Cyoceraphron invisibilis, 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 : 320-324

Cyoceraphron invisibilis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6043FBF1-F4D9-40E2-BB46-DA340B1A71FC

Fig. 93

Diagnosis

Legs light yellow except metacoxa light yellow and transparent; head width 0.89–0.94 × (0.94) head height; OOL:POL 2.27–2.78 (2.38); mesoscutellum length 1.85–2.09 × (2.09) mesoscutellum width; Weber length 1.59–1.65 × (1.65) mesoscutum width; mesoscutellum length 1.25–1.44 × (1.44) posterior mesoscutal width; fore wing length 3.44–3.61 × (3.61) width. Male genitalia: harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 1.00; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in basal two thirds, slightly concave in apical third.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Latin word ‘ invisibilis ’ which means ‘invisible’, with reference to the weakly sclerotized, almost transparent male genitalia.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°14′22.9 N, 34°51′21 E; 1594 m a.s.l.; 17 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 12; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036995 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.4 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 2; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037006 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°18′13.4 N, 34°48′16 E; 1554 m a.s.l.; 20 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 5; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037007 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 2 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036996 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°23′6.2 N, 34°33′37.8 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 13 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 11; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036997 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′49.9 N, 34°52′16.1 E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 15; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037008 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.59–0.78 mm (0.59 mm).

COLOUR. Head light brown, mesosoma light brown-yellowish, metasoma light brown-yellowish except anterior third lighter; scape and pedicel light yellow, flagellum light brown and transparent; legs light yellow except metacoxa light yellow and transparent; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.2× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 1.9× as long as wide, F1 1.4× as long as pedicel, F1 1.2× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.7 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.1 × as high as F9; few small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and slightly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 0.89–0.94 × (0.94) head height; head width 1.81–1.88 × (1.81) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.31–1.38 × (1.38) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.64–1.72 × (1.72) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow indistinct; preoccipital carina indistinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.36– 0.44:0.48–0.58 (1.00:0.42:0.58); OOL 2.25–2.80× (2.66) lateral ocellus size. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina indistinct; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.07–1.12 × (1.12) mesosoma width; Weber length 238–269 µm (238 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. Mesoscutum width 2.00–2.09 × (2.09) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.41–1.48 × (1.45) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.85–2.09 × (2.09) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.25–1.44 × (1.44) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.59–1.65 × (1.65) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.62–1.72× (1.65) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt and lighter end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb present. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; diffuse number of indistinct basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 3.44–3.61 × (3.61) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 69–75 µm (69 µm); Weber length 3.45–3.58 × (3.45) genital length; gvc width 31–38 µm (31 µm); genital length 2.00–2.20 × (2.20) gvc width; gvc width slightly less than gvc length; gvc width 1.10 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 93C ); proximoventral margin of gvc straight; distoventral margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 93A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc straight ( Fig. 93B ); proximolateral margin of gvc slightly descending and slightly emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc convex ( Fig. 93B ). Harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 1.00; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 93A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 93B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 93A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and parallel to other harpe in basal two thirds, slightly concave in apical third ( Fig. 93C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented distomedially ( Fig. 93A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to apical quarter, longest lateral seta one quarter as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae less than half as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least four median setae, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially, distoventrally and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 93A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia weakly sclerotized, almost transparent.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The paratypes are slightly darker in general (except ZFMK-HYM-00037008). The anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is more pronounced and more convex in the paratypes and in paratype ZFMK-HYM-00036997 even exceeding the end of the mesosoma. Furthermore, the posterior mesosomal comb is more distinct in the paratypes. The holotype was chosen because its male genitalia are best preserved.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Cyoceraphron invisibilis sp. nov. is similar to C. njano sp. nov. in having a light body colouration and very weakly sclerotized male genitalia. However, the two species can be distinguished by various body and male genitalia characters, i.e., different harpe/gvc indices (1.00 in C. invisibilis , 0.67 in C. njano ), different setal arrangement of the genitalia, as well as lighter metacoxae, a mesocutellum comparatively longer than wide, fore wings comparatively longer than wide, less rounded compound eyes and slightly shorter flagellomeres in C. invisibilis .

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under Ceraphron cingulum sp. nov.

Condition of type material In the holotype, the right metatibia and metatarsus are missing. The posterior part of the metasoma is slightly deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise. The proximal margin of the gvc is slightly deformed, thus the descriptions of the proximal margins of the gvc are not precise.

Figures

Fig. 93. Holotype of Cyoceraphron invisibilis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036995). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.