Ceraphron tiriki, 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 : 291-295

Ceraphron tiriki sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E82BA765-0EC6-469D-B911-F02A17A1CC67

Fig. 84

Diagnosis

OOL:LOL 1.32–1.64 (1.64); Weber length 1.34–1.41 × (1.39) mesoscutellum length; fore wing length 2.66–3.01× (3.01) width. Male genitalia: harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.80; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave and virtually parallel to other harpe from base to apex, apex of harpe slightly pointed, oriented slightly distolaterally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae as long as harpe, apical and median setae distinctly crossing; gvc width slightly less than gvc length; gvc width equal to distal gvc width; genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical third of harpe.

Etymology

The species is named after the Tiriki community, which lives in the south-east of Kakamega Forest. The Tiriki people are closely connected spiritually and culturally with the Kakamega Forest.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°12′42.6 N, 34°55′52.3 E; 1615 m a.s.l.; 16 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 20; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036936 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.9 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; no date on label, 2007 or 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 1; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389024 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′10.6 N, 34°51′48.7 E; 1676 m a.s.l.; 26 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 4; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034492 • 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-00034482 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 9 Jul. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00034493 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′0.9 N, 34°50′52.9 E; 1649 m a.s.l.; 3 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 8; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034490 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°23′6.2 N, 34°33′37.8 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 16 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 11; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034494 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 23 Jul. 2007; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389025 • 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; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00795 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′21.1 N, 34°51′44.9 E; 1632 m a.s.l.; 1 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 16; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034489 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′52.3 N, 34°52′5.3 E; 1607 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00796 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034491 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°13′15.5 N, 34°53′24.7 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 23 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 22; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034485 ) • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034487 , ZFMK-HYM-00034488 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°12′09 N, 34°52′06 E; 1553 m a.s.l.; 2 Aug. 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 28; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034486 ) .

Description

Male (N = 4 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.73–1.35 mm (0.90 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum light brown; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa brown, proximal third of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.4× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.0× as long as wide, F1 1.3× 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 1.3× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.15–1.44 × (1.17) head height; head width 1.91–2.02 × (1.96) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.16–1.50× (1.39) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.37–1.68 × (1.68) 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 1.00:0.50– 0.81:0.61–0.76 (1.00:0.50:0.61); OOL 1.96–2.57× (2.57) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.02–1.09× (1.09) mesosoma width; Weber length 281–463 µm (313 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 1.75–1.94 × (1.80) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.30–1.56 × (1.39) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.57–1.78× (1.57) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.04–1.29 × (1.13) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.16–1.29× (1.20) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.34–1.41× (1.39) 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 distinctly short in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb present. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.66–3.01 × (3.01) width; stigmal vein shorter than 3 × pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 97–100 µm (100 µm); Weber length 2.81–4.63 × (3.13) genital length; gvc width 44–56 µm (45 µm); genital length 1.78–2.29 × (2.21) gvc width; gvc width slightly less than gvc length; gvc width equal to distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 84C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 84A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 84B ), slightly indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc slightly descending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc convex, more strongly descending ventrally ( Fig. 84B ). Harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.80; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig.84A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin straight ( Fig. 84B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 84A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave and virtually parallel to other harpe from base to apex ( Fig. 84C ), apex of harpe slightly pointed, oriented slightly distolaterally ( Fig. 84A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae two thirds as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae as long as harpe, apical setae distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least six median setae, longest median setae less than two thirds as long as harpe, median setae distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially, distoventrally and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus half as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct ( Fig. 84A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical third of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The flagellum gradually darkens from F1 to F 9 in NHMUK-013389025 and ZFMK-HYM-00034494, and the proximal third of the metacoxa is lighter in ZFMK-HYM-00034489 than in the holotype. The number of distinct basal longitudinal carinae on the syntergum can be five (ZFMK-HYM-00034482) or even seven (ZFMK-HYM-00034494), and the translucent patches on the metasoma can be indistinct (ZFMK-HYM-00034482). In addition to the differences in antenna colour and number of distinct basal longitudinal carinae on the syntergum (see above), the comparatively large ZFMK-HYM-00034494 also has the dorsal margin of the occipital carina dorsal to the dorsal margin of the lateral ocellus in lateral view, basal longitudinala high head width to height ratio (1.44), a long POL (OOL:POL 1.23), and small genitalia (Weber length:genital length ratio 4.63). This paratype ZFMK-HYM-00034494 might even represent a separate species but based on many characters shared with the other types (see diagnosis), we treat it here as a slightly odd representative of C. tiriki sp. nov.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Body and male genitalia are similar in C. tiriki sp. nov. and C. malava sp. nov. Ceraphron tiriki can be distinguished from C. malava by being slightly lighter, by the genital length to gvc width ratio (1.78– 2.29 in C. tiriki , compared to C. malava 2.72–2.86), and by the Weber length to genital length ratio (2.81–4.63 in C. tiriki , 2.43–2.68 in C. malava ).

Among the examined material from the Kakamega Forest, we found a single specimen which is very similar to C. tiriki sp. nov. in both body and male genitalia. However, the specimen was somehow damaged, and body and male genitalia both appear hollow and slightly transparent. The specimen probably belongs to another new species, separated from C. tiriki by differences in OOL:POL:LOL, and in the setal arrangement on the harpes. Because of the strange damage, we refrained from describing it as a new species. The specimen is deposited in the ZFMK as ZFMK-HYM-00036939.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. reinholdi sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right F8 and F9 are missing.

Figures

Fig. 84. Holotype of Ceraphron tiriki sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036936). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.