Synopeas meieri, Buhl, 2014

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2014, New species and new records of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae from Togo (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), African Invertebrates 55 (1), pp. 68-68 : 108-111

Synopeas meieri sp. n.

Figs 73–76

Etymology: Named after the dipterologist Dr Rudolf Meier, who first brought me in contact with Dr von Tschirnhaus.

Diagnosis: A small species with head 1.2× as wide as mesosoma, with a distinct hyperoccipital carina; female A4 1.3× as long as A5,A9 1.3× as wide as long; scutellum ending in a tiny, low lamella; female metasoma about as long as rest of body, 1.2× as wide as high.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.80–0.95 mm. Head black, meso- and metasoma dark brown; A1–A6, mandibles and legs including coxae yellowish brown; A7–A10 dark brown. Head from above ( Figs 73–74 ) 1.9× as wide as long, 1.2× as wide as mesosoma, dull, finely reticulate-coriaceous, on occiput slightly transversely so; hyperoccipital carina distinct and complete but not well developed. OOL hardly as long as diameter of lateral ocellus; LOL= 3 OOL. Head in frontal view 1.15× as wide as high. Antenna with A1 0.85× as long as height of head, longer than distance between inner orbits (11:9); A2 about as long as A3–A4 combined; A4 almost twice as long as A3, 1.3× as long as A5; A9 about 1.3× as wide as long. Mesosoma ( Figs 73–74 ) 1.45× as long as wide, 1.1× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum faintly reticulate-coriaceous (not longitudinally so) in upper half, smooth below and along hind margin. Mesoscutum rather sparsely but evenly setose, finely reticulate­coriaceous, without notauli; mid lobe medially with a distinct smooth, flat, slightly brownish prolongation to base of scutellum; the wide scuto­scutellar grooves with dense white setation. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 75 ) densely setose all over, slightly raised along middle, ending behind in a tiny, low, oblique lamella. Metapleuron smooth, with long and dense whitish pilosity, except along narrow anterior margin. Propodeal carinae rounded, light brownish and translucent, fused. Fore wing slightly surpassing tip of metasoma, 0.75× as long as entire body, 2.6× as long as wide, clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia absent. Hind wing 6.6× as long as wide; marginal cilia 0.4× width of wing. Metasoma ( Figs 74 and 76 ) slightly shorter (22:24) to very slightly longer (28:27) than head and mesosoma combined, 0.9× as wide as mesosoma, 1.2× as wide as high. T1 and base of T2 with strong whitish pubescence. T2 smooth except for weak reticulation along narrow hind margin. T3–T6 distinctly reticulate-coriaceous all over, only apex of T6 smooth; apical tergites with very few, inconspicuous setae.

Comparison: This species runs to S. mazumbaiense Buhl, 2011 , or to S. goengeti Buhl, 1997 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but S. mazumbaiense is larger (at least 1.2 mm), with head hardly as wide as mesosoma, and metasoma down-curved at apex. S. goengeti has head only 1.6× as wide as long, a weak and incomplete hyperoccipital carina, and metasoma less elongate, wider than mesosoma.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, road from Atigba to Danyi–Apéyémé , at a tributary creek of river Danyi (07°11'04"N 00°41'31"E), 14.iv. 2008, 710 m, creek bank and below shrubs and bamboo, plantation, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 2♀ Région des Plateaux, Otandjobo near Zogbégan (SE of Badou), at river Otandjoboli (07°34'42"N 00°41'37"E), 21.iv. 2008, 500 m, at river, swept, cocoa plantation ; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, Klabé–Azafi, at river Gonobè (07°36'00"N 00°43'21"E), 21.iv. 2008, 485 m, remains of secondary rainforest at river, rotting oranges, grass along road, swept. All M. von Tschirnhaus .

Figures

Fig. 73–76. Synopeas meieri sp. n., female: (73) head and mesosoma in dorsal view, scale bar = 10 μm; (74) body in dorsal view, scale bar = 100 μm; (75) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (76) metasoma in dorsal view.