Fidiobia semirufa, 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 : 75-76

Fidiobia semirufa sp. n.

Figs 13, 14

Etymology: From Latin semi and rufa, meaning “half-red”; in reference to the probably characteristic colour of this species.

Diagnosis: Antennae of male clavate, 9-segmented, with short A3 and A7–A8 distinctly transverse; mesoscutum reticulate-coriaceous, without notauli; body brightly coloured.

Description:

Male.

Body length 0.55 mm. Body light reddish brown with vertex, mesoscutum except anteriorly, and a large mid part of T2 darkened, blackish; A1–A5 and legs including coxae pale yellowish, A6–A9 slightly more brownish. Head from above ( Fig. 13 ) 2.3× as wide as long, as wide as mesosoma, dull, finely and uniformly reticulate­coriaceous. OOL hardly half as long as LOL, about equal to longer diameter of lateral ocellus. Head in frontal view 1.2× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 14 ) with A1 0.7× as long as height of head, as long as distance between inner orbits; A3 distinctly widened. Mesosoma 1.15× as long as wide, 1.4× as wide as high, finely reticulate­coriaceous, strongest on mesoscutum, this (and scutellum) being evenly covered by sparse, white setae, without notauli. Scutellum much more finely sculptured than mesoscutum, 3.0× as wide as long, 0.35× as long as mesoscutum. Metapleuron with a white, foamy structure along margins (except the anterior one), dorsal areas of propodeum also covered by white, foamy structures. Fore wing almost clear, about as long as entire body, 2.65× as long as wide, with fine and dense microtrichia; submarginal vein pale, 0.18× as long as wing; marginal cilia 0.1× width of wing. Hind wing with marginal cilia 0.4× width of wing. Metasoma 0.9× as long as mesosoma, narrower than the latter (11:14), smooth. T2 1.1× as wide as long, with two whitish transverse basal foveae to about 0.15 of length.

Comparison: A characteristic Afrotropical species on account of shape of antennae in combination with colouration and lack of notauli. Most similar to F. citri (Nixon, 1969) from Jamaica, but that species has distinctly more slender flagellar segments.

Holotype: ♂ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, Zogbégan, village part Zogbégan­Carriére (SE of Badou), at creek Elèbè , V-shaped valley near cocoa plantation downstream of village (07°34'50"N 00°40'03"E), 20–25. iv. 2008, 650 m, remains of secondary rainforest, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Figs 11–14. Fidiobia spp.: F.filicornis sp.n., male, (11) head in dorsal view, (12) antenna; F.semirufa sp. n., male, (13) head in dorsal view, (14) antenna.