Aphanogmus ukanda, 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 : 128-132

Aphanogmus ukanda sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D5401007-1D28-442A-B321-65521736AF9A

Fig. 35

Diagnosis

Legs yellowish; Weber length 1.51–1.70 × (1.70) mesoscutellum length; fore wing length 3.05–3.28 × (3.28) width. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.37; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.80; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.95; dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave from base to apex; genital length 2.54–3.00× (2.54) gvc width; Weber length 1.42–1.55 × (1.55) genital length.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ ukanda ’ which means ‘belt’, with reference to the sampling locations in the rainforest of Gabon, close to the west coast of Central Africa, and in the Kakamega Forest of Kenya, the easternmost remnant of the Guineo-Congolian rainforest belt.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°22′43.7 N, 34°41′57.3 E; 1452 m a.s.l.; 25 Aug. 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 35; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037016 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 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-00034435 • 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; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034436 .

GABON • 1 ♂; Ogooué-Ivindo, Ivindo NP, Makokou ; 00°30′44 N, 12°46′12 E; 518 m a.s.l.; 13–16 Sep. 2012; R.S. Peters leg.; forest near station; Pitfall trap; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037094 .

Description

Male (N = 4 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.78–0.98 mm (0.98 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown-yellowish; scape yellowish and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown; legs yellowish; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part and distal part less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 4.3× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 3.1× as long as wide, F1 2.3 × 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 1.5× as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and sickle-shaped and longer than width of at least F1 to F4.

HEAD. Head width 1.15–1.21× (1.15) head height; head width 1.95–2.08 × (2.00) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.10–1.30× (1.24) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.50–1.59 × (1.54) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow distinct; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:1.00– 1.33:0.73–0.96 (1.00:1.08:0.85); OOL 1.20–1.69 × (1.63) 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 1.18–1.24 × (1.24) mesosoma width; Weber length 269–319 µm (319 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 2.07–2.22× (2.12) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.53–1.67 × (1.59) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.76–1.90 × (1.76) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.10–1.24 × (1.11) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.28–1.42 × (1.42) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.51–1.70× (1.70) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and transparent in lateral view with pointed end, extending to end of mesosoma; 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 indistinct.

FORE WING. Length 3.05–3.28 × (3.28) width; stigmal vein longer than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 188–225 µm (206 µm); Weber length 1.42–1.55 × (1.55) genital length; gvc width 66–81 µm (81 µm); genital length 2.54–3.00× (2.54) gvc width; gvc width more than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.53 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 35C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 35A ); ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 35B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 35B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.37; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.80; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.95; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc flush ( Fig. 35A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 35B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 35A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave from base to apex ( Fig. 35C ), apex of ventral lobe pointed and apex of dorsolateral lobe slightly rounded, apex of ventral lobe slightly oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 35A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae between apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe restricted to apical third, longest lateral setae half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; 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 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 pointed ( Fig. 35A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least four distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

In ZFMK-HYM-00037094, the ventral area of the gvc is slightly differently structured and the contrast between the yellowish scape and the brownish pedicel and flagellum is higher than in the holotype. Pro- and mesocoxa of ZFMK-HYM-00034436 are light brown. Pairs of translucent patches on the metasomal syntergum and synsternum are visible in all paratypes but indistinct in the holotype.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter ( Kenya) or with pitfall trap ( Gabon).

Distribution

Afrotropical: Gabon and Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

The distinctly uniformly coloured yellowish legs of A. ukanda sp. nov. resemble the legs of specimen ZFMK-HYM-00037038, which we identified as A. reticulatus ( Fouts, 1934) (see also treatment of A. reticulatus ). However, the species are easily distinguishable by antennal and male genitalia characters.

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

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the metasoma is deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise. Paratype ZFMK-HYM-00037094 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. Paratype ZFMK-HYM-00037094 was collected later than the holotype and the other paratypes, i.e., storage time in ethanol was shorter, which might explain its stronger antennal colour contrast.

tenuicornis species group after Evans et al. (2005)

Figures

Fig. 35. Holotype of Aphanogmus ukanda sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037016). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.