Ceraphron sungura, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 285-288

Ceraphron sungura sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:81550E10-9140-48DB-8146-65541A8B52B7

Fig. 82

Diagnosis

Flagellomeres cylindric and moniliform (F3–F6); scape slightly shorter than F1 to F4 combined; F1 1.1× as long as pedicel; F6 1.1× as long as wide. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.77; dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally from base to apex, apex of harpe rounded; dorsal area of gvc indented distomedially; harpe with at least three median setae restricted to apical quarter, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe; gvc width more than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.15 × distal gvc width; gvc width 38 µm; Weber length 3.92 × genital length.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ sungura ’ which means ‘hare’, with reference to the harpes of the male genitalia resembling the ears of a hare.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°22′50.5 N, 34°49′21.4 E; 1623 m a.s.l.; 15 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 19; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036983 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 0.78 mm.

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel transparent-yellowish, flagellum transparent-brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs transparent-yellowish except coxae light brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric and moniliform (F3–F6); scape 3.4× as long as pedicel, scape slightly shorter than F1 to F4 combined, F1 1.5× as long as wide, F1 1.1× as long as pedicel, F1 1.3× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.1× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.1× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.17 × head height; head width 1.64 × interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.24 × minimum eye diameter; head height 1.67 × maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.53:0.53; OOL 2.27 × lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.98 × mesosoma width; Weber length 306 µm. Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus present (= scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.80 × mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.40 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.60× mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.14 × posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.36 × mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.53 × mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt and lighter end; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.91 × width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 78 µm; Weber length 3.92 × genital length; gvc width 38 µm; genital length 2.08× gvc width; gvc width more than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.15 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 82C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 82A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 82B ), indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 82B ). Harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.77; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 82A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin convex in basal third and straight in apical two thirds ( Fig. 82B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at apical quarter ( Fig. 82A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally from base to apex ( Fig. 82C ), apex of harpe rounded ( Fig. 82A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral setae more than one quarter as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae less than one third as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least three median setae restricted to apical quarter, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus less than half as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 82A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with weakest sclerotization at harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimen collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron sungura sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all other treated species by its uniquely shaped harpes, and the moniliform flagellomeres.

Condition of type material The holotype is slightly covered with dirt. The right F5 to F9 are missing and the right fore and middle leg are missing (except coxae). The end of the metasoma is missing, thus the body length measurement is not precise. The gvc is proximally slightly deformed, thus the measurement of the gvc width is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 82. Holotype of Ceraphron sungura sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036983). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view. Fig. 82C images the genitalia in a slightly oblique way, see Fig. 82A for shapes of margins.