Aphanogmus pilosicoxa, 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 : 110-114

Aphanogmus pilosicoxa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DA837E32-7B91-457C-BE4A-9EC360E53FB9

Fig. 30

Diagnosis

Head light brown-amber, mesosoma light brown-amber; head width 1.19–1.41× (1.32) head height; OOL:LOL 1.69–2.00 (1.69); preoccipital carina absent; posterior mesosomal comb distinct and densely setose. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.57; dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight in short basal part, concave in almost basal two thirds, convex in apical third with indentation below apex; median setae of harpe distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially and medioventrally; aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least one ventrobasal seta; Weber length 1.37–1.91× (1.37) genital length.

Etymology

The species name is a composition of ‘coxa’ and the Latin word ‘ pilosus ’ which means ‘hairy’, with reference to the distinct and densely setose posterior mesosomal comb. Especially the posterior metacoxa is densely setose.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037012 .

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-013389010 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389011 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00781 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 14 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034411 ) • 3 ♂♂; 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; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034412 to ZFMK-HYM-00034414 • 1 ♂; 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; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00782 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′6.1 N, 34°52′9.2 E; 1605 m a.s.l.; 28 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 23; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037013 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; 4 Sep. 2007; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034408 ) • 2 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°20′52.5 N, 34°51′53 E; 1611 m a.s.l.; 6 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 25; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034409 , ZFMK-HYM-00034410 • 4 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°12′09 N, 34°52′06 E; 1553 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 28; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034415 to ZFMK- HYM-00034418 .

Description

Male (N = 4 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.53–0.82 mm (0.67 mm).

COLOUR. Head light brown-amber, mesosoma light brown-amber, metasoma light brown; scape yellowish and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs light brown; fore wing venation light brown, distal end of marginal vein and pterostigma marginal vein distinctly darker, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part and at proximal half of stigmal vein less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 4.0× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.4× as long as wide, F1 1.7× as long as pedicel, F1 1.5× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.8 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3 × as high as F9; few distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and longer than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.19–1.41× (1.32) head height; head width 1.80–2.00 × (1.88) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.17–1.39× (1.17) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.54–1.68 × (1.62) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina absent. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.75– 1.04:0.50–0.59 (1.00:1.04:0.59); OOL 1.69–2.35× (1.69) 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 1.11–1.22 × (1.22) mesosoma width; Weber length 231–281 µm (231 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 sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 2.00 × (2.00) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.47–1.58× (1.47) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.45–1.65× (1.59) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.94–1.12 × (1.08) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.09–1.24 × (1.09) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.37–1.55 × (1.37) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt end, exceeding end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection distinctly short in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb distinct and densely setose. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least five, distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.86–3.05 × (2.86) width; stigmal vein shorter than 2 × pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 138–188 µm (169 µm); Weber length 1.37–1.91× (1.37) genital length; gvc width 63–75 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.20–2.50 × (2.45) gvc width; gvc width less than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.19× distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 30C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 30A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc straight ( Fig. 30B ); proximolateral margin of gvc slightly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc slightly convex, more strongly descending dorsally ( Fig. 30B ). Harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.57; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 30A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin slightly convex in basal half and straight in apical half ( Fig. 30B ), lateral margin sligthly convex in basal half and straight in apical half, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 30A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight in short basal part, concave in almost basal two thirds, convex in apical third with indentation below apex ( Fig. 30C ), apex of harpe rounded, oriented distomedially ( Fig. 30A, C ). Harpe with at least one ventral seta restricted to apical quarter, longest ventral seta more than one third as long as harpe, ventral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least four apical setae, longest apical setae more than one third as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least three median setae restricted to apical quarter, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus one third as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus divided ( Fig. 30A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least four digital teeth, oriented dorsally and with at least one ventrobasal seta. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

ZFMK-HYM-00037013 has a lighter body colouration.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus pilosicoxa sp. nov. is very similar to A. fraterculus sp. nov. in body colouration and habitus. However, there are major differences in the male genitalia: the harpe/gvc index 0.57 is lower in A. pilosicoxa than in A. fraterculus (0.68) and the Weber length to genital length ratio is lower in A. pilosicoxa (1.37–1.91) than in A. fraterculus (2.19–2.83). The proportion of the gvc width to length is less than two thirds in A. pilosicoxa and more than three quarters in A. fraterculus . Even more striking differences concern the harpes: the medial margin of the harpe is indented below the apex in A. pilosicoxa but not in A. fraterculus . Furthermore, the setal arrangement of the genitalia of A. fraterculus is conspicuous with crossing median setae which are arranged in the basal two thirds (missing in A. pilosicoxa ). The aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least four digital teeth is well developed in A. pilosicoxa but distinctly smaller in A. fraterculus . The aedeagus + gonossiculus of A. pilosicoxa is very similar to A. simbai sp. nov. in having at least four digital teeth, and being equipped with at least one ventrobasal seta. However, the aedeagus + gonossiculus is almost three quarters as long as the harpe in A. simbai and only one third as long as the harpe in A. pilosicoxa . Also, the harpes of both species are differently shaped and the body colouration is distinctly darker and less amber coloured in A. simbai than in A. pilosicoxa .

A very distinct character that is shared between A. pilosicoxa sp. nov., A. fraterculus sp. nov., and A. simbai sp. nov. is the distinct and densely setose posterior mesosomal comb. Dessart (1963a) described the same distinct character (“la palissade de soies coxopleurales”) for A. fumipennis Thomson, 1858 . Dessart (1963a) complemented the description of A. fumipennis with a drawing of the male genitalia, which are similar to those of A. pilosicoxa sp. nov., A. fraterculus , and A. simbai . Dessart (1963a) noted that the angle of the harpes (“paramères”) to the gvc (“complexe édéage-volselles”) is very characteristic for A. fumipennis , i.e., the harpes are distinctly curved in ventral direction, more than in A. pilosicoxa , A. fraterculus , and A. simbai .

In addition to the differential diagnostic comparisons above, A. pilosicoxa sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other treated species by the combination of a light brown-amber head and mesosoma, and the dorsomedial margin of the harpe with an indentation below the apex.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the posterior part of the metasoma is slightly deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 30. Holotype of Aphanogmus pilosicoxa sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037012). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.