Nixonia lamorali, Johnson & Masner, 2006

Johnson, Norman F. & Masner, Lubomír, 2006, Revision of World Species of the Genus Nixonia Masner (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Scelionidae), American Museum Novitates 3518 (1), pp. 1-32 : 19-21

Nixonia lamorali , new species

Figures 46–48

DESCRIPTION: Holotype male. Length: 7.0 mm; body generally black; femora, tibiae, tarsi, antenna, tegula black; palpi brown; wings infuscate throughout, brownish.

Head (figs. 46–48) transverse in dorsal view, width 2.4 times length; vertex rugulose-punctate, with granular microsculpture; OOL short, lateral ocellus separated from inner orbit by less than one ocellar diameter; POL 1.5 times LOL; occiput rugulose-punctate, with reticulate microsculpture; occipital carina not developed; frons (fig. 47) rugulose-punctate, shining, above toruli with few transverse wrinkles medially; frons somewhat narrow, IOS 0.9 times greatest length of eye; toruli closely approximated, separated by distance less than half torulus diameter, frons between toruli not projecting, flat; rim of torulus evenly raised; apical margin of clypeus with blunt medial projection; area below eye (in normal position of malar sulcus) with fine granulate microsculpture; sculpture of cheeks laterad of malar area rugose-punctate, with distinct longitudinal sculpture; mandible short, bidentate, upper tooth only slightly longer than lower, without dense basal tuft of setae; maxillary palpal segment 4 distinctly expanded medially, subtriangular; A1 finely reticulate, greatest width beyond apical 0.6 of segment; length of A3 1.6 times of A2.

Mesosoma (figs. 46, 48) as high as wide, length 1.4 times height in lateral view; pronotal shoulders coarsely punctate; lateral surface of pronotum coarsely punctate; netrion punctate-rugulose, with strong longitudinal sculpture; mesoscutum deeply punctate, with fine reticulate microsculpture; parapsidal lines absent; scutellum coarsely punctate, with reticulate microsculpture, with distinct fine longitudinal elements in posterior half; median propodeal tooth rhomboidal, length 1.2 times maximum width, rounded apically, rugulose; upper mesepisternum with strong longitudinal sculpture; fine foveae separating mesepisternum and mesepimeron extending from base of wing to coxal cavity; lower mesepisternum finely reticulate-punctate; mesepimeral hook smooth; tegula finely punctate; R 1 in forewing distinctly separated from costal margin, extending only halfway from R to margin; apex of forewing extending near apex of T5; R in hindwing with tracheate section long, nearly reaching hamuli; tibiae with fine, semidecumbent spines on outer surface.

Metasoma 2.7 times longer than greatest width; T1 distinctly wider than long; T1–T4 longitudinally rugose, T5 apex coarsely punctate.

DIAGNOSIS: Distinguished from N. watshami by the narrow IOS, which is less than the greatest length of the compound eye.

ETYMOLOGY: Named for Bruno H. Lamoral, distinguished South African spider specialist and one of the collectors of the unique holotype.

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Holotype male: SOUTH AFRICA: Horingsgat , 30 ° 18 9 S 18 ° 05 9 E, Namaqualand, N. Cape Prov., 25.II.1979, B. Lamoral, I. Bampton, malaise trap, OSUC 146449 , deposited in CNCI.

Figures

Figs. 46–51. 46. Nixonia lamorali, n.sp., lateral habitus, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 47. N. lamorali, head, frontal view, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 48. N. lamorali, head and mesosoma, dorsal view, holotype male (OSUC 146449). 49. N. priesneri, n.sp., lateral habitus, holotype male (OSUC 146450). 50. N. priesneri, head and mesosoma, dorsal view, holotype male (OSUC 146450). 51. N. priesneri, head, frontal view, holotype male (OSUC 146450). Scale in millimeters.