Aphanogmus nehbergi, 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 : 51-54

Aphanogmus nehbergi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:491DB9AB-C0DA-4106-984B-EE4E1B575FD1

Fig. 12

Diagnosis

Legs light brown except joints, tarsi and metacoxa lighter; scape longer than F1 and F2 combined. Male genitalia: harpe finger-shaped apicoventrally in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.47; ventromedial margins of harpes not touching at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe convex in basal half, straight in apical half and apical part diverging distolaterally, apex of harpe rounded, oriented distolaterally; ventral margin of harpe slightly convex in basal three quarters, concave in apical quarter, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, concave in middle part, straight and oriented distoventrally in apical part, lateral margin straight in basal half, concave in apical half.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of the survival expert and human rights activist Rüdiger Nehberg (1935–2020). In addition to his breathtaking and inspiring adventures, he has also campaigned for the protection of indigenous peoples and the fight against female genital mutilation.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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-00037018 .

Description

Male

BODY LENGTH. 0.80 mm.

COLOUR. Head brown, mesosoma brown, metasoma brown; scape light brown except proximal third lighter and pedicel light brown, flagellum light brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs light brown except joints, tarsi and metacoxa lighter; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc hyaline and slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 3.7× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.6× as long as wide, F1 1.8 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.2 × 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 1.1× as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and longer than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.16 × head height; head width 1.69 × interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.21 × minimum eye diameter; head height 1.65 × 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 1.00:0.88:0.63; OOL 2.29 × lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus slightly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.13 × mesosoma width; Weber length 281 µm. Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus absent; interaxillar sulcus superficial, scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation, scutoscutellar sulcus straight; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum slightly projecting and setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.80 × mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.40 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.70 × mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.21 × posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.25 × mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.32 × mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex absent; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection absent; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) absent; longitudinal carinae on syntergum absent; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.71 × width; stigmal vein slightly longer thanpterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 106 µm; Weber length 2.65 × genital length; gvc width 56 µm; genital length 1.89 × gvc width; gvc width three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.05 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc strongly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc slightly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 12C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 12A ); ventral area of gvc slightly concave; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 12B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending dorsally ( Fig. 12B ). Harpe finger-shaped apicoventrally in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.47; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 12A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly convex in basal three quarters, concave in apical quarter, dorsal margin indistinct in basal part, concave in middle part, straight and oriented distoventrally in apical part ( Fig. 12B ), lateral margin straight in basal half, concave in apical half, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 12A, C ); ventromedial margins of harpes not touching at distoventral margin of gvc, ventromedial margin of harpe convex in basal half, straight in apical half and apical part diverging distolaterally ( Fig. 12C ), apex of harpe rounded, oriented distolaterally ( Fig. 12A, C ). Harpe with at least two lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae less than half as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least four apical setae, longest apical setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least four median setae restricted to apical third, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae oriented distodorsally and distomedially. Aedeagus + gonossiculus less than one quarter as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus indistinct ( Fig. 12A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two digital teeth, oriented ventrally. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Unknown.

Biology

Host unknown, specimen collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

See remarks under A. ashitakai sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left hind wing, and the left harpe of the male genitalia are missing. The posterior part of the metasoma is deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 12. Holotype of Aphanogmus nehbergi sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037018). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.