculptured; propodeal declivity transversely striate; top of metapectal-propodeal disc with track of median longitudinal furrow. Meso-metapleural suture distinct and complete. Mesopleuron and metapleuron transversely striate. Protarsomeres in following proportions: 13:2:4:13:20. Enlarged claw ( Fig. 168D ) with one large subapical tooth and one row of 6–11 lamellae. Protarsomere 5 ( Fig. 168D ) with two rows of 10–21 lamellae (occasionally shortest row only situated in proximal half of protarsomere 5); apex with 8–20 lamellae. Tibial spurs 1/0/1.

♂. Fully winged; body length 1.4–1.7 mm. Head black, except mandible and part of clypeus testaceous; an- tenna brown; mesosoma and metasoma black; legs brown, except trochanters, articulations, part of profemora, part of meso- and metatarsus testaceous. Antenna setose, filiform; antennomeres in following proportions: 4:4:5:4.5:4.5:5:4.5:4.5:4:6; antennomere 3 less than 3 × as long as broad: 5:2. Head shiny, granulate; frontal line absent; occipital carina absent; POL = 5; OL = 2; OOL = 3; vertex with two oval smooth and shiny areas situated on sides of lateral ocelli and occupying all areas between lateral ocelli and eyes (oval areas anteriorly surrounded by high carina). Palpal formula 4/2. Mesoscutum dull, granulate. Notauli incomplete, reaching approximately 0.6–0.7 × length of mesoscutum. Mesoscutellum dull or shiny, more or less strongly granulate. Metanotum shiny, unsculptured. Metapectal-propodeal disc shiny, unsculptured, with strong longitudinal median furrow; propodeal declivity shiny, with irregular keels or striae, unsculptured among striae and keels. Forewing hyaline, without dark transverse bands, with only costal cell surrounded by well pigmented veins (other basal cells surrounded by obsolete veins); 2R1 cell open; 2r-rs&Rs vein regularly curved, with distal part much longer than proximal part (approximately 14:4). Dorsal process of paramere ( Fig. 171A ) very long and slender, with apex very pointed. Tibial spurs 1/1/2.

Material examined. Types: ♀ holotype: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape, Mossel Bay , XII.1934 , R.E. Turner leg. ( NHMUK). Paratypes: same locality label as holotype, 15–28.III.1922 , 1♀ ( NHMUK); same locality label as holotype, 1–13.III.1922 , 1♀ ( NHMUK); same locality label as holotype, 30.XII.1938 , 1♀ ( NHMUK); same local- ity label as holotype, 30.XI.1938 , 1♀ ( NHMUK); same locality label as holotype, 1.I.1939 , 1♀ ( NHMUK); same locality label as holotype , 2♀♀ ( AMNH). Other material: BENIN: Dassa , 12.XI.1993 , 1♀ ( CIRAD). GABON: Woleu-Mntem Prov. , 31.3 km ESE Minvoul, 02°04.8’N 12°24.4’E, 600 m, 7.II.1998 , 1648, sifted litter (leaf mold, rotted wood), rainforest, Brian L. Fisher leg., 1♀ ( CAS). MOZAMBIQUE: Niassa, Cuamba, Camboja , reared from Caliscelis sp., C. 15.XI.1999 ; B. 18.XI.1999; Sf. 12.XII.1999 , M. Olmi reared, 1♀, 2♂♂ ( MOLC); Niassa, Cuamba , Catholic University Campus, C. 17.III.2012 , B. 19.III.2012, Sf. 1.IV.2012 , M. Olmi leg., 1♂ ( MOLC); same locality label, C. 17.III.2012 , B. 20.III.2012, Sf. 9.IV.2012 , M. Olmi leg., 1♂ ( MOLC). SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal, 40 km S of Harrismith, Van Reenen , C. 26.I.1997 , M. Olmi leg., 1♀ ( AMNH); KwaZulu-Natal, Port Edward , along road from R61 to Umtamvuna Nature Reserve, C. 13.IV.2007 , B. 15.IV.2007, M. Olmi reared from unidentified adult of Delphacid, 2♀♀, 2♂♂ ( MOLC); same locality label, C. 13.IV.2007 , B. 16.IV.2007, 3♀♀ ( MOLC); same locality label, C. 13.IV.2007 , B. 17.IV.2007, 1♀ ( MOLC); same locality label, C. 14.IV.2007 , 1♀ ( MOLC). Lim- popo, 15 km NW of Klaserie, Guernsey Farm , 1♀ ( PMA); Western Cape, near Citrusdal, The Baths , reared from Toya tuberculosa (Distant) , C. 22.I.2003 , B. 24.I.2003, Sf. 10.II.2003 , M. Olmi reared, 1♀, 1♂ ( MOLC); same local- ity label , 1♂ ( SAMC) .

Hosts. Caliscelidae and Delphacidae ( Guglielmino et al. 2013) : in Mozambique: Caliscelidae : Caliscelis sp.; in South Africa: Delphacidae : Matutinus vitticollis (Stål) ; Sogatella kolophon (Kirkaldy) ; Toya ceresensis (Muir) and T. tuberculosa (Distant) ;

Biology. In 1999 in Cuamba ( Mozambique) this species was reared from an unknown species of Caliscelis (Caliscelidae) , a parasitized specimen with five larval thylacia. Only four larvae were able to spin their cocoons and only three adults emerged, one ♀ and two ♂♂. In 2003 at The Baths ( South Africa) this species was reared from Toya tuberculosa (Distant) (Delphacidae) . The parasitized specimen was a ♀ with two thylacia, from which two larvae emerged; the two larvae pupated and from the cocoons one ♀ and one ♂ emerged. These are the only two cases of rearing of this species before 2007. This species is probably specialized in superparasitism, because in 2007 in Port Edward, South Africa, many delphacid adults with two thylacia were reared and each time one ♀ and one ♂ emerged from the same host; ♀ and ♂ specimens were very small. In one case in South Africa, Port Edward, a single ♂ was reared from a nymph of an unidentified delphacid having only one thylacium.

Distribution. Benin, Gabon, Mozambique, South Africa.

Figures

FIGURE 168.A, D–G: chelae of Gonatopus species. A: G. nearcticus (Fenton), ♀ from Uganda, Serere; D: G. acutus (Olmi), holotype; E: G. amoenus Olmi, holotype; F: G. camposensis Olmi, holotype; G: G. ceballosi Olmi, holotype. B: genitalia of G. nearcticus (Fenton), ♂ from Greece, Pyrgi. C: head in frontal view of G. acutus (Olmi), ♀ from South Africa, The Baths. Scale bar: A, E: 0.09 mm; B: 0.20 mm; C: 0.26 mm; D, G: 0.07 mm; F: 0.08 mm.

FIGURE 171. A–C: ♂ genitalia of Gonatopus species: A: G. acutus (Olmi), from Mozambique, Cuamba; B, C: G. amoenus Olmi, paratypes from Mozambique, Umbeluzi. D: Gonatopus camposensis Olmi, ♀ holotype: head in frontal view. E: Gonatopus comorensis Olmi, Copeland & van Noort sp. nov.: mesosoma of ♀ holotype in lateral view. F: Gonatopus festivus Olmi, mesosoma of ♀ holotype in dorsal view. Scale bar: A: 0.06 mm; B: 0.08 mm; C: 0.10 mm; D: 0.27 mm; E: 1.07 mm; F: 0.77 mm.