Platyscelio mysterium Taekul & Johnson
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.50.485 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A8792FA7-77F5-DBEC-0389-CD889B66DA61 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Platyscelio mysterium Taekul & Johnson |
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sp. n. |
Platyscelio mysterium Taekul & Johnson ZBK sp. n. Figures 19-24Morphbank32
Description. General:
Body length of male: 3.46-4.20 mm (n=7). Body length of female: 3.14-4.24 mm (n=8).
Head:
Length between anterior ocellus and posterior ocellar line in frontal view: less than 0.5 times POL. Striae within ocellar triangle: dense (greater than 20). Vertex sculpture between inner orbit and posterior ocellus: densely striate. Frontal sculpture between inner orbit and central keel: longitudinally striate, striae extending through most of length of frons. Submedial ventral area of head anterior to fossa: smooth, finely longitudinally striate posteriorly. Orbital carina: present. Sculpture of malar region: longitudinally striate or with few faint striae.
Antenna:
Color of female antenna: A1-A7 yellow to light brown, A8-A12 dark brown to black. Female outer lateral apex of scape: sharply pointed. Claval shape: apical margin of A9-A11 concave, closely fitting basal margin of following antennomere. Color of male antenna: brown or dark brown to black throughout.
Mesosoma:
Sculpture on medial lobe of mesoscutum: longitudinally striate with elongate punctures. Setation of medial lobe of mesoscutum: moderately dense, even. Notaulus: absent. Pilosity of notaulus: absent. Number of lateral carinae on mesoscutum: 1. Medial carina of mesoscutum: absent. Parapsidal line: present. Posterior scutellar sulcus: complete. Setation of posterior half of ventral metapleural area: sparse (less than 25 setae). Metascutellum size: wide, metanotum lateral to metascutellum reduced, with 0-3 foveae. Sculpture on ventral metapleural area: smooth anteriorly, coarsely foveolate punctate posteriorly. Median propodeal sulcus: narrow throughout length. Sculpture of submedian propodeal field: smooth throughout or with few faint striae. Posterolateral margin of propodeum: smooth laterally, longitudinally striate to rugulose posteriorly. Color of legs: coxae dark brown to black, otherwise variable.
Wings:
Postmarginal vein: absent. Fore wing: hyaline.
Metasoma:
Sculpture on T1: longitudinally striate laterally, uniformly setigerous punctate medially. Sublateral carina on T2-T4: present anteriorly, absent posteriorly. Sculpture on T2-T4: setigerous punctures throughout, longitudinally striate anteriorly.
Diagnosis.
Platyscelio mysterium is distinguished from other species by the presence of only a single lateral carina on the mesoscutum, the lack of a notaulus, and the presence of orbital carinae on the frons (Figs 21, 23).
Etymology.
The epithet mysterium, Latin for mystery, refers to the interpretation of the mesoscutal carinae.
Link to distribution map.
33
Material examined.
Holotype female: BOTSWANA: Serowe, Farmer’s Brigade, 22°22.998'S, 026°43.002'E, May 1989, Malaise trap, P. Forchhammer, OSUC 171372 (deposited in USNM). Paratypes: (11 females, 14 males) BOTSWANA: 6 females, CASENT 2137987-2137990 (CASC); OSUC 250665 (CNCI). SOUTH AFRICA: 3 females, 13 males, BMNH(E)#790187-790189, 790196-790197, 790199, 848507-848509 (BMNH); OSUC 207935-207937, 207939, 207942, 207947 (CNCI); OSUC 230254 (OSUC). ZIMBABWE: 3 females, 1 male, OSUC 250653-250656 (CNCI).
Comments.
Some specimens show variability in the prominence of the sculpture between inner orbit and central keel on the frons.
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.