Prosaspicera tropica (Kieffer, 1910)

Ros-Farré, P. & Pujade-Villar, J., 2006, Revision of the genus Prosaspicera Kieffer, 1907 (Hym.: Figitidae: Aspicerinae), Zootaxa 1379 (1379), pp. 1-102 : 54-56

Prosaspicera tropica (Kieffer, 1910)

( Figs 5a, 11a & 12a)

Aspicera tropica Kieffer, 1910b: 20 .

Aspicera africana Kinsey, 1919: 162–163 . syn. nov.

Prosaspicera tropica (Kieffer) Weld, 1952: 167 . Aspicera kinsantua Benoit, 1956: 203 . syn. nov. Prosaspicera africana (Kinsey) Quinlan, 1979: 106 .

Prosaspicera kinsantua (Benoit) Quinlan, 1979: 107 .

Type material of Aspicera tropica Kieffer. HOLOTYPE male deposited in ZMB (Berlin, Germany), collected in MALAWI according the original description, with the following labels: “Nyassa-See, LangenburgVI-VII.98, S. Füllehorn S.” (colored label), “ Aspicera tropica K.” (handwrited, white label), “Type” (red label), “Zool. Mus. Berlin” (yellow label), “ Holotype Aspicera tropica Kieffer ♂, det J. Quinlan, 197 (white label), “Zool. Mus. Berlin” (yellow label), Prosaspicera tropica (Kieffer) ♀ Ros-Farré det-1999.

Type material of Aspicera kinsantua Benoit : (1 ♀). HOLOTYPE female deposited in MRAC (Terburen, Belgium), collected in ZAIRE, Holotypus ” (pink label), “Cyn 1-41” (white label), “Musée du Congo Kinsantu 1931, R. P. Vanderyst ” (white label), “ Aspicera kinsantua sp. n. holotype ♀ P. L. G. Benoit det 1956” (white label”, “ Prosaspicera kinsantua (Benoit) det J. Quinlan 1977” (white label), “ Prosaspicera tropica ” (Kieffer) ♂ Ros-Farré det 1999.

Type material of Aspicera africana Kinsey : (1 ♂ & 1 ♀). LECTOTYPE female designated by Quinlan (1979), deposited in KAS (Kansas, USA), with the following labels: “Salisbury, S. AFRICA, F. L. Snow” (white label), “ June-1900 5050 ft ” (white label), “ Aspicera africana cotype ♀ ” (white label), “ Lectotype ” (round label), “ lectotype ♀ Aspicera africana Kinsey det J. Quinlan 1977” (white label), “ Prosaspicera tropica (Kieffer) ♀ Ros-Farré det 2004; PARALECTOTYPE 1 ♂ ( KAS) XII- 1900 in same lectotype data.

Additional material (2 ♀). BURKINA FASO: 1 ♀ ( UB), 1/ 6-VII-1988, Komprenga, Sanborne, Landry & Tou Sarane col. ; SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀ ( UB), 20/ 31-III-1986, Natal, Pietermaritzburg, Scottsville, R. M. Miller leg. , Malaise trap.

Diagnosis. Prosaspicera tropica is similar to P. antennata and P. paragicida . They both have a wide scutellar spine; the scutellar disc, in lateral view, is on same plane as the scutellar spine; the notauli have transverse carinae inside; the genae lack transverse carinae. In P. tropica ( Fig. 11a) the mesoscutum and scutellum have punctuate sculpture and the scutellar foveae are more sculptured than in P. antennata ( Fig. 15a) and P. paragicida ( Fig. 15b).

Redescription. Length. Females 2.8–3.6 mm.; males 3.0– 3.4 mm.

Coloration. Head and mesosoma black. Antenna and legs light brown. Metanotum black.

Head. Frons coriaceous with conspicuous oblique small carinae. Lateral frontal carinae prominent ventrally and weak dorsally, area between them and eye with weak transverse carinae on upper half, only coriaceous in females. Occipital carina rounded behind eye. Gena not expanded, coriaceous with weak transverse carinae and sparse pubescence, more densely pubescent and coriaceous in females. Vertex slightly concave, rugose and coriaceous, in posterior part shining and weakly coriaceous-striated and with 4 longitudinal carinae on each side of median vertical groove, which is weakly coriaceous. Ocelli slightly prominent. Occiput shining with weak coriaceous-striated sculpture and two transverse carinae, one interrupted centrally.

Antenna. MALE. Filiform. Antennal formula: 3(3): 2(2.5): 5(2.5): 5(2.3): 5.5(2.5): 5(2.5): 5(2.2): 5(2.1): 4.5(2.5): 4.5(2.1): 4.5(2): 4.5(2): 4.2(2): 7(2). FEMALE. Slightly subclavate. Antennal formula: 5(3): 2(3): 5(2.5): 5(2.5): 5(2.5): 5(2.5): 5(2.8): 4.8(2.5): 4(2.8): 4(2.8): 4(2.8): 4(2.8): 8(2.8).

Mesosoma. Lateral surface of pronotum coriaceous, densely pubescent, with fine transverse carinae on ventral 1/2. Subpronotal plate coriaceous, with sparse pubescence laterally. Mesoscutum with few scattered setae, coriaceous and sparsely punctuated. Antero-admedian lines prominent, reaching between 1/3 and 1/2 length of mesoscutum and parallel, slightly confluent in females; median ridge prominent in males, but weak before median mesoscutal furrow in females, not divided before median mesoscutal furrow. Notauli narrow, narrower in anterior part, with conspicuous transverse carinae and coriaceous inside. Median mesoscutal furrow with weak transverse carinae near anterior end. Area between notauli and end of median mesoscutal furrow slightly prominent. Parascutal sulcus very wide, weakly coriaceous, with scattered setae and continuing to anteiror end of notauli. Mesopleura, in anterior part, coriaceous with oblique carinae and smooth in posterior part. Scutellum 1.15 to 1.20 times length of scutum, 1.20 to 1.30 in females. Scutellar foveae rounded deep, with rugose sculpture in anterior part and with longitudinal carinae in posterior part, without posterior margin, interfoveal line strong and continuing to end of spine. Lateral carinae slightly prominent and going until end of spine. Scutellar disc coriaceous and punctuated in anterior part, granulate-coriaceous in posterior part, spine coriaceous-striate sculpture. Scutellar spine with short longitudinal carinae, in lateral view, in same plane as scutellar foveae, slightly sloping towards end and nearly reaching R1 of radial cell.

Wings. Wing membrane hyaline. Radial cell 2.19 to 2.30 times longer than wide, 2.00 to 2.20 in females. Marginal pubescence beginning after Rs but very short, absent in females. R1 absent, Rs straight.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Afrotropical. Recorded from Malawi, Zaire and South Africa; also from Rhodesia and Burkina Faso in this study.