Fidiobia tschirnhausi, 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 : 76-78

Fidiobia tschirnhausi sp. n.

Fig. 15

Etymology: Named after the collector, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Diagnosis: Mesoscutum strongly longitudinally striated over most of surface, without notauli; mesopleuron strongly longitudinally striated in upper half.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.55–0.90 mm. Black, T1 more or less dark brown; A1–A6 and legs including coxae light yellowish, tegulae and A7–A9 darker brown. Head from above ( Fig. 15 ) 2.3× as wide as long, 1.1× as wide as mesosoma, strongly and uniformly reticulate-coriaceous (not transversely so), hyperoccipital carina absent. OOL very short, less than half as long as diameter of lateral ocellus. Head in frontal view 1.2× as wide as high. Antenna 9-segmented, with A1 two-thirds as long as height of head, 1.2× as long as shortest distance between inner orbits; A2 twice as long as A3, which is slightly elongate and as long as A4–A5 combined; A6 almost twice as wide as A4–A5 but only two-thirds as wide as A7 and less than half as long; A7–A9 large, forming clava, A7 1.15× as wide as long, 1.3–1.6× as long as the more transverse A8; A9 about two-thirds to three-fourths as long as A7–A8 combined. Mesosoma ( Fig. 15 ) 1.1× as long as wide, 1.25× as wide as high. Sides of pronotum sculptured as head. Mesoscutum bare, strongly longitudinally striated, except along narrow lateral and anterior margins which are reticulate-coriaceous; notauli invisible. Mesopleuron strongly longitudinally striated in upper half over most of its length, smooth in lower half. Scutellum 2.6× as wide as long, strongly longitudinally striated all over (or with 12 distinct longitudinal carinae). Metapleuron smooth and bare antero-medially, along upper and lower margins and in posterior half with pilosity and having a white foamy structure. Metanotum and propodeum medially with a raised foamy whitish structure which in dorsal view is 1.2× as wide as long, slightly less than half as wide as scutellum (6:13), and as long. Fore wing 0.9× as long as entire body, 3.0× as long as wide, faintly infuscated, with fine and dense microtrichia; submarginal vein pale, slightly less than one­fifth as long as wing (9:48); marginal cilia absent. Hind wing 5.2× as long as wide; marginal cilia nearly 0.25× width of wing. Metasoma hardly shorter than head and mesosoma combined (27:28), sometimes as long, slightly narrower than mesosoma (18:19). T1 medially with four weak longitudinal carinae, on each side of these having a small transverse spot of short pubescence. T2 1.1× as long as wide, smooth except for two basal foveae reaching 0.35 of the length of tergite, foveae basally very inconspicously pubescent. Apical tergites hidden beneath T2 except for apex of T6, which is smooth.

Male.

Body length 0.50–0.55 mm. Antennae very similar to those of female; A3 not longer than wide and on inner side slightly pointed towards apex; A4–A5 small, A6 1.5× as wide as these, 0.6× as long as A7 and 0.6× as wide; A7 about 1.5× as wide as long, A8

twice as wide as long, A9 as long as A7–A8 combined. Metasoma shorter than rest of body (15:17).

Comparison: Similar to F. zebra Buhl, 2010 , from Tanzania but OOL shorter, and mesoscutum and mesopleuron more striated. The two species also differ as regards measurements of antennal segments (female A3 relatively shorter in F. zebra ), and foamy structure on metanotum of F. zebra is twice as wide as long. In smaller specimens of F. tschirnhausi, OOL is about as long as ocellus, but they are still more sculptured than in F. zebra , and notauli are completely absent, in contrast to in F. zebra , which has striation on mesoscutum more irregular than in F. tschirnhausi , the lateral striae in F. zebra being more separated, indicating notauli. Cf. also Buhl (2010).

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, Ouvêtsévé near Kpélé Élé (07°21'27"N 00°51'12"E), 15.iv. 2008, 345 m, creek bank within forest, diverse herb vegetation, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 1♂ (as well as two additional specimens used for SEM) Région des Plateaux, Zogbégan, village part Zogbégan­Carriére (SE of Badou), at creek Elèbè , V­shaped 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 ; 1♂ Région des Plateaux, Ikavi­Kopé, at river/brook Ekèbè (07°36'10"N 00°44'31"E), 21.iv. 2008, 535 m, brook, mud, dead wood, Anubias gigantea , adjacent to cocoa plantation, swept ; 4♀ 26♂ Région des Plateaux, E of Ounabe at the border between Préf. D’Amou and Préf. de Wawa, NW of Témédja, NW of Atakpamé, at creek Ofê (07°32'35"N 00°59'59"E), 19.iv. 2008, 705 m, remains of secondary rainforest at creek with coffee plantation, dense understorey, swept. All M. von Tschirnhaus .

Figures

Fig. 15. Fidiobia tschirnhausi sp. n., body in dorsal view. Scale bar = 100 μm.