Platygaster sublongicornis, Buhl, 2009

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2009, Six new species of Platygastrinae from the British Isles (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), Journal of Natural History 43 (11 - 12), pp. 687-699 : 691-692

Platygaster sublongicornis sp. nov.

( Figure 3 )

Diagnosis

Female A9 about 1.75 times as long as wide; notauli only visible in posterior third; female metasoma pointed, T3–T6 combined slightly longer than T2.

Description

Female. Length 1.3–1.7 mm. Black; antennae, mandibles, tegulae and legs dark brown; apex of fore femur, base and apex of all tibiae, and segments 1–4 of all tarsi slightly to distinctly lighter.

Head from above ( Figure 3A ) 1.9 times as wide as long, very slightly wider than mesosoma (27:26); occiput finely transversely striate, postero-medially the striations are somewhat semi-circular; vertex smooth, with superficial irregular microsculpture; frons smooth, towards sides with slightly oblique, transverse microstriation, just above antennae with such sculpture over whole width. OOL:LOL58:5. Head in frontal view 1.3 times as wide as high. Antenna ( Figure 3B ) with A1 0.9 times as long as height of head, 1.1 times as long as distance between inner orbits; A9 1.7–1.8 times as long as wide (in one paratype only 1.3 times as long as wide).

Mesosoma 1.3 times as long as wide, as wide as high. Sides of pronotum smooth along wide upper and hind margins, rest with fine longitudinal microsculpture. Mesoscutum with scattered hairs on slightly raised sockets, smooth, in anterior half with spots of fine rugosity, especially extending from anterior ends of the notauli which are only faintly indicated in posterior third; mid lobe very slightly produced posteriorly, blunt, not quite reaching base of scutellar disc; scuto-scutellar grooves of moderate width, with very few, inconspicuous hairs. Mesopleuron smooth except for a small, dull area just below tegula. Scutellum ( Figure 3C ) smooth, sparsely hairy. Metapleuron with pilosity all over. Propodeal carinae short, parallel, area between them nearly twice as wide as long, smooth and shiny.

Fore wing surpassing tip of metasoma by a length equal to 1.1 times the length of T6, 0.8 times as long as body, 2.5 times as long as wide, hyaline, with dense and rather long microtrichia; marginal cilia 1/16 times the width of wing. Hind wing 4.5 times as long as wide, with two hamuli; marginal cilia hardly 0.2 times the width of wing.

Metasoma ( Figure 3D ) hardly longer to about 1.2 times as long as head and mesosoma combined, as wide as mesosoma. T1 with numerous irregular longitudinal carinae. T2 striate from basal foveae to fully half its length, medially to 0.3 of its length, rest of tergite as well as following tergites smooth; T2–T3 each with six, T4– T6 each with about ten hairs which are inserted in shallow punctures, on T3 arranged in a medially interrupted transverse row, on T4–T5 irregularly arranged. Sternite 2 without any convexity.

Material examined

Holotype female: Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Glen Tanar National Nature Reserve , 24.vi.1982, R. G. Brown . Paratypes: four females same data as holotype ; five females, Austria, Helmonsödt , Föhrau, 21.v.1947, swept in grass, Hamann (in Biologiezentrum, Linz) .

Affinities

Two species have antennae somewhat similar to those of P. sublongicornis : P. compressicornis (Thomson, 1859) has more slender antennae, longer notauli, and longer metasoma, cf. Huggert (1973). P. ennius Walker, 1835 has longer notauli, and shorter, less striated metasoma with hairs on apical tergites inserted in deeper punctures, cf. Vlug (1985).

Etymology

The name refers to the rather long female antennae.

Figures

Figure 3. P. sublongicornis sp. nov., female. (A) head, dorsal; (B) antenna; (C) scutellum and propodeum, lateral; (D) metasoma, dorsal.