Aphanogmus guenteri, 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 : 82-86

Aphanogmus guenteri sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FD14D458-FE46-4971-BDC9-3F141330372D

Fig. 22

Diagnosis

Preoccipital furrow distinct, with distinct interocellar pit; head width 0.97–1.19× (1.19) head height; head width 1.89–2.29× (2.00) interorbital space; OOL:LOL 0.80–1.00 (1.00); fore wing length 2.79– 3.30 × (3.16) width. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.68; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.13; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.74; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, convex and diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds; genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus and distal half of gvc.

Etymology

The species is named in memory of Günter Salden, whose life was accompanied by a great passion for nature. He was the uncle and idol of the first author and sadly passed away in 2018.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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-00037009 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.4 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 5 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 2; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389004 • 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; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389005 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00775 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00034392 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 9 Jul. 2007; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00776 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°23′6.2 N, 34°33′37.8 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 23 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 11; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034394 ) • 2 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034395 , ZFMK-HYM-00034396 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034397 ) .

Description

Male (N = 4 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.56–1.11 mm (0.87 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown; scape yellowish and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown; legs yellowish except metacoxa light yellow and transparent; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part and at stigmal vein less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 4.0× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.8× as long as wide, F1 1.8 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.4 × 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 1.2× as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and sickle-shaped and longer than width of F1 to F4.

HEAD. Head width 0.97–1.19× (1.19) head height; head width 1.89–2.29 × (2.00) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.13–1.18× (1.14) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.48–1.59 × (1.48) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow distinct, with distinct interocellar pit; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.96–1.25:1.00–1.25 (1.00:0.96:1.00); OOL 1.00–1.50× (1.50) 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 absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.13–1.26× (1.26) mesosoma width; Weber length 238–344 µm (300 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 straight; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.73–2.13 × (2.13) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.40–1.67 × (1.63) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.67–1.88 × (1.88) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.10–1.24 × (1.15) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.41–1.59× (1.41) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.52–1.67× (1.60) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and transparent in lateral view with pointed 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; short basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.79–3.30 × (3.16) width; stigmal vein longer than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 113–156 µm (156 µm); Weber length 1.87–2.20 × (1.92) genital length; gvc width 48–63 µm (63 µm); genital length 2.34–2.88× (2.50) gvc width; gvc width more than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.26 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 22C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 22A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 22B ); proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc convex, more strongly descending ventrally ( Fig. 22B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.68; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.13; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.74; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 22A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave in basal two thirds and straight in apical third, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 22B ), lateral margin straight, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 22A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, convex and diverging distolaterally in apical two thirds ( Fig. 22C ), apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe pointed, oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 22A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta between apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta more than one quarter as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least one apical seta on dorsolateral lobe, longest apical seta on dorsolateral lobe more than half as long as harpe, apical seta on dorsolateral lobe oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least two apical setae on ventral lobe, longest apical setae on ventral lobe less than one quarter as long as harpe, apical setae on ventral lobe oriented distodorsally, distolaterally and distoventrally; indistinct number of median setae on ventral lobe, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae with indistinct orientation. Aedeagus + gonossiculus three quarters as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus rounded ( Fig. 22A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus and distal half of gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The flagellum of ZFMK-HYM-00034396 darkens gradually from F1 to F9.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus guenteri sp. nov. can be easily distinguished from all other treated species by the shape of the harpes, reflected in the high harpe/gvc index (0.68) and the low dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index (0.13). The metacoxae of A. guenteri are light yellow and transparent, like other species of the fumipennis species group ( A. morriconei sp. nov., A. ndefu sp. nov. and A. ngai sp. nov.). The Nearctic A. albicoxalis Evans & Dessart, 2005 which is also part of the fumipennis species group and shows very light metacoxae, was described as the first known species with very light metacoxae in the genus Aphanogmus ( Evans et al. 2005) . However, very light metacoxae are apparently not exceptional in the genus Aphanogmus and can also be found in species of the clavicornis species group ( A. kakamegaensis sp. nov., A. njia sp. nov. and A. nehbergi sp. nov.).

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

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right middle leg is missing (except the coxa). The posterior part of the metasoma is deformed and detached, thus the body length measurement is not precise. Paratype NHMUK-013389005 was used in an unsuccessful DNA barcoding attempt, i.e., had been put in lysis buffer for non-destructive DNA extraction, and looks more transparent.

Figures

Fig. 22. Holotype of Aphanogmus guenteri sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037009). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view; inset: flagellomeres in detail.