Synopeas watsoni, 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 : 113-115

Synopeas watsoni sp. n.

Figs 85–88

Etymology: Named in honour of the eminent South African biologist Lyall Watson (1939–2008).

Diagnosis:A small species, with head uniformly isodiametrically reticulate-coriaceous; female A4–A5 of equal length; A9 fully 1.5× as wide as long; notauli absent; scutellum in lateral view slightly below level of mesoscutum and only slightly pointed behind; fore wing 2.5–2.7× as long as wide; female metasoma shorter than mesosoma, 1.5× as long as wide and 1.4× as wide as high.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.7–0.8 mm. Black, A1–A6 and legs light brownish, coxae, last segment of tarsi and sometimes apical 0.4 of hind tibiae slightly darker; A7–A10, mandibles and tegulae dark brown. Head from above ( Fig. 85 ) 1.8–1.9× as wide as long, 1.15× as wide as mesosoma, dull, distinctly and uniformly reticulate-coriaceous (not transversely so); hyperoccipital carina distinct and complete. OOL equal to diameter of lateral ocellus; LOL= 3 OOL. Head in frontal view 1.15× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 86 ) with A1 0.75× as long as height of head, 1.0–1.1× as long as distance between inner orbits; A9 about 1.55× as wide as long. Mesosoma 1.5× as long as wide, 1.15× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum reticulate-coriaceous, smooth in lower half and along wide hind margin. Mesoscutum evenly and moderately densely setose, finely and uniformly reticulatecoriaceous, without notauli; hind margin medially slightly pointed to base of scutellum, at each side with 5–6 long setae over scuto-scutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 87 ) sculptured much as mesoscutum but more densely setose, slightly pointed behind but without a distinct tooth, dark brown here as are propodeal carinae, these being high and fused. Metapleuron with whitish pilosity all over (sparse in anterior 0.4). Fore wing clear, 2.5–2.7× as long as wide, 0.9× as long as entire body, surpassing tip of metasoma by a distance equal to length of T2, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia absent. Hind wing 6.8× as long as wide; marginal cilia slightly less than half the width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 88 ) hardly 0.9× as long as mesosoma, and 0.9× as wide, 1.4× as wide as high. T2 with a weak, medial longitudinal depression between the two tufts of pubescence, otherwise smooth. T3–T6 with reticulate microsculpture and a few inconspicuous setae inserted in shallow punctures (eight on each of T5–T6, fewer on T3–T4).

Male.

Body length 0.65 mm.Antenna with A4 inconspicuously widened towards apex; A7–A10 forming a clava, A8–A9 each about 1.2× as wide as long; flagellar pubescence only slightly more conspicuous than in female. Metasoma 0.8–0.9× as long as mesosoma.

Comparison: This species does not fit well into Buhl’s (2011 b) key. It is most similar to S. fibigeri Buhl, 2011 , but S. fibigeri has meshes on occiput slightly transverse and more distinct than on rest of head, which in frontal view is 1.25× as wide as high. Moreover, S. fibigeri has slightly longer OOL and slightly more elongate flagellar segments than S. watsoni , more extensive sculptured sides of pronotum, notauli evident posteriorly, scutellum at level of mesoscutum and having a stronger tooth, propodeal carinae slightly separated, fore wing only 2.35× as long as wide, longer than body, pubescence at base of metasoma hardly 0.25× as long as T1–T2 combined (in S. watsoni fully one-third of the length of T1–T2 combined), and it is lighter in colour than S. watsoni . Cf. also Buhl (2011 a).

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, main road between Agbanon and Agoté, at creek Tomezuitoe (07°15'53"N 00°47'51"E), 15.iv. 2008, 360 m, creek bank at teak forest ( Tectona grandis ), shady cocoa plantation, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 1♀ 2♂ Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, near Atigba (07°09'52"N 00°41'33"E), 14.iv. 2008, 775 m, remains of secondary rainforest, underwood, forest plantation, road side with much Sida acuta Burm. F. , swept, M. von Tschirnhaus .

Figures

Figs 85–88. Synopeas watsoni sp. n., female: (85) head in dorsal view; (86) antenna; (87) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (88) metasoma in dorsal view.