Aphanogmus ndefu, 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 : 99-103

Aphanogmus ndefu sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BFC5AD90-6C92-4031-99E6-2025A9D30C7C

Fig. 27

Diagnosis

Metacoxa light yellow and transparent; distal end of marginal vein and pterostigma marginal vein distinctly darker; maximum eye diameter 1.24–1.43× (1.43) minimum eye diameter. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.44; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.18; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.61; dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal quarter, straight and slightly diverging distolaterally between basal and apical quarters, concave and diverging distolaterally in apical quarter; genital length 2.91–3.08 × (2.91) gvc width.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ ndefu ’ which means ‘long’, with reference to the high genital length to gvc width ratio.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°14′6.1 N, 34°52′9.2 E; 1605 m a.s.l.; 4 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 23; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037011 .

Paratype

KENYA • 1 ♂; Western Province, 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-00034403 .

Description

Male (N = 2 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.06–1.09 mm (1.09 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown; scape yellowish and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except pro- and mesocoxa light brown, metacoxa light yellow and transparent; 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 stigmal vein less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 3.7× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.9× as long as wide, F1 2.0 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.3 × 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 distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and sickle-shaped and longer than width of F1 to F4.

HEAD. Head width 1.11–1.17× (1.11) head height; head width 1.96–2.00 × (2.00) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.24–1.43 × (1.43) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.50 × (1.50) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.77–0.92:0.65– 0.73 (1.00:0.77:0.73); OOL 1.30–1.58 × (1.58) 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 1.14–1.17 × (1.14) mesosoma width; Weber length 319–350 µm (350 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 2.00–2.21 × (2.21) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.58–1.63 × (1.63) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.79–1.89× (1.89) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.13–1.16 × (1.16) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.33–1.34 × (1.33) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.50–1.56× (1.56) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and transparent in lateral view with blunt 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; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.77–3.20 × (2.77) width; stigmal vein longer than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 200–231 µm (200 µm); Weber length 1.38–1.75 × (1.75) genital length; gvc width 69–75 µm (69 µm); genital length 2.91–3.08 × (2.91) gvc width; gvc width less than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.27 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 27C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 27A ); ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 27B ), indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc slightly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 27B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe triangular in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.44; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.18; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.61; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 27A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight in basal half and slightly convex in apical half, dorsal margin slightly convex ( Fig. 27B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 27A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal quarter, straight and slightly diverging distolaterally between basal and apical quarters, concave and diverging distolaterally in apical quarter ( Fig. 27C ), apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe slightly rounded, slightly oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 27A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta between apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe restricted to apical half (not visible in Fig. 27A–C ), 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 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 two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct ( Fig. 27A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

The anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is slightly shorter in ZFMK-HYM-00034403.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus ndefu sp. nov. is similar to A. ukanda sp. nov. and A. ngai sp. nov. in having very elongated male genitalia, i.e., high genital length to gvc width ratios. However, A. ndefu has a distinctly lower dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index (0.18) and a distinctly lower dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index (0.61) than A. ukanda (0.80 and 0.95) and A. ngai (0.66 and 0.81).

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under A. guenteri sp. nov. and A. taji sp. nov.

Condition of type material

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

Figures

Fig. 27. Holotype of Aphanogmus ndefu sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037011). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.