Epitranus inops Steffan, 1957

Gadallah, Neveen S., Soliman, Ahmed M. & Dhafer, Hathal M. Al, 2020, First record of the subfamily Epitraninae from Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Chalcididae), with the description of three new species, ZooKeys 979, pp. 35-86 : 35

Epitranus inops Steffan, 1957 Figures 25 , 26 , 27

Epitranus inops Steffan, 1957: 75, 86-88. Original description. ♀, ♂. Democratic Republic of Congo.

Epitranus inops Steffan,1957: Sauphanor et al. 1987: Ivory Coast: host.

Re-description.

Female (Figs 25 - 27 ). Body length 3.4-3.9 mm. Fore wing length 2.1-2.5 mm. Head, except frontal lobe and antennal toruli, black (Fig. 26A ); mesosoma reddish brown, with various extent of brownish, more or less dark, areas on mesoscutum, axilla, propodeum, mesopleuron, metepisternum anteriorly (Fig. 25B ); tegula testaceous (Fig. 25A, B ). This species is recognized by the following combination of characters: interantennal lamina present (Fig. 26A ); frontal lobe moderately long (Fig. 26B ); subantennal distance ca. 2.5 × as long as interantennal distance, with two submedian indentations on ventral edge (Fig. 26B ); supra antennal surface delimited laterally by faint step-like ridge; discal area faintly alutaceous, the network following curved lines, separated from inner orbit and median ocellus by four or five rows of moderately large punctures, interspaces between punctures smooth (Fig. 26A ); preorbital groove vestigial dorsally, progressively thickened towards the suborbital groove; outline of frons slightly and regularly convex in dorsal view; funiculars, from F2, somewhat transverse (Fig. 26C ); clava bi-segmented (Fig. 26C ). Mesosoma hardly convex, with flattened mesoscutellum (Fig. 25A, B ); setae on mesonotum thin, adpressed and longer than puncture diameter (Fig. 25B ); propodeum dull, with numerous irregular rugae, median areola complete, with subparallel sides (Fig. 26D ); adpetiolar areola with curved anterior carina (Fig. 26D ). Fore wing (Fig. 27A ) rather densely setose on apical half on underside; STV forming with anterior margin an angle of ca. 45°; metacoxal 2 × as long as wide, with flattened outer dorsal side; metafemur serrulate behind the basal tooth (Fig. 27B ); metatibial process only delimited posteriorly on inner side along tarsal scrobe, visible anteriorly through the presence of a wrinkle, tarsal scrobe far from reaching sub-basal prominence, the latter with four denticles on edge, visible solely from behind for being concealed by the pubescence (Fig. 27C ); metasomal petiole 3.4-3.7 × as long as wide, as long as or slightly shorter than dorsal length of Gt1 (0.95 ×), and 0.50-0.65 × as long as gaster length, its sides hardly convex, with a weak median carina evanescent on apical third, sublateral and lateral ridges complete, the area between sublateral ridges smooth and shiny (Fig. 27D ); gaster 1.55-1.70 × as long as high (Fig. 25A ).

Male. Similar to female except flagellum 1.2 × head width; anellus ca. 0.3 × as long as wide; F1 twice as long as wide; F7 subquadrate; gastral petiole slightly longer, 4.5 × as long as wide ( Steffan 1957).

Hosts.

The species was reared from stored yam together with Euzopherodes vapidella Man ( Pyralidae ), and other small moths ( Sauphanor et al. 1987).

Material examined.

1♀: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, Al Mikhwa, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve [19°50'34.87"N, 41°18'40.04"E, 1686 m], sweeping net, 5.V.2015, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♀, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Al-Baha, Al Mikhwa, Shada Al-Ala Natural Reserve [19°50'34.89"N, 41°18'39.43"E, 1689 m], sweeping net, 9.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA]; 1♀, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Asir, Abha, Garf Raydah Natural Reserve [18°11'40.98"N, 42°23'45.66"E, 1861 m], sweeping net, 12.IV.2019, leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [KSMA].

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) ( Steffan 1957), Ivory Coast ( Sauphanor et al. 1987), Saudi Arabia (Al-Baha and Asir regions) (new record).

Figures

Figure 25. Epitranus inops Steffan (female) A, B habitus (lateral and dorsal views respectively).

Figure 26. Epitranus inops Steffan (female) A head (frontal view) B lower part of face showing frontal lobe (frontal view) C antennal pedicel and flagellum D mesoscutellum and propodeum (dorsal view).

Figure 27. Epitranus inops Steffan (female) A fore wing (parts of wing membrane and MV and STV magnified) B, C hind leg, excluding coxa (outer and ventral views respectively) D metasoma (dorsal view).