Trichoteleia fisheri Talamas & Masner

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 38-40

Trichoteleia fisheri Talamas & Masner sp. n. Figures 108-113Morphbank 16

Description.

Female body length: 2.81 mm (n=1). Color of head: yellow throughout. Central keel of frons: present, ending above interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: present. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: punctate rugulose throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: rugulose with faint concentric tendency. Occipital rim: comprised of small to miniscule cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: variably yellow to brown. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: rugulose. Notaulus: percurrent, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as a smooth furrow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: longitudinally rugulose posteriorly, transversely rugulose anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth medially, moderately punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: punctate rugose. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: smooth. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: rugulose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: yellow throughout.

Color of metasoma in female: horn on T1 brown, otherwise yellow. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: weakly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: present. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large protuberance, curved posteriorly at apex. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally strigose medially, reticulate rugose laterally. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: rugulose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: obliquely strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: obliquely strigose. Punctation of T4 in female: sparse in medial third, moderately dense laterally. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent along midline, otherwise obliquely strigose throughout. Punctation of T5 in female: moderately dense throughout. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin greater than or equal to length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: smooth with fine setigerous punctures along lateral margin. Sculpture of S2: longitudinally striate throughout. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of R1: less than 1.5 times as long as rs. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: nebulous.

Diagnosis.

The female of this species bears a posteriorly curving horn on T1, forming a stout hook in lateral view (Fig. 108-109). This character is shared only with Trichoteleia echinata among known species of Trichoteleia .

Etymology.

This species is named in honor of Brian Fisher of the California Academy of Sciences for organizing and conducting extensive insect collection in Madagascar. Most of the species treated in this revision would not be available for study without the efforts of Dr. Fisher and his colleagues.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=238231]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Antsiranana Auto. Prov., #1938, Manongarivo Special Reserve, 13°59.9'S 48°25.7'E, 1175m, 20.X.1998, B. L. Fisher, OSUC 181008 (deposited in CASC).