Ficomila bouceki Lotfalizadeh, 2024

Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, Delvare, Gérard, Cruaud, Astrid & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2024, Morphological phylogeny and revision of Sycophila and Ficomila (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) associated with Afrotropical fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus), Zootaxa 5401 (1), pp. 1-190 : 39-42

Ficomila bouceki Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus sp. n.

( Figs 19–20 )

Type material examined. Holotype ♀: Guinea, Monts Nimba , Mifergui, ex syconia of Ficus artocarpoides , 6.v.1993 , Rasplus J.-Y. leg., 1♀. Deposited in CBGP . Paratypes: same data as holotype , 1♀. Gabon, Makokou , ex syconia of F. artocarpoides , 23.ix.1988, Maldès J.-M. leg. , 1♀. Cameroon, Londjikubi , ex syconia of Ficus ovata , 24.ii.1993, Gibernau M. leg. , 1♀. Nkolbisson , ex syconia of Ficus macrosperma , 5.viii.1993, Gibernau M. leg. , 1♀ (4♀ CBGP) .

Etymology. This species is named in honor of our mentor Zdenek Bouček for his phenomenal contribution to our knowledge of Chalcidoidea .

Diagnosis. Female body dark brown with some yellowish marks ( Fig. 19A ). Flagellum with fu2–fu4 longer than wide, fu5 as long as wide ( Fig. 19B ). Propodeum without smooth median band, median carina distinct and reaching basal half of propodeum ( Fig. 20B ). Mesoscutum densely coriaceous with sparse umbilicate punctures ( Fig. 20A ). Gaster of female compressed laterally, dorsally angulate ( Fig. 20C ).

Description of holotype ♀ ( Figs 19–20 ). Length 5.08 mm. Body generally dark brown ( Fig. 19A ), except tergites Gt5–Gt6, all tibia, tarsomeres and scape yellowish-brown, Gt1–Gt4 brown, pronotum anterolaterally testaceous; fore wing with one dark brown spot below mv, lower margin of mv obscured by dark brown spot, dark brown spot reaching base of mv ( Fig. 19E ); gaster bicoloured; body setation whitish, setation of fore wing entirely dark.

Head 1.5× as broad as high [HW 277 & HH 185] ( Fig. 19C ), in dorsal view transverse, 2.15× as broad as long [HW 277 & HL 129] ( Fig. 19D ); face mostly coriaceous with sparse punctures, vertex coriaceous; malar space 0.39× length of eye [ms 55 & EH 140]; malar sulcus distinct, straight ( Fig. 19E ); lower margin of gena sinuous, edged but not carinate; antennal toruli widely separated, interantennal space not raised, carinate laterally, scrobal depression slightly sculptured dorsally, reaching the median ocellus, carinate on margin (at least dorsally); POL 1.1× as long as OOL [POL 64 & OOL 57] ( Fig. 19D ); temples in dorsal view margined, 0.33× the eye length [TL 45 & EL 138]; setation oriented downwards on face, outwards on the punctuate frons.

Antenna. Scape not reaching median ocellus, 3.27× as long as broad [SL 144 & SW 44]; funiculars (fu2–fu4) with two or three rows of mps; fu1 1.83× as long as broad [fu1L 95 & fu1W 52], distinctly longer than pedicel, bulging dorsally; fu2–fu4 slightly longer than broad; fu5 as long as broad ( Fig. 19B ).

Mesosoma arched dorsally, 1.5× as long as wide (170:115), with obliterate punctures ( Fig. 20A ); pronotum with sparse umbilicate punctures; mesodiscrimen with a ring-like process, adjacent to mesocoxa; mesoscutum 0.5× as long as wide (55:115), 0.6× longer than length of pronotal collar (55:90), sparsely umbilicate, transversely strigose anteriorly; notauli conspicuous, slightly obliterated by mesoscutum sculpture; prepectus bare, with raised sculpture; mesoscutellum densely coriaceous medially and laterally with shallow punctures; mesepimeron transversally strigose; metepimeron subtriangular and areolate with long white hairs; propodeum ( Fig. 20B ) with deep median depression and a smooth median band, inverted U-shaped basal carina, lateral branches relatively straight, width of basal carinae less than 0.5× width of nucha, median sculpture regular.

Fore wing with short marginal fringe, apically subtruncate (pointed anteriorly); dark brown spot below mv; basal cell bare or nearly so; mv slightly enlarged, normally broadened, in lower margin concave; pmv not distinct; stv curved up; ventral side of costal cell bare, dorsally with row of setae; speculum present; parastigmal bristles absent ( Figs 20E, F ).

Legs. Fore coxa without depression on frontal surface, hind coxa bare basodorsally; fore (30:12) and hind femora (35:15); hind tibia dorsally with more than 10 setae, setae shorter than basal tibial width.

Metasoma. Petiole shorter than broad dorsally, ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present. Metasoma 1.5× as long as wide (170:115) ( Fig. 20C ), longer than mesosoma, strongly compressed laterally and dorsally angulate ( Fig. 20D ); ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present; petiole in dorsal view not longer than wide, distinctly shorter than half-length of hind coxa; gastral tergites finely sculptured; Gt4 (in lateral view) slightly as long as Gt3, sinuous posteriorly; Gt5 partly covered Gt6, sinuous posteriorly; Gt6 entirely setose in ventral half; ovipositor upturned ( Fig. 20C ).

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Length 4.76–6.17 mm. Gaster in some specimens uniformly yellowish.

Host plants. Ficus artocarpoides , F. sansibarica subsp. macrosperma and F. laurifolia .

Geographical distribution. Cameroon, Gabon and Guinea.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Ficomila bouceki sp. n. (♀). A, female in lateral view. B, antenna. C, head in frontal view. D, head in dorsal view. E, head in lateral view. F, mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 20. Ficomila bouceki sp. n. (♀). A, mesosoma in dorsal view. B, propodeum. C, metasoma in lateral view. D, metasoma in dorsal view. E, fore wing. F, fore wing venation.