Leptacis togoensis, 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 : 88-89

Leptacis togoensis sp. n.

Figs 35–38

Etymology: Named after the country of the type locality, Togo.

Diagnosis:A small species with distinct hyperoccipital carina; female A4 about 1.4× as long as A3, hardly longer than the widened A5; A8–A9 each slightly transverse, rather strongly pointed at apex on inner side; scutellar spine half as long as propodeum; fore

wing with marginal cilia one-third the width of wing; female metasoma 0.8× as long as rest of body.

Description:

Female.

Body length 0.60 mm. Black, T1 brown; A1–A6, mandibles, tegulae and legs more or less light brownish, apical third of hind tibiae and last segment of tarsi darkened; A7–A10 dark brownish. Head from above ( Fig. 35 ) 1.95× as wide as long, 1.15× as wide as mesosoma; occiput transversely reticulate-coriaceous; hyperoccipital carina distinct and complete but low; vertex distinctly reticulate-coriaceous; frons with very weak, slightly transverse meshes. OOL very short, lateral ocelli almost touching inner orbits. Eyes bare. Head in frontal view 1.1× as wide as high. Antenna ( Fig. 36 ) with A1 0.8× as long as height of head, 1.15× as long as distance between inner orbits; A8–A9 each slightly transverse. Mesosoma 1.5× as long as width across tegulae, 1.2× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum with weak rugosity on about anterior one-third, rest smooth. Mesoscutum with few setae, most of them along imaginary notaulic courses, weakly reticulate-coriaceous, without notauli; hind margin with a very small prolongation medially, at each side having about six setae over narrow scuto-scutellar grooves. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum ( Fig. 37 ) slightly more setose than mesoscutum, with a small, light brownish tooth behind. Metapleuron medially smooth and bare in more than anterior half, with sparse pilosity along upper and lower margins. Propodeal carinae close together. Fore wing fully 0.9× as long as entire body (33:36), 2.8× as long as wide, almost clear, with moderately fine and rather sparse microtrichia; marginal cilia onethird of the width of wing. Hind wing 10× as long as wide; marginal cilia 1.4× width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 38 ) 0.8× as long as head and mesosoma combined, longer than mesosoma (16:15), and as wide. T1 inconspicuously pubescent, with two longitudinal carinae. T2 with distinct, roundish basal foveae which are hardly 0.2× as long as tergite, rest of T2 smooth. Apical tergites combined hardly one-third as long as T2, with very fine reticulation, virtually bare.

Comparison: Most similar to L. microcera Buhl, 2003 , but that species has head 1.3× as wide as mesosoma and 1.3× as wide as high, A5–A6 and A8–A9 narrower and more cylindrical than in L. togoensis , mesosoma 1.7× as long as wide, mesoscutum with scattered setae, marginal cilia of fore wing fully 0.4× width of wing, and metasoma 1.1× as long as mesosoma but narrower, with T3–T6 combined being 0.4 as long as T2. The body colour of L. microcera is dark brown and the legs are yellowish overall.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: 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, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Figures

Figs 35–38. Leptacis togoensis sp. n., female: (35) head in dorsal view; (36) antenna; (37) scutellum and propodeal carinae in lateral view; (38) metasoma in dorsal view.