Colpixys necator Waterson, 1916

Gumovsky, Alex, 2023, Revision of Xiphentedon Risbec, 1957 and Colpixys Waterston, 1916 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with descriptions of new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 905, pp. 1-83 : 17-18

Colpixys necator Waterson, 1916

Figs 2E , 4C , 7C , 8 , 9A, C–D

Colpixys necator Waterston, 1916: 129 .

Colpixys necator – Bouček 1972: 206.

Diagnosis

As for the genus, and also: middle-sized species (about 3.2 mm ♀, 2.0 mm ♂); scape pale, only its tip slightly darker, rest of antenna dark; legs predominantly pale, just with darker femora; prosternum evenly curved ( Fig. 8A–B, E–F ); axillula with irregular costulae ( Fig. 9C ); metascutellum long, about ¼ of length of propodeum; median propodeal furrow coriaceous, slightly diverging posteriorly; metasomal petiole short conical, slightly wider than long, with nearly evenly sloping dorsal ‘roof’, which is about 0.4× as long as propodeum ( Figs 8C , 9A ).

Female

Fore and mid femora either with a short dark stripe on ventral margin, or entirely darkened, hind femur pale; fore tibia with two dark stripes, mid and hind tibiae pale; fore tarsi and two terminal tarsomeres of mid and hind legs dark; pedicel plus flagellum about 3.0× as long as scape, which is 4.0 × as long as wide, flagellum not clavate, with elongate segments; F1 3.0–4.0×, F2 and F3 2.0×, clava 3.0× as long as wide; metascutellum relatively long and semi-circular; speculum of fore wing closed, subcosta of submarginal vein with two to three setae on its dorsal surface; propodeum with three to four setae on its flange posteriad of spiracular tubercle; submedian areas of propodeum lightly reticulate anteriorly and coarsely reticulate posteriorly; metasoma 2.0–3.0× as long as wide, as long as or slightly longer or shorter than combined length of head plus mesosoma, syntergum subtriangular, transverse.

Male (not known previously, Fig. 8E–F )

Similar to female, except: antennal scape pale with just extreme apex darker, nearly 3.0× as long as wide, two apical flagellar segments (clavomeres) broadly attached in most specimens, or with deeper constriction between the clavomeres (one of the males reared from ‘ Barbaropus paradoxus ’ in Zimbabwe), F1 2.5–2.6 ×, F2 2.0×, F3 1.66 ×, clava 3.0× as long as wide; gaster pentagonal, 1.3–2.0 × as long as wide; speculum of fore wing open below, with just one to two setae below PR; MV slightly widened basally.

Female description

Waterston 1916; Bouček 1972.

Type material examined

Holotype

ZIMBABWE • ♀; “Salisbury” [ Chishawasha near Harare]; 22 Nov. 1915; R.W. Jack leg.; “ex Barbaropus paradoxus Olliff ”; NHMUK 5.1325 .

Other material examined

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♂♂; “Transvaal” [now Northern Province], Soutpan, “ Pretoria Dist .” [now Tshwane ]; 25°24′ S, 28°06′ E; 16 Nov. 1983; M.W. Mansell leg.; SANC • 1 ♀; Blyderivierspoortdam Nat. Reserve ; 24°32′ S, 30°47′ E; 25–26 Nov. 1984; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC • 1 ♂; D’Nyala Nat. Res.; “ Ellisras District ” [now Lephalale ]; 23°45′ S, 27°49′ E; 10–14 Nov. 1986; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC • 3 ♂♂; Hans Merensky Nat. Res. ; 23°40′ S, 30°39′ E; 27–30 Nov. 1981; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC • 1 ♂; Kwa-Zulu Natal; Lake Sibaya ; Jan. 1978; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC • 1 ♂; “ Lake Kosi ; Ntl.”; Jan. 1978; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC • 1 ♂; Limpopo Province, Mopani District, near Phalaborwa municipality, Palabora Mining Company’s Molengraaff portion, ‘Marula line’ [= marula tree, Sclerocarya birrea ]; 23°57′40″ S, 31°08′59″ E; 435 m a.s.l.; 10–13 Dec. 2014; A. Gumovsky and S. Mthombeni leg.; dry recently burned thickets of Dichrostachys cinerea bushes, with occasional Euclea divinorum and Philenoptera violacea trees; 75 YPTs; SIZK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Palabora Mining Company’s Cleveland Game Reserve ; 24°02′14″ S, 31°10′26″ E; ~ 40 m a.s.l.; 8–11 Dec. 2014; A. Gumovsky and I.M. Weiersbye leg.; disturbed riparian woodland more than 50 m from the Olifants River , with common tree species Spirostachys africana , Ziziphus mucronata , Xanthoceris zambesiaca ; 75 YPTs (extra); SIZK.

ZIMBABWE • 13 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; no date; NHMUK • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; Oct. 1982; A. Watsham leg.; NHMUK • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; Dec. 1974; SANC .

Biology

This species was reared from Barbaropus nyassae (Fowler, 1885) ( Bouček 1972) ( Coleoptera : Erotylidae ).

Distribution

Zimbabwe ( Waterston 1916; Bouček 1972), RSA (new record).

Remarks

The species differs from C. gigas in general habitus (shorter gaster and antennal segments, in particular) and from C. eburnus sp. nov. in the shape of the metasomal petiole (more robust in C. eburnus ), gaster and metascutellum (both are shorter in C. eburnus ).

The males of this species demonstrate variability in the number and structure of flagellar segments. The males reared from B. paradoxus in Zimbabwe have two apical segments nearly free, whereas two terminal flagellomeres are broadly attached to each other in the rest of the studied males. The F1 and F2 of both flagella are fused in the male from Lake Kosi ( RSA): the resultant segment is nearly 5.0× as long as wide and there are only two funiculars. Despite this being a unique character state, I regard this specimen to be conspecific with other studied specimens of C. necator and record it as an aberrant specimen. Bouček (1988) mentioned a similar aberration (the fusion of the two first funicular segments) for Theocolax formiciformis Westwood, 1832 ( Cerocephalidae ). Also, the degree of infumation of the fore wings varies: the wing is transparent in most specimens, but it is somewhat infumate in the male from the Palabora Mining Company’s Cleveland Game Reserve ( RSA).

Figures

Fig. 2. A–C. Entedon sparetus Walker, 1839, ♀ (reared from Gymnetron asellus (Gravenhorst, 1807)) (used for SEM). A. Head and mesosoma. B. Enlarged area in frame on Fig. A. C. Orifices enlarged. D. E. diotimus Walker, 1839, ♀, plica on lateral panel of pronotum (used for SEM). E–F. Lateral panel of pronotum. E. Colpixys necator Waterson, 1916, ♀ (NHMUK). F. Xiphentedon neserorum sp. nov., ♀ (paratype, NHMUK). Abbreviations: lpl = lateral pronotal plica; or = orifices; psh = lateral pronotal shoulder.

Fig. 4. Posterior mesosoma and attachment points of hind and mid legs. A. Entedon sparetus Walker, 1839, ♀ (reared from Gymnetron asellus (Gravenhorst, 1807)) (used for SEM). B. E. bruchivorus Rasplus, 1990 (NHMUK). C. Colpixys necator Waterston, 1916 (NHMUK). D. Xiphentedon kayovei Risbec, 1957 (holotype, MRAC). E. Achrysocharoides zwoelferi (Delucchi, 1954) (used for SEM). F. Mestocharis maculata (Foerster, 1841) (used for SEM). Abbreviations: lep 2 = lower mesepimeron; tps = transepimeral sulcus.

Fig. 7. Anelli. A–B. Entedon cyanellus Dalman, 1820, ♀ (used for SEM). A. External view. B. Internal view. C. Colpixys necator Waterston, 1916, ♀, internal view (NHMUK). D. Colpixys gigas Bouček, 1972, ♀, external view (paratype, NHMUK). E–F. Mestocharis maculata (Foerster, 1841), ♀ (used for SEM). E. External view. F. Internal view. G. Pleurotroppopsis podagrica (Waterston, 1925), ♀, external view (NHMUK). H. Xiphentedon neserorum sp. nov., ♀, external view (paratype, NHMUK). Abbreviations: a1–a3 = anelli; sa = sensillum ampullaceum.

Fig. 8. Colpixys necator Waterston, 1916 (SANC). A–D. ♀, from Zimbabwe. E–F. ♂, from RSA. A–B, E–F. Habitus in dorso-lateral (A, F), lateral (B) and dorsal (E) views. C. Propodeum. D. Head and anterior part of mesosoma in dorsal view.

Fig. 9. A, C–D. Colpixys necator Waterston, 1916 (NHMUK). B. C. eburnus sp. nov. (paratype, Ivory Coast; CBGP). E–F. C. gigas Bouček, 1972 (paratype, Ghana; NHMUK). A–B. Propodeum. C–D, F. Axillula. E. Head in dorsal view.