Fusicornia paradisa Taekul & Johnson, 2008

Taekul, Charuwat, Johnson, Norman F., Masner, Lubomír & Shu-Pei, Chen, 2008, Revision of the world species of the genus Fusicornia Risbec (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae, Scelioninae), Zootaxa 1966, pp. 1-52 : 35-38

Fusicornia paradisa Taekul & Johnson , new species urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4B8F4FFF-5B80-49EF-BAF3-BA86D2A27314

urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:231061

Figures 103–114; Morphbank 62

Description. Female body length: 1.71–2.05 mm (n=20). Male body length: 1.59–1.85 mm (n=20).

Head: Vertex between posterior ocelli: rounded. Female OOL: less than or equal one ocellar diameter. Frontal sculpture: entirely and evenly sculptured. Sculpture of central frons: smooth or with shallowly impressed reticulate microsculpture. Setation of central frons: glabrous. Inner orbit in frontal view: more or less parallel. Upper gena in dorsal view of female: expanded, convex, therefore in lateral view compound eye separated from posterior margin by gena. Sculpture of gena behind lower half of eye: with reticulate to coriaceous microsculpture. Setation of gena: sparsely setose. Antenna: Radicle color: yellow to orange brown. Color of female A1: yellow to orange-brown. Color of female funicle (A3–A6): dark brown. Claval formula: 1-2-2-2-2. Claval color: dark brown to black.

61. http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=182494

62. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226367

63. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=306639

Mesosoma: Pronotal cervical sulcus: absent. Mesoscutum sculpture: reticulate. Longitudinal sculpture in posterior half of mesoscutum: absent. Admedian line: absent. Mesoscutal humeral sulcus: foveolate. Notauli: absent. Mesoscutellum shape: rounded. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: almost entirely smooth. Length of medial metascutellar spine: medial spine short to moderately long, distinctly shorter than distance between

64. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=306689

medial and lateral spines. Length of lateral metascutellar spine: short, only slightly longer than wide. Sculpture of propodeal nucha: smooth to weakly sculptured. Sculpture of suprahumeral area of pronotum: puncticulate. Sculpture in lower pronotum: longitudinally striate. Netrion setation: sparsely setose to glabrous. Mesopleural carina: present dorsally, interrupted or absent ventrally. Mesepimeral sulcus: absent, abbreviated. Area 2 on metapleuron: linear, glabrous, polygonal, glabrous. Setation of area 4 of metapleuron: setose ventrally. Setation in anteroventral metapleural triangle: absent. Setation of propodeum anterior to spiracle: sparsely setose (less than 10) or absent. Legs: Coxae color: all coxae yellow.

Wings: Female fore wing maculation: hyaline or with slight infuscation below marginal vein, with distinct infuscation at level of marginal vein.

Metasoma: Length of T1: less than or equal to one times width. Horn on T1 of female: absent, T1 longitudinally furrowed throughout length. Lateral setation of T1: sparsely to moderately setose (6–15/side). Medial sculpture on T3: smooth and shiny.

Diagnosis. Fusicornia paradisa is most similar to F. bambeyi and may be distinguished by the smooth and shining scutellum and the short lateral metanotal spine which is distinctly separated from the medial spine. Additionally, the setation in area 2 on metapleuron is absent, although the shape of this area is variable ( Figs. 106, 108, 109, 111, 113).

Etymology. The epithet paradisa , inspired by the English common name bird of paradise, refers to the attractive maculation of the fore wing.

Link to Distribution Map. 65

Material examined. Holotype female: ZIMBABWE: Harare, III.1980, pan trap, A. Watsham, OSUC 206350 (deposited in CNCI) . Paratypes: BENIN: 1 male, 1 female, OSUC 206213 , 206214 ( CNCI) . BURKINA FASO: 2 males, 1 female, OSUC 148984 , 208109 , 208111 ( CNCI) . CAMEROON: 2 females, OSUC 148986 , 148987 ( CNCI) . GABON: 6 males, 2 females, OSUC 206212 , 206252 , 206263–206265 , 206267–206269 ( CNCI) . GHANA: 2 females, OSUC 181467 , 211063 ( OSUC) . IVORY COAST: 1 male, OSUC 148995 ( CNCI) . KENYA: 3 females, OSUC 148994 , 206258 , 211067 ( CNCI) . MADAGASCAR: 1 male, 5 female, CASENT 2133271, 8106181 ( CASC), OSUC 210368 , 210369 , 210370 , 210371 ( OSUC) . MALAWI: 1 male, 3 females, OSUC 149014 , 206209–206211 ( CNCI) . MOZAMBIQUE: 1 male, 2 females, OSUC 148996 , 206277–206278 ( CNCI) . NIGERIA: 8 males, 2 females, OSUC 148985 , 149016 , 206206–206208 , 208125–208127 , 208141 , 208143 ( CNCI) . SIERRA LEONE: 2 males, OSUC 226882 , 226883 ( MZLU) . SOMALIA: 2 females, OSUC 148992 , 208142 ( CNCI) . SOUTH AFRICA: 4 females, OSUC 148988 , 148989 , 206244 , 211045 ( CNCI) . UGANDA: 1 female, OSUC 148953 ( CNCI). ZIMBA- BWE : 173 males, 30 females, 1 unknown, OSUC 148991 , 149018 , 164003–164004 , 206261–206262 , 206266 , 206270–206271 , 206273–206275 , 206322–206349 , 206351–206406 , 208008–208029 , 208032–208100 , 208121–208123 , 208128–208140 ( CNCI); OSUC 248225 ( SAMC) .