Aphanogmus abaluhya, 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 : 19-22

Aphanogmus abaluhya sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:27E5122E-06B4-4B6E-AB58-B7A901AC3106

Fig. 2

Diagnosis

Preoccipital furrow distinct, with interocellar pit; preoccipital carina distinct; fore wing length 3.20 × width. Male genitalia: harpe triangular in apical third in ventral and dorsal view and with plateau on apex in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.23; ventromedial margins of harpes indistinct at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe concave in basal two thirds and concave in apical third and with pointed protrusion in between, protrusion oriented medially; ventral margin of harpe straight and curved distoventrally at apical third, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, straight and oriented distoventrally in apical part with plateau on apex, lateral margin straight and curved distomedially at its middle.

Etymology

The species is named after the Abaluhya people, an ethnic group native to western Kenya. Many subtribes of the Abaluhya, for example, Idakho, Isukha, Tiriki, settled around the Kakamega Forest.

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-00037033 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 0.85 mm.

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown; scape light brown except proximal third lighter and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs light brown except joints and tarsi lighter; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 3.7 × as long as pedicel, scape as long as F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.9× as long as wide, F1 1.9 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.2 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 2.0× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.1× as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and longer than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.08 × head height; head width 1.74 × interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.18 × minimum eye diameter; head height 1.85 × maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow distinct, with interocellar pit; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.86:0.57; OOL 1.75 × lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus slightly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.25 × mesosoma width; Weber length 288 µm. Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus absent; interaxillar sulcus superficial, scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation, scutoscutellar sulcus straight; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.94× mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.44 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.75 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.22 × posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.48 × mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.64 × mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex absent; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection absent; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) absent; longitudinal carinae on syntergum absent; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 3.20 × width; stigmal vein slightly longer than pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 106 µm; Weber length 2.71 × genital length; gvc width 63 µm; genital length 1.70 × gvc width; gvc width three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.19 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 2C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 2A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 2B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc convex, more strongly descending dorsally ( Fig. 2B ). Harpe triangular in apical third in ventral and dorsal view and with plateau on apex in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.23; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 2A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight and curved distoventrally at apical third, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, straight and oriented distoventrally in apical part with plateau on apex ( Fig. 2B ), lateral margin straight and curved distomedially at its middle, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 2A, C ); ventromedial margins of harpes indistinct at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe concave in basal two thirds and in apical third and with pointed protrusion in between, protrusion oriented medially ( Fig. 2C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented distomedially ( Fig. 2A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to basal third, longest lateral seta slightly less than as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least one ventral seta restricted to basal half, longest ventral seta slightly less than as long as harpe, ventral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae more than one third as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distodorsally and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus and all margins of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimen collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus abaluhya sp. nov. is similar to A. lateritorum sp. nov. in having a very short stigmal vein, a relatively short scape in comparison to F1 and F2 combined, and a very distinct and broad preoccipital furrow with an interocellar pit. However, the two species can be distinguished by very different male genitalia. The male genitalia of A. abaluhya are more strongly sclerotized, and the harpe/ gvc index is lower in A. abaluhya (0.23, compared to 0.37 in A. lateritorum ). Furthermore, the shape of the harpes is strikingly different. Aphanogmus abaluhya has no partially finger-shaped harpes (as in A. lateritorum ); the apex of the harpe in A. abaluhya is plateau-shaped in lateral view (not plateau-shaped in A. lateritorum ).

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under A. ikhongamurwi sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right F9, the left fore and hind wing, the three distal tarsal segments of the left hind leg, and the right fore leg (except coxa) are missing. The right middle leg is detached (except coxa). The posterior part of the metasoma is missing, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 2. Holotype of Aphanogmus abaluhya sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037033). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.