Ceraphron longiharpis, 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 : 224-228

Ceraphron longiharpis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B136EFBD-85B2-4F78-AEAB-4879175FDE81

Fig. 64

Diagnosis

Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt, lighter and emarginated end, exceeding end of mesosoma; mesoscutum width 1.18– 2.25 × (2.00) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.52–1.90 × (1.62) mesoscutellum width. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 1.74; dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, straight and slightly converging distomedially in apical two thirds, apex of harpe pointed, oriented distomedially; gvc width more than three quarters of gvc length; gvc width equal to distal gvc width; harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical third; apical and median setae distinctly crossing; genital length 2.44–3.10× (3.10) gvc width.

Etymology

The species name refers to the long harpes of the male genitalia.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°12′42.6 N, 34°55′52.3 E; 1615 m a.s.l.; 6 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 20; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036948 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′22.9 N, 34°51′21 E; 1594 m a.s.l.; 17 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 12; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036945 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′22.9 N, 34°51′21 E; 1594 m a.s.l.; 24 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 12; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036974 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′49.9 N, 34°52′16.1 E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 15; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036949 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°22′50.5 N, 34°49′21.4 E; 1623 m a.s.l.; 15 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 19; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036950 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′45.7 N, 34°52′2.8 E; 1573 m a.s.l.; 17 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 21; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036975 • 1 ♂; 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-00036976 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°22′45 N, 34°49′40.8 E; 1618 m a.s.l.; 11 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 27; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036947 • 1 ♂; 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-00036946 .

Description

Male (N = 5 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.91–1.35 mm (1.35 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except basal half of pro- and mesocoxa brown, proximal third of metacoxa brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 4.2× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.4× as long as wide, F1 1.9 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.3 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.6× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.4× as high as F9; numerous medium-sized multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and slightly shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.12–1.38 × (1.26) head height; head width 1.81–2.12 × (1.85) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.15–1.43× (1.15) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.53–1.67 × (1.67) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.34– 0.78:0.43–0.67 (1.00:0.58:0.50); OOL 2.08–2.33 × (2.29) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus distinctly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.02–1.13× (1.05) mesosoma width; Weber length 331–444 µm (419 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 concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.18–2.25 × (2.00) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.36–1.85 × (1.54) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.52–1.90× (1.62) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.00–1.15 × (1.05) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.15–1.29 × (1.29) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.34–1.60× (1.60) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt, lighter and emarginated end, exceeding end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus indistinct; posterior propodeal projection distinctly short and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb distinct. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least six distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.63–3.14 × (2.63) width; stigmal vein shorter than 3 × pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 138–194 µm (194 µm); Weber length 2.15–2.68 × (2.16) genital length; gvc width 56–72 µm (63 µm); genital length 2.44–3.10 × (3.10) gvc width; gvc width more than three quarters of gvc length; gvc width equal to distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc straight; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 64C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 64A ); ventral area of gvc straight; dorsal area of gvc straight ( Fig. 64B ), indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc slightly emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 64B ). Harpe finger-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 1.74; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 64A, C ); ventral margin of harpe concave, dorsal margin slightly convex in basal third and straight in apical two thirds ( Fig. 64B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 64A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes not touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe straight and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal third, straight and slightly converging distomedially in apical two thirds ( Fig. 64C ), apex of harpe pointed, oriented slightly distomedially ( Fig. 64A, C ). Harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical third, longest lateral setae more than one third as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae, longest apical setae one third as long as harpe, apical setae distinctly crossing and oriented distodorsally, distolaterally and distomedially; harpe with at least four median setae restricted to apical third, longest median setae less than one third as long as harpe, median setae distinctly crossing and oriented distomedially, distoventrally and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than one third as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus broad ( Fig. 64A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at apical third of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Larger types have a higher harpe/gvc index (ZFMK-HYM-00036948, ZFMK-HYM-00036949, ZFMK- HYM-00036976) than smaller types (ZFMK-HYM-00036945, ZFMK-HYM-00036946, ZFMK- HYM-00036947, ZFMK-HYM-00036950, ZFMK-HYM-00036974, ZFMK-HYM-00036975). White, thick setae on the upper face are less distinct in ZFMK-HYM-00036945, ZFMK-HYM-00036946, ZFMK-HYM-00036947 and ZFMK-HYM-00036950, and posterolateral processes of the gena are present in ZFMK-HYM-00036949. The anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is slightly bifurcated at the end in ZFMK-HYM-00036945, and the posterior mesosomal comb is indistinct in ZFMK-HYM-00036945, ZFMK-HYM-00036946 and ZFMK-HYM-00036947. ZFMK-HYM-00036946 has at least eight basal longitudinal carinae on the syntergum. The paratype ZFMK-HYM-00036950 differs from all other specimens in the following characters: the scutoscutellar sulcus is straight, the anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex is straight in lateral view and extending to the end of the mesosoma, the metasoma is light brown, the flagellum is light brown-yellowish and slightly lightening from F1 to F9. The setae on the harpe are slightly differently arranged and the harpe/gvc index is 1.33. Considering the indicated positive correlation between body size and harpe/gvc index and many characters shared with the other specimens (see diagnosis), we treat ZFMK-HYM-00036950 here as conspecific but slightly odd representative of C. longiharpis sp. nov.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron longiharpis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other treated species by the distinctly high harpe/gvc index (1.33–1.74).

Condition of type material

Holotype is immaculate.

Figures

Fig. 64. Holotype of Ceraphron longiharpis sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036948). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.