Cyphacolus tessae Valerio, Masner & Austin

Valerio, Alejandro A., Masner, Lubomir & Austin, Andrew D., 2010, Systematics of Cyphacolus Priesner (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae s. l.), an Old World genus of spider egg parasitoid, Zootaxa 2645, pp. 1-48 : 34-36

Cyphacolus tessae Valerio, Masner & Austin , new species

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:FABD2860-7D4B-4D5E-897B-7F7F11EF34E6 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts: 240842

Figures 84–89; Morphbank54

53. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=514196 FIGURES 84–89. Cyphacolus tessae n. sp., holotype female (OSUC 237905). 84, Dorsal habitus; 85, Lateral habitus; 86, Mesosoma , dorsal view; 87, Mesosoma , lateral view; 88, Head, anterior view; 89, Metasoma, dorsal view. Morphbank 55

Description. Female. Body length: 1.24 mm (n=1).

Antenna color: mostly yellow except clava dark brown. Body color: mostly yellow except dorsal area of metasomal horn on T1dark honey yellow. Coxae color: yellow. Leg color (excluding the coxae): yellow. Fore wing color: basal 1/3 and area at 2/5 hyaline, area below stigma infuscate as well as area beyond basal 1/3.

54. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=514197 55. http://www.morphbank.net/?id=514197 Head shape in lateral view: broad, short. Sculpture of antennal scrobe: smooth. Shape of torular triangle: not bulging, flat. Development of central keel on frons: completely absent. Sculpture of frons: largely smooth, with sparse setigerous punctulae. Sculpture of malar space: with fan-like striae, striae not extending into antennal scrobe. Medial surface of vertex: flat to weakly convex (normal). Size of lateral ocellus: normal (as in C. copelandi ). Distance between lateral ocellus and occipital carina: 0.5–1.2x maximum ocellar width. Length of OOL: ≤1/3 width of ocellus. Sculpture of vertex: largely smooth, with sparse, setigerous punctulae. Surface of occiput: evenly concave (normal). Sculpture of occipital carina: strongly crenulate throughout. Proximity of occipital carina to orbital carina: separated by distance slightly greater than width of occipital carina. Shape of occipital carina: simply arcuate medially. Sculpture of occiput: with conspicuous longitudinal ridges throughout.

Sculpture of pronotal cervical area: smooth medially, otherwise with elongated foveae. Sculpture of pronotal lateral area: longitudinally costate dorsally, otherwise punctate. Netrion: absent, obscured by longitudinal sculpture on lateral pronotum. Notauli: present, simple. Width of notauli: narrow. Length of notaulus: approximately 2/ 5x length of mesoscutum. Sculpture of mesoscutum: anterolateral margin sparsely foveate, anterior half with well-defined setigerous punctures on coriaceous background, otherwise weakly, longitudinally striate, this more evident laterally. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth except for anterior edge with weak, small, coriaceous sculpture, posterior edge with fovea of subequal size. Mesoscutellum shape: flat, conspicuously wider than long. Sculpture of lateral propodeum: densely, transversely costate. Shape of propodeal anterior spines: short, broad, apex rounded. Sculpture of propodeum between anterior spines: smooth. Sculpture of ventral mesepisternum: with longitudinally costae. Density of longitudinal costae on dorsal mesepisternum: dense. Thickness of longitudinal costae on dorsal mesepisternum: broad. Length of longitudinal costae on dorsal mesepisternum: reaching to meso-metapleural suture. Sculpture of mesopleural femoral depression: smooth. Sculpture of metapleuron: dorsal half and ventral 1/3 with fine longitudinal costae, otherwise smooth.

Shape of wings: slightly convex, not constricted at base.

Shape of horn on T1 (in posterior view): narrow and short. Lateral carinae on posterior part of horn: present, rounded, not fused posteriorly. Sculpture of upper portion of T1 horn: smooth. Sculpture of posterior portion of T1 horn: smooth. Lateral carinae on T2: present, poorly developed. Sculpture of T2: largely finely costate, smooth along posterior margin and midline. Sculpture of T3: largely weakly coriaceous, posterior margin smooth or sculpture strongly effaced. Sculpture of S3–S6: sparsely, finely costate laterally, otherwise with setigerous punctulae.

Male. Unknown.

Diagnosis. See diagnosis under C. tullyae n. sp..

Etymology. We have much pleasure in describing this species for Tess Austin for her tenacity, perseverance, sense of humour and love of animals.

Link to distribution map. 56

Material examined. Holotype female: AUSTRALIA: SA, mallee w/ Triodia, MT 1, Brookfield Conservation Park, 34°19'S 139°30'E, 2.XII–2.I.1992, malaise trap, J. Stelman & S. Williams, OSUC 237905 (deposited in ANIC).