Ceraphron breviharpis, 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 : 148-151

Ceraphron breviharpis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C958F9E4-1953-438D-B7B0-DD97134C5F5C

Fig. 41

Diagnosis

F8 and F9 concolourous with F1 and F2; scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined; dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; head width 1.69–1.79 × (1.79) interorbital space; mesoscutellum length 1.34–1.32× (1.34) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.93 × (0.93) posterior mesoscutal width; anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex absent. Male genitalia: harpe triangular in ventral and dorsal view and indented apically in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.33; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex from base to apex, apex of harpe pointed; gvc width slightly less than gvc length; Weber length 3.41–3.78× (3.41) genital length; genital length 1.38–1.42 × (1.42) gvc width; harpe with at least one lateral seta on indentation restricted to apical third; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximolaterally; distolateral margin of gvc descending dorsally; genitalia moderately sclerotized with weakest sclerotization at harpe and median gvc.

Etymology

The species name is a composition of the Latin word ‘ brevis ’, which means ‘short’, and the anatomical term ‘harpe’, with reference to the short harpes of the male genitalia.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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-00036972 .

Paratype

KENYA • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; ZFMK-HYM-00036973 .

Description

Male (N = 2 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.19–1.48 mm (1.19 mm).

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma light brown; scape and pedicel light brown, flagellum brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F7, F8 and F9 concolourous with F1 and F2; legs yellowish; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 3.6 × as long as pedicel, scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.3× as long as wide, F1 2.1× as long as pedicel, F1 1.1× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 2.1 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2× as high as F9; numerous small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.17–1.23 × (1.23) head height; head width 1.69–1.79 × (1.79) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.29–1.36× (1.29) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.73–1.78 × (1.78) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.57– 0.70:0.36–0.48 (1.00:0.70:0.48); OOL 2.10–2.80 × (2.10) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus slightly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.94–0.97× (0.97) mesosoma width; Weber length 394–425 µm (394 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.77–1.79 × (1.79) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.42–1.45 × (1.45) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.34–1.32× (1.34) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 0.93 × (0.93) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.21–1.24× (1.21) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.62–1.66 × (1.62) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex absent; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection indistinct in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) absent; diffuse number of indistinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.73–2.79 × (2.79) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 113–116 µm (116 µm); Weber length 3.41–3.78× (3.41) genital length; gvc width 81 µm (81 µm); genital length 1.38–1.42× (1.42) gvc width; gvc width slightly less than gvc length; gvc width 1.13 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 41C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximolaterally ( Fig. 41A ); ventral area of gvc convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 41B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending dorsally ( Fig. 41B ). Harpe triangular in ventral and dorsal view and indented apically in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.33; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc virtually flush ( Fig. 41A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slighty concave, dorsal margin straight ( Fig. 41B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 41A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex from base to apex ( Fig. 41C ), apices of harpe pointed ( Fig. 41B ). At least one lateral seta on indentation restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta more than three quarters as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least one apical seta on each apex, longest apical setae three quarters as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least four median setae, longest median setae half as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus divided ( Fig. 41A, C ) and as ventral as dorsal apex harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with weakest sclerotization at harpe and median gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron breviharpis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other treated species of Ceraphron by a very short scape, the absence of the anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex, the absence of the basal transverse carina of the petiole (on syntergum), and very unique male genitalia with an apical indentation, a combination of characters that otherwise can only be found in some species of the genus Aphanogmus . However, based on the current genus diagnoses, the assignment of C. breviharpis to Ceraphron is clear.

Condition of type material

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

Figures

Fig. 41. Holotype of Ceraphron breviharpis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036972). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.