Oreiscelio aequalis Talamas, 2009

Talamas, Elijah, Johnson, Norman, van Noort, Simon, Masner, Lubomir & Polaszek, Andrew, 2009, Revision of world species of the genus Oreiscelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 6 (6), pp. 1-68 : 15-17

Oreiscelio aequalis Talamas , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1CD74834-8FE7-4CE4-BF04-15C09BD36F71

urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:229879

Figures 25-30 ; Morphbank 12

Description. General: Body length of female: 3.3 mm (n=1). Body color: head and mesosoma black; metasoma dark brown to black.

Antenna: Color of antennae in female: A1 black, A2–A6 pale brown, A7–A12 black. Seta on pedicel of antenna in female: present, reaching past apex of A3.

Head: Color of setae on the head: yellow. Sculpture of dorsal frons between frontal carina and median ocellus: areolate. Preocellar pit in females: present as a distinct pit. Transverse rugae at vertex: present. Sculpture of posterior vertex: areolate. Sculpture of occipital rim: areolate. Interantennal process: diverging into two carinae that extend laterally along surface of frons. Number of anteriorly projecting setae on anteclypeus: 6. Color of mandibles in female: basal half black; apical half dark brown. Mandibular teeth in female: ventral tooth larger, but less than 2 times as long as dorsal tooth. Sculpture of ventral gena anterior to genal carina: row of areolae. Sculpture of ventral gena posterior to genal carina: areolate. Shape of anteclypeus: striplike, straight to slightly convex.

Legs: Color of legs: brown, tarsi and distal portion of tibiae yellow.

Mesosoma: Sculpture of dorsal pronotum: areolate. Color of setae on the dorsal mesosoma: yellow. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: areolate. Sculpture of lateral mesoscutum: same as medial mesoscutum with a subtle confusion of sculptural elements. Notaulus in female: absent. Parapsidal line: delimited. Sculpture of scutellum: areolate. Median furrow on scutellum: present as a weak indentation. Posterior margin of scutellum: emarginate. Outer projection of the propodeum: present as distinct corner or posteriorly projecting spine. Posterior margin of propodeal shelf between inner and outer propodeal projections in female: concave. Sculpture of ventral pronotum: foveate reticulate, becoming smooth at anterolateral corner. Anterior pronotal pit: large. Pronotal cervical sulcus: well defined by contiguous punctures. Mesepimeral sulcus: indicated by dorsoventral line of foveae, crenulate. Sculpture of femoral depression in female: transversely striate throughout, finely foveate throughout. Mesopleural carina: present as one or two carinae. Sculpture of ventral mesepisternum: foveate. Pilosity of metapleural triangle in female: present as many short fine white setae. Sculpture of ventral area of metapleuron: foveate reticulate.

Metasoma: Submarginal ridge on T1: percurrent, well-defined. Sublateral carina on T2: percurrent. Sculpture of T2–T3: longitudinally strigose with rugose interstices. Sculpture of T4: longitudinally strigose. Sculpure of T5: longitudinally strigose. Shape of subapical T 6 in female in dorsal view: trapezoidal, basal width twice the apical width. Longitudinal medial keel on S1: absent. Sculpture of medial S 2 in female: punctate reticulate. Sculpture of medial S 3 in female: effaced to smooth. Sculpture of medial S 4 in female: effaced to smooth. Sculpture of medial S 5 in female: effaced to smooth. Sculpture of lateral S 3 in female: punctate crenulate. Sculpture of lateral S 4 in female: punctate crenulate. Sculpture of lateral S 5 in female: punctate crenulate. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 2 in female: rugulose. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 3 in female: mostly smooth, with scattered punctures or shallow rugulae. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 4 in female: mostly smooth with scattered punctures or shallow rugulae. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 5 in female: mostly smooth with scattered punctures. Apical spine on S 6 in female: extending beyond apex of T6 and visible in dorsal view.

Diagnosis. Oreiscelio aequalis is most similar in appearance to O. gryphus and O. coracinus , but may be easily identified by the distinctive shape of T 6 in dorsal view ( Fig. 30 ). Additionally, the width of the metasoma gradually narrows posteriorly, giving it a characteristic shape in dorsal view ( Fig. 26 ).

Etymology. The epithet aequalis , meaning “equal”, refers to the apical spine on S6 which ends at the same point as the apex of T6.

Link to distribution map. 13

Material examined. Holotype female: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Dzanga-Ndoki National Park , 02°21.60’N 16°03.20’E, 350 m, 38.6 km (173°) S Lidjombo, Sangha-Mbaéré Préf. Écon., 21-27.V.2001, S. van Noort, yellow pan trap lowland rainforest CAR01–Y55, SAM–HYM–P029377 ( OSUC 211416 ) (deposited in SAMC) 14.

Figures

Figures 25-30.90 Oreiscelio aequalis, sp. n., female holotype (OSUC 211416). 25, Lateral habitus; 26, Dorsal habitus; 27, Head and mesosoma, lateral view; 28, Head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 29, Head, anterior view; 30, T5 and T6, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.