Axea mwari Valerio & Yoder

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Masner, Lubomír & Johnson, Norman F., 2009, Identity and synonymy of Dicroscelio Kieffer and description of Axea, a new genus from tropical Africa and Asia (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea: Platygastridae), Zootaxa 2003, pp. 1-45 : 31-32

Axea mwari Valerio & Yoder , n.sp.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5A2E4DD8-96C9-4175-A0C2-9B86D0191713 urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:223460 Figures 83–88; Morphbank52

FIGURES 83–88. 53 Axea mwari , paratype female (OSUC 167048). 83, dorsal habitus; 84, lateral habitus; 85, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; 86, head and mesosoma, lateral view; 87, head, anterior view; 88, apex of metasoma, dorsal view. Scale bars in millimeters.

http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226870 http://www.morphbank.net/?id=226912 General (Figs. 83, 84): Female body length: 3.3–3.4 mm (n=5). Male body length: unknown. Head: Color of female head: black. Mandible color: mostly yellow to amber or orange yellow. Body color of male: unknown. Lateral ocellus position: touching compound eye. Pilosity of medial frons between anterior ocellus and apex of torular triangle: absent, a small patch without setae clearly visible. Sculpture of medial glabrous area of frons: present, with horizontal to slightly arcuate striae or, if patch minute, then irregularly rugulose (Fig. 87). Mesosoma (Figs. 85, 86): Color of female mesosoma: black. Dorsal surface of lateral pronotal area adjacent to mesoscutal suprahumeral sulcus: with conspicuous crenulations or scrobes. Setae on netrion: absent. Notaulus: indicated by an uninterrupted channel, with slight irregular sculpture along bottom. Metascutellum: projecting, more or less truncate, but with a narrow medial notch. Mesopleural depression sculpture: irregularly foveate, majority of fovea not transverse, fovea interspersed with nitid areas, in some individuals some fovea reduced to punctures. Pilosity bounding anterior margin of posterior mesepimeral area: completely absent, or partially present dorsally. Legs: Coxae color: brown to dark brown (contrasting remainder of leg which is yellow). Color of legs beyond coxae: femur light to dark brown with base and tip lighter, yellowish, remaining yellow. Wings: Length of fore wing: not or just reaching posterior margin of metasoma. Hind wing submarginal vein: absent to spectral everywhere but basal stub that is nebulous to tubular. Metasoma: Color of female metasoma: dark brown to nearly black. Longitudinal sculpture of T1: carinate, parallel to subparallel, interspersed with fine rugulose sculpture. Female T1 horn: absent, sculpture more or less uniform throughout T1. Anterior strip of T2: punctate, punctures nearly the length of strip, puncture borders confluent. Female T6 width to length ratio: more or less equal in length (subtriangular). Female T6 carinate basal extension of lateral spine: short, not extending past 1/2 length of T6. T6/S6 apical curvature: present, tips flexed outwards in lateral view. T6 posterolateral margin: with truncate lateral projection, outer corner of which is rarely slightly spinelike (Fig. 88). S6 shape at tip: broadly rounded to very slightly angular, without obvious lobe.

Diagnosis. Differs from other brown-bodied species by the combination of the strongly developed spines of lateral T6, short carinae on T6 (not longer than one-half the length of T6), brown legs, and glabrous netrion.

Etymology. Named in reference to the supreme creator god of Kalanga and Shona mythology.

Link to Distribution Map. 54

Material Examined. Holotype female: KENYA: Nyanza Prov., Gemba (Gembe) Hills, 00°29.36'S 34°14.60'E, 1362 m, dry gallery woodland with Olea europaea cuspidata , 27–29.I.2005, R. Copeland, OSUC 211698 (deposited in CNCI). Paratypes: 7 females. KENYA: OSUC 16704, OSUC 167075, OSUC 214389 ( CNCI); OSUC 167074 ( USNM). UGANDA: OSUC 167022, OSUC 214390, OSUC 214396 ( CNCI).