Platygaster liga, 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 : 94-96

Platygaster liga sp. n.

Figs 47–50

Etymology: Named in honour of Latvian artist Liga Puķīte (Mainz) .

Diagnosis: A small species with head nearly 1.4× as wide as mesosoma, without hyperoccipital carina, transversely reticulate­coriaceous behind, entire frons finely obliquely striated; female A9 very slightly longer than wide; notauli faintly indicated in posterior half of mesoscutum, mid lobe just reaching base of scutellum, this being evenly convex; fore wing 2.85× as long as wide; female metasoma only 0.8× as long as rest of body, T1 with two strong and complete carinae, T2 striated in and between basal foveae to 0.5.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.80 mm. Dark brown, T1 reddish brown; A1–A6, mandibles, tegulae and legs including coxae light yellowish brown; A7–A10 and last segment of tarsi darkened. Head from above ( Fig. 47 ) 2.2× as wide as long, almost 1.4× as wide as mesosoma, rounded behind; occiput dull, transversely finely reticulate­coriaceous; vertex shiny, between ocelli with transverse reticulation, laterally unevenly reticulate-coriaceous; frons obliquely finely reticulate­striate all over. OOL=1.5 LOL. Head in frontal view almost 1.4× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 48 ) with A1 0.8× as long as height of head, shorter than distance between inner orbits (11:12); A9 very slightly longer than wide (hardly 1.1×). Mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide, 1.1× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum longitudinally finely reticulate­coriaceous except along narrow margins. Mesoscutum weakly reticulate-coriaceous, becoming almost smooth in posterior third and inside tegulae, with very few setae; notauli faintly indicated in about posterior half, well separated behind; mid lobe slightly prolonged to base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves each with only two fine setae. Mesopleuron smooth except for 3–4 short, weak longitudinal wrinkles just below tegula. Scutellum ( Fig. 49 ) very sparsely setose, smooth, evenly convex. Metapleuron dull, with pilosity all over. Propodeal carinae parallel; area between them slightly transverse, smooth and shiny. Fore wing 0.8× as long as entire body, 2.85× as long as wide, almost clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.08× width of wing. Hind wing 6.4× as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia one-third of the width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 50 ) about 0.8× as long as head and mesosoma combined, 0.85× as wide as mesosoma. T1 with several short longitudinal carinae along anterior margin (in at most anterior third), but with only two strong and complete longitudinal carinae. T2 striated in and between basal foveae to about half of its length. Apical tergites with faint traces of reticulation, and each tergite, except the bare T3, having eight shallow punctures with setae.

Comparison: This species runs to P. malaisei Buhl, 2005 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key, but that species is larger and has head only 1.2× as wide as mesosoma, OOL:LOL=6:5, fore wing only 2.2× as long as wide, and metasoma as long as rest of body with T1 evenly crenulated and T2 only very shortly striated medially.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, S of Ahassomé near river/brook Mono, NW of Tado (NW of Tohoun) (07°11'12"N 01°28'54"E until 07°11'12"N 01°32'14"E), 7.iv.2008, 95 m, teak forest ( Tectona grandis ) and path to river bank with Cyperaceae , Icacinaceae , Tridax procumbens (L.), partly swampy ground, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Figs 47–50. Platygaster liga sp. n., female: (47) head in dorsal view; (48) antenna; (49) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (50) metasoma in dorsal view.