Heptascelio sicarius Johnson & Musetti

Johnson, Norman F., Masner, Lubomír, Musetti, Luciana, Noort, Simon Van, K, Rajmohana, Darling, Christopher & Polaszek, Antonia Guidotti Andrew, 2008, Revision of world species of the genus Heptascelio Kieffer (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), Zootaxa 1776, pp. 1-51 : 24-25

Heptascelio sicarius Johnson & Musetti , new species

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C01F1E40-9113-4227-8BEB-8B0D2EE9056F urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:233774 Figures 69–72; Morphbank55

http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu/HymOnline/map-large.html?id=223421

54. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:specimen:442015F0-A3E3-4767-A473-61C0F921AF8B Description. Female body length: 4.0 mm (n=1). Male body length: unknown. Body color of female: entirely dark, dark brown to black. Color of female antenna: A1 brown, A2-A5 yellow, A6-A12 dark brown. Color of wing membrane: infuscate in apical two thirds, streak below submarginal vein strongly pigmented. Color of legs: entirely yellow. Body color of male: unknown. Color of male antenna: unknown.

Sculpture of occiput and posterior vertex: coarsely punctate. Sculpture of frons below ocellus in female: dorsoventrally striate. Shape of dorsal margin of frontal scrobe: evenly arcuate, weakly produced. Sculpture of frontal depression in female: entirely smooth. Sculpture of gena: coarsely punctate. Setation of gena: with short, uniform setae, without bristles. Shape of mandibles: normal length, crossed transversely below head when closed, tips overlapping.

Sculpture of dorsal pronotum: coarsely punctate. Notaulus: absent or obscured by coarse surface sculpture. Sculpture of mesoscutum in female: sparsely punctate, with broad smooth areas between punctures. Sculpture of mesoscutum in male: unknown. Parapsidal line: present, evanescent. Mesoscutellum shape: nearly parallel-sided, apex weakly excavate, with weak median longitudinal impression. Sculpture of female mesoscutellum: coarsely punctate. Mesoscutellar points of female: absent, scutellum with rounded lobes laterally. Sculpture of male mesoscutellum: unknown. Mesoscutellar points of male: unknown. Posterior surface of propodeum: longitudinally carinate with well-developed transverse striae, without distinct paramedian keel. Length of outer propodeal projection in female: elongate, extending near or beyond apex of T1, distinctly longer than inner propodeal projection. Sculpture of propodeum between inner and outer propodeal projections: areolate rugose. Netrion shape: moderately wide, nearly parallel-sided, with two columns of large punctures. Netrion setation: glabrous. Sculpture of lateral pronotum posterior to epomial carina: with smooth field dorsally, elsewhere areolate rugose. Setation of posterior half of lateral pronotum: largely glabrous, setae limited to small patch near spiracle. Sculpture of mesopleural scrobe: smooth. Sculpture of lower mesepisternum: largely smooth, with 2-3 longitudinal lines of punctures. Sculpture of metapleuron: with smooth field medially, elsewhere coarsely punctate. Fore wing venation: well-developed, with R, r-rs clearly visible. Submarginal vein bristles: with dark bristles extending length of submarginal vein. Long dark bristles on legs: absent.

T1 depression: glabrous or sparsely setose. Sublateral lamella on T1: indicated as low carina. Sculpture of T2-T4: longitudinally striate, with fine cross striae, punctures, smooth or finely punctulate transverse band apically. Setation of laterotergites: very sparsely setose. Sculpture of S2, S3 of female: irregularly longitudinally rugulose, apex of S3 nearly smooth. Sculpture of S2, S3 of male: unknown. Distribution of felt fields: present on S2-S3.

Diagnosis. Heptascelio sicarus is most similar to H. teres from which it may be distinguished by the elongate outer propodeal projection and the strongly developed transverse carinae on the propodeum.

Etymology. The epithet sicarius , meaning one who murders with a sica or curved dagger, refers to elongate outer propodeal projections.

Link to Distribution Map.56

Material Examined. Holotype female: MADAGASCAR: Prov. Fianarantsoa, PN Ranomafana, 21°51.05'S 47°24.43'E, radio tower, forest edge, 1130 m, 14-21.I.2002, Harin’Hala, Malaise trap MA02- 0 9812, CASENT 2134081 (deposited in CASC).57