Teasienna gibsoni sp. nov.

(Figs 100–110)

Diagnosis. Both sexes: legs uniformly pale (Fig. 100, 102); fore wing with distinct infumate cloud under marginal and stigmal veins (Figs 102, 110); body setation short (longest genal setae less than 1/5 length of tegula) and whitish (Figs 103–105, 107); mesosoma length about equal to width; fore wing speculum absent (Fig. 110).

Female: antenna (Fig. 105) with clava white, rest of flagellum dark brown; scape slightly surpassing level of vertex; antenna only slightly clavate, clava at most 1.4× as wide as F1; proximal funicular segments quadrate, distal funicular segments slightly transverse.

Male: clava slightly lighter than rest of dark brown flagellum, tip whitish (Fig. 106); scape almost reaching level of vertex.

The female’s white clava contrasting with dark funicular segments (Fig. 105) makes T. gibsoni unique among all known Teasienna species. The males closely resemble those of T. eirene, differing mostly in the lighter clava (Fig. 106) and longer scape.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♀ (deposited in CNC) [entire; on triangular card]. SOUTH AFRICA: ‘ S. Africa: Trans. 15 km. E. Klaserie, Guernsey Farm, 19-31.XII.1985, M. Sanborne’.

Allotype ♂. SOUTH AFRICA: ‘S. A.E. Trans . Guernsey Farm, 15 km. E. Klaserie, XII-19-31-1985, yellow mal., M. Sanborne’ (CNC).

Additional paratypes. SOUTH AFRICA: 4♀, same information as holotype (CNC); 12 ♀ and 1♂, same information as allotype; 1 ♀ ‘ South Africa: Transvaal, Graskop, 1500m, 11-19.XII.1985, W.R.M. Mason, MT’ (CNC) ; 1 ♀ ‘ South Africa: Transvaal, Hongony, 28-31.XII.1985, W.R.M. Mason’ (CNC) ; 1 ♀ ‘S. Africa: Transvaal, 15 km. E. Klaserie, 18-31.XII.1985, H.& A. Howden’ (CNC) ; 1 ♀ ‘ South Africa: Transvaal, Kruger Nat. Park, 16-18.XII.1985, PT, M. Sanborne’ (CNC) ; 3 ♂ ‘S. A.K.N.P. Skukuza, XII-12-15-1985, black mal., M. Sanborne’ (CNC) ; 2 ♂ ‘ South Africa: Transvaal, Kruger Nat. Park, 12-15.XII.1985, M. Sanborne’ (CNC) ; 1 ♂ ‘ South Africa: Transvaal, Kruger Nat. Park, Satara 15-18.XII.1985, S.&J. Peck’ (CNC) .

Description. Female. Body length: 1.7–2.8 mm.

Colour. Head and most of mesosoma blackish, with weak, mainly greenish reflections (Figs 103–105, 107); pronotum from yellowish-brown to dark brown (Figs 105, 107); membranous area between pronotum and fore coxa whitish (Fig. 108); propodeum brownish (Fig. 109). Gaster brown, lighter ventrally (Figs 100, 101). Eyes pale reddish-grey; ocelli whitish (Figs 103, 104). Antenna (Fig. 105) with scape pale yellow; pedicel brown; flagellum except clava mostly dark brown, F5 from light brown to dark brown, as dark (usually) or slightly lighter than preceding funicular segments; clava white. Mandibles yellowish, teeth reddish-brown (Fig. 103). Legs pale yellow except for brown pretarsi (Fig. 100). Fore wing (Fig. 110) with large brownish cloud under parastigma, marginal and stigmal veins, reaching cubital fold; tegula yellowish-brown; venation brown dorsally, paler ventrally (Fig. 110). Body setation whitish, wing setation brownish (Figs 103, 105, 107, 110).

Sculpture. Head and mesosoma smooth to finely coriaceous-alutaceous (Figs 103–105, 107); gaster smooth.

Structure. Head. Longest genal setae less than 1/5 length of tegula. Head in profile with face strongly convex at toruli level (Fig. 105). Lower margins of toruli about level with lower eye margins (Fig. 103). Scape slightly surpassing level of vertex (Fig. 105). Antenna only slightly clavate, clava about 1.3× as wide as F1 (7.0:5.5) (Fig. 105). Eyes broad oval, inner margins slightly diverging ventrally (Fig. 103); eye in lateral view slightly inclined relative to vertical axis of head (Fig. 105). Head width about 2.4× length in dorsal view (58:24) and about 1.3× height in frontal view (58:45). POL 1.2–1.5× as long as OOL (13:9). Eye height 1.25× length (25:20) and about 1.8× malar space (25:14). Scape length 1.2× eye height (30:25). Head width slightly longer than length of pedicel plus flagellum (58:55). F1 width 1.3–1.5× length (5.5:5.0); F5 width 1.4× length (7:5); clava length about 2.4× width (17:7).

Mesosoma. Scutellar spine small, hardly visible among dense setae (Fig. 107). Propodeum smooth, median carina fairly strong (Fig. 109). Fore wing (Fig. 110) completely setose, without speculum; parastigma with hyaline break. Mesosoma length subequal to width (50:48), width about 1.3× height (48:36). Mesoscutum width 2.4× length (48:20). Mesoscutellum length about 0.9× width (20:23). Propodeum length 0.25× mesoscutellum length (5:20). Fore wing length about twice width (98:48). MV length 2.4× width (12:5); SV 1.4–1.7× MV (18:12); PV about 2.4× MV (29:12).

Gaster. Short ovate, from slightly longer to distinctly shorter than head plus mesosoma (Figs 100, 101); length 1.2–1.5× width (79:55).

Male. Differs from the female mainly as follows. Body length: 1.7–2.1 mm. Clava light brown, lighter than funicular segments, extreme tip dirty white (Fig. 106); pronotum dorsally darker. Scape slightly shorter, reaching level of vertex; flagellum covered with denser and longer setae, sensilla less conspicuous; clava symmetric, without visible microsetation area (Fig. 106). Head width about 2.3× length in dorsal view and about 1.2× height in frontal view. POL 1.4–1.6× as long as OOL. Eye height 1.5× malar space. Head width 0.95× length of pedicel plus flagellum. F1 quadrate; F5 width 1.2–1.7× length; clava length about 2.3× width. Mesosoma length about 1.1× width, width about 1.2× height. Mesoscutellum length equal to width. Fore wing length about 2.1× width. MV length about 2.7× width; SV 1.6–1.9× MV; PV about 2.6× MV. Gaster shorter than head plus mesosoma (Fig. 102), length 1.1–1.4× width.

Distribution. South Africa.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. Named in honour of Dr. Gary Gibson (CNC), for his contribution to the systematics of Chalcidoidea .