Aphelopus vernonensis, Olmi, 2009

Olmi, Massimo, 2009, New species of South African Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 447-447 : 449-450

Aphelopus vernonensis sp. n.

Fig. 3

Etymology:This species is named after the type locality, Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve.

Description:

Male.

Fully winged; length 1.56 mm. Head black, with mandibles and clypeus testaceous; antennae brown, with segment 1 testaceous; mesosoma black; gaster brown; legs testaceous.Antennae filiform; antennal segments in the proportions 3:3.5:4:4:4:5:5:5:5:8. Head dull, granulated; frontal line present only in anterior half of face; occipital carina complete; POL=6; OL=3; OOL=3; OPL=2; TL=2; greatest diameter of posterior ocelli as long as OPL. Scutum dull, granulated. Notauli incomplete, reaching about 0.3 length of scutum. Scutellum dull, granulated. Metanotum shiny, without sculpture. Propodeum reticulate rugose. Forewing hyaline, without dark transverse bands; stigmal vein regularly curved. Basivolsella ( Fig. 3 ) not having a basal lateral process, but with a distal lateral process. Tibial spurs 1,1,2.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype: ơ SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Vernon Crookes Nat. Res., 30 ° 17.4'S: 30 ° 36.9'E, alt. 250 m, 24.i–10.v.2006, Malaise trap in closed-canopy indigenous forest, M. Mostovski; “ Aphelopus vernonensis sp. n. M. Olmi det. 2008, ơ” [red label] ( NMSA).

Hosts: Unknown.

Comparison: A. vernonensis is similar to A. wittei Benoit, 1951 (see Benoit 1951 b), but the basivolsella of the male genitalia has a lateral distal process ( Fig. 3 ), whereas in A. wittei this process is absent ( Fig. 4 ).

Figures

Figs 3, 4. Genitalia: (3) Aphelopus vernonensis sp. n., male holotype, scale bar = 0.04 mm; (4) Aphelopus wittei Benoit, male from Yemen, Sana’a, scale bar = 0.06 mm.