Scelio mauritanicus Risbec

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 : 36-38

Scelio mauritanicus Risbec Figures 85-90; Morphbank 31

Scelio mauritanicus Risbec, 1950: 587 (original description); Risbec 1954: 1038 (description, variation, suggested synonymy); Risbec 1957: 147 (variation); Nixon 1958: 311, 317 (keyed); Masner 1976: 18 (type information).

Scelio cahirensis Priesner, 1951: 144. (original description); Kononova and Kozlov 2008: 140, 156 (description, keyed). syn. n.

Scelio mauritanicus http://zoobank.org/458735E6-4A5B-447F-B719-386BB451163D

Scelio mauritanicus urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:5186

Description.

Female body length: 3.12-4.30 mm (n=24). Male body length: 2.57-4.50 mm (n=37). Shape of compound eye: not or only slightly bulging. Color pattern of pilosity below anterior ocellus in female: predominantly white throughout. Sculpture of frons in female: reticulate rugulose, sculpture finer, typically without dorsoventral trend. Genal carina in female: absent. Width of gena in lateral view: weakly expanded, posterior margin parallel to 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: smooth. Color of A1 in female: yellow to light brown at base, darkening near mid point to light to dark brown. Color of A3 in female: brown. Sculpture of dorsal pronotal nucha in female: predominantly to completely smooth. 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: more or less flat. 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: very wide, width of S3> 2 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: present throughout.

Diagnosis.

Similar to other Afrotropical ernstii-group species with the genal carina absent. Distinguishable by the completely smooth pronotal nucha (Fig. 87, pn). The combination of the very flat mesoscutum, color transition from yellow to brown on the scape, and rugulose sculpture of medial T3 may be further used to aid in the diagnosis of many individuals.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=5272

Material examined.

Lectotype, Scelio mauritanicus , female (present designation): MAURITANIA: Trarza Rég., millet stalk, Rkîz, 24.VI.1946, [RKIZ, 'tige de mil’, 24.6.1946, boîte 10], OSUC 250704 (deposited in MNHN). Holotype, Scelio cahirensis : EGYPT: Pyramids, 15.10.33, Dr. H. Priesner, type No. 70877 (deposited in USNM). Paralectotype, Scelio mauritanicus : SENEGAL: 1 male, OSUC 254716 (MNHN). Paratypes, Scelio cahirensis : EGYPT: 2 females, OSUC 244152, 244153 (USNM). Other material: (36 females, 26 males, 9 unknowns) BENIN: 1 female, 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790391 (BMNH); OSUC 211374 (CNCI). BURKINAFASO: 1 female, OSUC 213087 (CNCI). BURUNDI: 1 female, OSUC 182053 (RMCA). CAMEROON: 1 female, OSUC 212126 (CNCI). EGYPT: 2 females, OSUC 244152-244153 (USNM). ERITREA: 3 unknowns, BMNH(E)#790390, 790419-790420 (BMNH). IVORYCOAST: 7 females, OSUC 212925, 213017, 213221, 213223, 213232, 213237 (CNCI); OSUC 213071 (OSUC). KENYA: 2 females, OSUC 234665-234666 (CNCI). MALI: 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790392 (BMNH). NIGERIA: 9 females, 18 males, OSUC 211665-211666, 211888, 212172, 212177, 212179, 212184, 212188, 212194, 212685, 212691-212692, 212706, 212716, 212737, 212813, 213030-213031, 213033, 213143, 213146, 213154, 250970, 250995, 251013 (CNCI); OSUC 212696, 212738 (OSUC). RWANDA: 1 female, OSUC 182052 (RMCA). SENEGAL: 1 male, OSUC 254724 (MNHN). SUDAN: 1 female, OSUC 244077 (USNM). TANZANIA: 3 unknowns, BMNH(E)#790388, 790417-790418 (BMNH). UNITEDARABEMIRATES: 3 females, 1 unknown, BMNH(E)#790389 (BMNH); OSUC 214076 (CNCI); OSUC 214057, 214060 (OSUC). YEMEN: 7 females, 7 males, OSUC 212476, 250681, 251008, 251065, 254669-254670, 254681, 254688, 254695-254696, 254775, 254784, 254786, 254788 (CNCI).

Comments.

The lectotype of Scelio mauritanicus (OSUC 250704) was identified by unique label data "Mauritanie, Rkiz., 24-6-1946". It, and the type material of Scelio cahirensis match well, both being smaller individuals within the presently circumscribed size range (see below). The available material falls into a gradation between three general morphotypes. Given this variation we do not feel it prudent to subdivide Scelio mauritanicus into two or three separate species. All three morphotypes share several core characters, these first noted by Nixon (1958): the absence of sculpture on the pronotal nucha is constant and obvious (Fig. 87, pn); the mesonotum is relatively flat; the fore wing does not or just reaches T6; and sculpture medial to the lateral ocelli is usually obliterated or smoothed. Several additional characters link a majority of specimens: in females and larger males the fore wing has a golden infuscation more or less throughout; the eye is slightly quadrate in lateral view; the medial sculpture of T3 is variable, though it is usually at least slightly developed; and the base of the mandible is smooth in most individuals (contrasting with the fine reticulate sculpture seen in most Afrotropical ernstii-group species). The larger morphotype (Figs 85-90), predominantly from Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, has the scape with the basal 1/4 yellow, the remainder light brown (females and males). It also has a somewhat more wedge-shaped head, though this appears to vary with size. Smaller individuals, predominantly from Yemen and the UAE, have a slightly more rounded head, are lighter colored in general, and have slightly less infuscation in the wings. Large and small morphs are linked through moderately sized individuals known from Nigeria, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso. Specimens from Kenya and Sudan (OSUC 234665, 234666, and 244077) are moderately sized and differ primarily in the color of the scape and femora, which are yellow with at most only extremely slight infuscation. We anticipate that Scelio mauritanicus and Scelio cahirensis will remain in synonymy regardless of whether the species is split, both being exemplars of the smaller size range.