Discleroderma congoense Chen & He, 2024

Wang, Chun-Hong & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2024, First record of Discleroderma Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Bethylidae) from China and Republic of the Congo, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5477 (3), pp. 380-386 : 382-384

Discleroderma congoense Chen & He , sp. nov.

Fig. 1

Description. Holotype ( Fig. 1A ). Female. Body length 4.02 mm. Forewing length 2.12 mm.

Color. Body black; anterior margin of clypeus yellowish-brown; mandible yellowish-brown, apical tooth black; antenna black, scape basally and apically and pedicel yellowish-brown; tegula dark brown; forewing hyaline, tinged with infuscate apically; pterostigma brown, veins yellowish-brown; legs black, tibiae apically and tarsi yellowish-brown.

Head ( Fig. 1B–E ). WH: LH = 0.96; length of head 1.57 × height of head in lateral view. Mandible with two teeth, ventralmost tooth much bigger. Median clypeal lobe broad and short; anterior margin incurved medially. Antennal pedicel and flagellomeres I–IV in ratio of 1.53: 1.11: 0.94: 0.94: 1.0 in length; length of pedicel and flagellomeres I–IV 1.53, 1.16, 0.83, 0.79, 0.75 × width. Frons and vertex weakly coriaceous with shallow punctures. Eye glabrous. WF: LE = 1.08. Sides of head posterior to eyes slightly outcurved. AOL: POL = 0.88; OOL: WOT = 1.34; DAO = 0.05 mm, anterior ocellus crossing supra-ocular line. Occipital carina present in dorsal margin of occiput. Gena visible in antero-dorsal view ( Fig. 1B ).

Mesosoma ( Fig. 1F–H ). Pronotal flange short and narrow; dorsal pronotal area campaniform, coriaceous with shallow punctures; width of dorsal pronotal area along posterior margin 1.50 × median length. Lateral pronotal area coriaceous. Mesonotum coriaceous with shallow punctures; distance between tegulae 2.22 × length of mesoscutum; notauli and parapsidal signum complete. Mesoscutum-scutellar sulcus narrow, slightly dilated laterally. Metapectal-propodeal disc coriaceous and as long as wide; lateral marginal carina slightly outcurved; transverse posterior carina incurved medially; metapostnotal median carina complete; metapostnotal-propodeal carina extending two-thirds of metapectal-propodeal disc, along with irregular rugae; propodeal declivity coriaceous. Mesopectus weakly coriaceous; epicnemial carina present. Anterior metapleural area weakly coriaceous.

Forewing ( Fig. 1I ). C 2 v absent; pterostigma small; prestigmal abscissa of R1 2 v 0.75 × Rs&M 2 v distance between pterostigma; length of Rs 2 v 2.0 × R1 2 v.

Metasoma ( Fig. 1J ). Metasomal terga smooth, weakly coriaceous; metasomal tergum IV with pair of cone-shaped tubercles near posterior margin, inter-tubercular space 0.63 × outer-tubercular space; metasomal tergum V with pair of cone-shaped tubercles, inter-tubercular space 2.0 × outer-tubercular space.

MALE Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♀ ( ZJUH), REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, Pool , Abin lesion-Loun PK, 3.1˚S, 15.51˚E, 330m, 12–19. viii. 2006, Braet & Sharkey, No. 202300002 . Paratype ♀ ( ZJUH), same as holotype, No. 202300003.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Republic of the Congo.

Etymology. The specific epithet congoense refers to the type locality, Republic of the Congo.

Differential diagnosis. The species D. congoense sp. nov. is similar to the species D. xizangense sp. nov. for sharing mesoscutum with notauli complete and well-impressed, and pair of acute lateral tubercles of metasomal terga IV–V not connected by transverse carina. However, it can be distinguished from the latter by having the follow characteristics: transverse posterior carina of metapectal-propodeal complex incurved medially; metasomal tergum III without tubercles near posterior margin; metasomal terga IV–V with tubercles cone-shaped; distance between tubercles of metasomal tergum IV about one-fifth length of posterior margin.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Discleroderma congoense Chen & He, sp. nov., ♀, holotype. A. Habitus lateral; B. Head, antero-dorsal view; C. Mandible; D. Antenna; E. Head, lateral view; F. Pronotum and mesonotum, dorsal view; G. Metapectal-propodeal complex, dorsal view; H. Mesosoma, lateral view; I. Forewing, dorsal view; J. Metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars: 0.10 mm.