Platygaster planivertex, 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 : 98-100

Platygaster planivertex sp. n.

Figs 59, 60

Etymology: Derived from Latin plana (flat) as well as vertex (top of head); in reference to the characteristic flattened vertex.

Diagnosis: Head characteristically flat above, with vertex projecting over eyes; female A8–A9 each hardly longer than wide.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.90–1.20 mm. Black, T1 medium brown;A1–A6 and legs including coxae yellowish brown; mandibles, tegulae, A7–A10 and last segment of tarsi medium-dark brown. Head from above 2.15× as wide as long, fully 1.25× as wide as mesosoma (23:18); occiput transversely finely striated just around opening of neck, antero­medially with fine and dense oblique striation, towards sides finely and densely longitudinally striated; hyperoccipital carina absent; vertex behind ocelli transversely finely reticulatestriated, the rest reticulate-coriaceous (at most slightly transversely so); frons in about upper half smooth, along eyes weakly transversely reticulate-coriaceous, in lower half distinctly and transversely reticulate-striate. OOL=1.6 LOL. Head in frontal view ( Fig. 59 ) fully 1.25× as wide as high (23:18), characteristically flat above with vertex extended over eyes, angular there. Antenna with A1 0.9× as long as height of head, longer than distance between inner orbits (16:15); A2 0.9× as long as A3–A4 combined;A4 1.6× as long as wide, about 1.15× as long as A5; A6–A10 forming a clava, A8–A9 each hardly noticeably longer than wide. Mesosoma ( Fig. 60 ) 1.5× as long as wide, slightly more than 1.1× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum distinctly reticulate-striated longitudinally, smooth in large upper hind corners. Mesoscutum with very few setae, smooth except for slight rugosity along margins, anteriorly and along notauli, this being weak, not present in anterior 0.3; mid lobe posteriorly blunt, hardly extended but reaching base of scutellum, at each side with about seven moderately long setae over scuto-scutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum evenly convex, smooth and bare along middle, towards sides moderately densely setose. Metapleuron with pilosity all over. Propodeal carinae divergent, area between carinae about as long as its posterior width. Fore wing 0.85× as long as entire body, 2.7× as long as wide, almost clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia 0.12× width of wing. Hind wing 6.2× as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia 0.4× width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 60 ) about 0.9× the length of head and mesosoma combined, 0.8× as wide as mesosoma. T1 with a transverse depression around midlength, with fine longitudinal crenulation in front of it, smooth behind it. T2 without striation, in anterior 0.35 with two elongate basal foveae and a few setae, the following tergites also almost smooth, with setae in rather shallow punctures: four on T4, eight on T5, and about six on T6.

Comparison: Similar to P. hedayati Buhl, 2010 , from Tanzania in respect of head shape but with more transverse head, much shorter antennae, smoother T2, and lighter-coloured body appendages.

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.

Figures

Figs 59–60. Platygaster planivertex sp. n., female: (59) head in frontal view, scale bar = 10 μm; (60) body in lateral view, scale bar = 100 μm.