Teasienna africana, Mitroiu, 2017

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, 2017, Revision of world Austroterobiinae and Parasaphodinae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), parasitoids of giant scales (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 4301 (1), pp. 1-63 : 31-35

Teasienna africana sp. nov.

( Figs 72–81 )

Diagnosis. Both sexes: flagellum uniformly brown on dorsal side, paler ventrally ( Figs 74 , 75 ); legs uniformly pale ( Figs 72, 74 ); body setation short (longest genal setae at most about 1/5 length of tegula) and whitish ( Figs 75–78 ); eye height about 1.4× length of malar space; lower margin of toruli below lower margin of eyes ( Fig. 75 ); scape at most reaching lower margin of median ocellus ( Fig. 75 ); mesosoma length about equal to width; fore wing speculum present, although small ( Fig. 81 ).

Female: fore wing usually hyaline ( Figs 73 , 81 ), rarely with slightly infumate cloud below marginal and stigmal veins; antenna ( Fig. 75 ) with clava width 1.5–1.6× width of F1; proximal funicular segments quadrate to slightly transverse, distal funicular segments only moderately transverse (F5 width 1.4–1.5× length); head in profile with face comparatively convex at toruli level ( Fig. 77 ); eye in lateral view distinctly inclined relative to vertical axis of head ( Fig. 77 ); MV length 1.7–2.0× width.

Male: fore wing without distinct infumate cloud under marginal and stigmal veins ( Fig. 74 ).

The females of T. africana most closely resemble those of T. eirene , from which they can be separated mainly by the position of the toruli and the shape and size of the eyes ( Figs 75, 77 ). The males of T. africana are also similar to those of T. gibsoni , from which can be easily separated by the absence of a conspicuous infumate cloud below the marginal and stigmal veins ( Fig. 74 ) and uniformly brown clava ( Fig. 74 ).

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♀ (deposited in UCR) [entire, on triangular card]. D. R. CONGO: ‘Rep. Congo: Dpt. Pool, Iboubikro , Lesio-Louna Pk, 3°16’11”S 15°28’16”E, 29.vii.2008 M. Sharkey MT’, ‘ Univ. Calif. Riverside, Ent. Res. Museum, UCRCENT 280789 ’.

Allotype ♂. Same information as the holotype, ‘UCRCENT 280710 ’ (UCR).

Additional paratypes. BOTSWANA: 1♀ and 1♂ ‘ Botswana: Serowe, Farmer’s Brigade, IX. 1987, MT, P. Forchhammer’ ( CNC) ; 3♀ and 2♂, same information, ‘ X.1987 ’(CNC); 2♀, same information, ‘ VIII.1987 ’(CNC); 1♀, same information, ‘ XII.1987 ’(CNC). CAMEROON: 3♀ ‘ Cameroon: Douala, Elaeis guineensis palm trees, Chromolaena odorata, etc., IV-V. 2010, Mal. Tr. , Kekeunou S.’ ( MICO) (1♀ labeled ‘ DNA Voucher [failed] D # 4894, UCR, J. M. Heraty’, ‘ MICO, UCRCENT 00486468 ); D. R. CONGO: 11♀ and 3♂ ‘ Coll. Mus. Congo, Eala, -1938, 7215, J. Ghesquière’ ( MRAC) ; 2♀, same information, ‘7132’ (MRAC); 31♀ and 24♂ ‘Rep. Congo: Dpt. Pool, Iboubikro, Lesio-Louna Pk , 3°16’11”S 15°28’16”E, 29.vii.2008 M. Sharkey MT’, ‘ Univ. Calif. Riverside, Ent. Res. Museum, UCRCENT 280 […]’ ( UCR) ; 4♀ and 19♂, same information, ’ 23.vii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT246[…]’ (UCR); 2♀ and 7♂, same information, ’ 18.viii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT264[…]’ (UCR); 2♀ and 2♂, same information, ’ 5.viii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT283[…]-285[…]’ (UCR); 2♀, same information, ’ 23.vii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT246[…]’ (UCR); 5♀ and 9♂ ‘Rep. Congo: Pool, Abio, Lesio-Louna Park , 3°6’1”S 15°31’26”E, viii.2008 Sharkey MT’, ‘ Univ. Calif. Riverside, Ent. Res. Museum, UCRCENT 258 […]’ ( UCR) ; 2♀, same information, 29.vii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT237[…]’ (UCR); 1♀, same information, 23.vii.2008 ’, ‘UCRCENT292118’ (UCR); 2♀ and 5♂, same information, 26.viii.2008 Braet MT’, ‘UCRCENT229[…]’ (UCR); 1♀ ‘Dem. Rep. Congo, Bandundu: Wamba, Kikongo Mission , 4°15’S 17°10’E, 15-17.IV.2006 ’, ‘ S. L. Heydon, S. E. Stevenson, pantrap along forest margin’, ‘ Teasienna S. L. Heydon 2016 ’ ( UCD) ; 1♀, same information, ’ 14.IV.06 ’ (UCD); 1♀, same information, ’ 24.IV.2006 ’ (UCD); 2♀ and 1♂, same information, ‘ VII.2008, T. Chapman’ (UCD); 1♀ ‘Dem. Rep. Congo, Bandundu: Wamba, 2km nw. Kikongo Mission , 4°16’S 17°12’E 7.IV.06 ’, ‘ S. L. Heydon, S. E. Stevenson, Malaise along forest margin’ ( UCD) ; 1♀ and 2♂, ‘Dem. Rep. Congo, Bandundu: Wamba, Ntsheshe Forest, ne. of Kikongo Mission’ , ‘ 8-14.VII.2008, 4°16’S 17°12’E, T. Chapman MT at forest margin’ ( UCD) ; 2♀ and 3♂, same information, ’ 14-22.VII.2008 ’ (UCD); 1♂, same information, ’ 21-28.VII.08 ’ (UCD). MADAGASCAR: 1♀ ‘ Madagascar, Tuléar, Berenty 12 km N.W. Amboasary, 5-15.V.1983, J. S,. Noyes & M. C. Day, B.M. 1983-201’ ( BMNH) ; UGANDA: 1♀ ‘ Uganda, Kibale N.P., Kanyawara Biol. Station, 2-9.V.2010, Malaise No 2, N 00°33’55,6”; E 30°21’29,0” 1510m asl, Leg. S. Katusabe & Co’, ‘ DNA Voucher D # 5010, UCR, J. M. Heraty’, ‘ MICO, UCRCENT 00486469 ’ ( MICO) ; ZIMBABWE: 1♀ ‘ Zimbabwe, Harare, Chishawasha , V- 1980, A. Watsham’ ( BMNH) ; 2♀ ‘ Zimbabwe, Chishawasha , ii. 79, A. Watsham’ ( BMNH) ; 1♀ ‘ Zimbabwe: Chishawasha, nr. Salisbury , viii. 1978, A. Watsham’ ( BMNH) ; 2♀ ‘ Rhodesia: Chishawasha , 10.ii.1979, A. Watsham’ ( BMNH) ; 1♀ ‘ Rhodesia: Salisbury , ii. 1978, A. Watsham’ ( BMNH) .

Description. Female. Body length: 1.3–1.8 mm.

Colour. Head and mesosoma black ( Figs 72, 73 ); pronotum from yellowish-brown to black except for lighter lateral sides ( Fig. 79 ); membranous area between pronotum and fore coxa white ( Fig. 79 ). Gaster from yellowishbrown to dark brown, slightly lighter ventrally ( Fig. 72 ). Eyes pale reddish-grey to bright red; ocelli whitish ( Figs 75, 76 ). Antenna ( Fig. 75 ) with scape and pedicel yellowish-brown; flagellum brown, lighter ventrally. Mandibles brown, teeth reddish-brown ( Fig. 75 ). Legs entirely yellowish-brown except for darker pretarsi ( Fig. 72 ). Fore wing usually hyaline ( Fig. 81 ), but in about 10% of examined specimens with slightly infumate cloud below marginal and stigmal veins; tegula yellowish, venation brown, the latter paler ventrally. Body setation whitish, wing setation brownish ( Figs 75–78, 81 ).

Sculpture. Head and mesosoma smooth to finely coriaceous-alutaceous ( Figs 75–80 ); gaster smooth.

Structure. Head. Longest genal setae about 1/5 length of tegula. Head in profile with face strongly convex at toruli level ( Fig. 77 ). Lower margin of toruli below level of lower eye margins ( Fig. 75 ). Scape barely reaching lower margin of median ocellus ( Fig. 75 ). Antenna slightly clavate, clava 1.5–1.6× as wide as F1 (7.5:5.0) ( Fig. 75 ). Eyes oval, inner margins slightly diverging ventrally ( Fig. 75 ); eye in lateral view distinctly inclined relative to vertical axis of head ( Fig. 77 ). Head width 2.1–2.3× length in dorsal view (58:28) and about 1.3× height in frontal view (58:45). POL 1.4–1.8× OOL (16:10). Eye height about 1.2× length (25:21) and about 1.4× malar space (25:18). Scape length equal to eye height (25:25). Head width about 1.2× length of pedicel plus flagellum (58:49). F1 quadrate (5:5); F5 width 1.4–1.5× length (7:5); clava length twice width (15.0:7.5).

Mesosoma. Scutellar spine small, hardly visible among dense setae ( Fig. 78 ). Propodeum smooth, median carina fairly strong ( Fig. 80 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 81 ) with very small speculum; parastigma with hyaline break. Mesosoma length equal to width (51:51), width about 1.3× height (51:40). Mesoscutum width about 2.5× length (51:20). Mesoscutellum length equal to width (25:25). Propodeum length about 0.4× mesoscutellum length (9:25). Fore wing length 2.0–2.2× width (115:57). MV length 1.7–2.0× width (9.0:4.5); SV 2–3× as long as MV (22:9); PV 2.8–3.3× as long as MV (30:9).

Gaster. Short ovate, from slightly longer to distinctly shorter than head plus mesosoma ( Figs 72, 73 ); length 1.4–1.6× width (65:45).

Male. Differs from the female mainly as follows. Body length: 1.3–1.9 mm. Flagellum ( Fig. 74 ) covered with denser and longer setae, sensilla less conspicuous; funicular segments quadrate or virtually so; clava symmetric, without visible microsetation area, apex more acute. Eyes rounder and smaller ( Fig. 74 ). Head width 2.3–2.6× length in dorsal view and about 1.4× height in frontal view. POL 1.5× OOL. Eye height about equal to length. Scape length about 1.1× eye height. F5 quadrate; clava length 2.2× width. Mesosoma length about 1.1× width. Mesoscutum width 2.4–2.6× length. Propodeum length about 0.3× mesoscutellum length. Gaster from shorter to about equal to head plus mesosoma ( Fig. 74 ).

Distribution. Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Uganda, Zimbabwe.

Biology. Unknown.

Remarks. A female from Uganda (CNC) is similar to other specimens except for a much larger body size (2.3 mm) and is excluded from the type series.

Etymology. The name of this new species refers to the wide African distribution of the species, which appears to be the most common species in the Afrotropical region.

Figures

FIGURES 72 – 74. Teasienna africana: 72, holotype ♀, habitus, lateral view; 73, holotype ♀, habitus, dorsal view; 74, allotype ♂, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURES 75 – 81. Teasienna africana: 75, holotype ♀, head, frontal view; 76, holotype ♀, head, dorsal view; 77, holotype ♀, head, lateral view; 78, holotype ♀, mesosoma, dorsal view; 79, paratype ♀, D. R. Congo, mesosoma, lateral view; 80, paratype ♀, D. R. Congo, propodeum and petiole, dorsal view; 81, holotype ♀, fore wing.