Scelio exophthalmus Yoder

Yoder, Matthew J., Valerio, Alejandro A., Polaszek, Andrew, Noort, Simon van, Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2014, Monograph of the Afrotropical species of Scelio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), egg parasitoids of acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae), ZooKeys 380, pp. 1-188 : 32-34

Scelio exophthalmus Yoder sp. n. Figures 73-78; Morphbank 29

Description.

Female body length: 3.32-3.91 mm (n=9). Shape of compound eye: conspicuously bulging. Color pattern of pilosity below anterior ocellus in female: predominantly white throughout. Sculpture of frons in female: reticulate rugulose, sculp ture finer, typically without dorsoventral trend. Genal carina in female: absent. Width of gena in lateral view: strongly bulging, posterior margin diverging ventrally from posterior margin of eye. Density of genal setae: moderately to highly dense, setae conspicuous. Color of genal setae: white to off-white. Sculpture of base of mandible in female: minutely reticulate. Color of A1 in female: yellow throughout. Color of A3 in female: brown. Sculpture of dorsal pronotal nucha in female: predominantly to completely sculptured. Color of pilosity of pronotal shoulder in female: predominantly white to off-white. Sculpture along humeral margin of mesoscutum: well-defined throughout. Color of pilosity of mesonotum in female: predominantly light to dark brown. Transition from lateral to posterior margin of propodeum in dorsal view: forming distinct angle, corner of propodeum well defined. Shape of mesoscutum in lateral view: bulging in anterior third. Pilosity on metapleuron above hind coxa: glabrous or with few scattered setae. Form of fore wing submarginal vein in female: tubular throughout from base to costal margin. Fine pilosity of lateral T1 in female: present. Width of metasoma: moderately wide, width of S3 1.5-1.6 times medial length. Distribution of pilosity on T2-T5 in female: more or less evenly distributed throughout. Sculpture of T3 in female: longitudinally striate laterally with prominent reticulate to rugulose elements medially. Overall sculpture of S3: with dense, fine longitudinal carinae. Sculpture of medial S3 in female: with broadly obliterated or with distinct smooth patch.

Diagnosis.

Differs from all similar species without a genal carina by the combination of the presence of very bushy pilosity on the gena, the bulging eye (Fig. 78) the reticulate sculpture of medial T3, and the sculptured pronotal nucha.

Etymology.

The epithet is used as a Latinized adjective for the Greek word meaning bulging or protruding eyes.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=244955

Material examined.

Holotype, female: CAMEROON: Nkoemvom, VIII-1980, malaise trap, D. Jackson, OSUC 212123 (deposited in BMNH). Paratypes: (8 females) CAMEROON: 2 females, OSUC 212108, 212115 (CNCI). IVORY COAST: 2 females, OSUC 213234 (CNCI); OSUC 213064 (OSUC). NIGERIA: 4 females, OSUC 212805-212806, 213276 (CNCI); OSUC 213259 (OSUC).

Comments.

The submarginal carina of T2 is particularly well developed and flange-like anteriorly.