Trichoteleia tezitra Talamas

Talamas, Elijah J., Masner, Lubomir & Johnson, Norman F., 2011, Revision of the Malagasy genus Trichoteleia Kieffer (Hymenoptera, Platygastroidea, Platygastridae), ZooKeys 80, pp. 1-126 : 95-97

Trichoteleia tezitra Talamas sp. n. Figures 269-274Morphbank 43

Description.

Female body length: 3.67-4.25 mm (n=3). Male body length: 3.56 mm (n=1). Color of head: dark brown to black. Central keel of frons: present, bifurcating ventrally around interantennal process. Sculpture of medial frons in female: smooth. Sculpture of medial frons in male: smooth. Number of mandibular teeth: three. Basal node on mandible: absent. Sculpture of frons below median ocellus: densely punctate throughout. Sculpture of posterior vertex: densely punctate. Occipital rim: comprised of medium to large sized cells. Sculpture of gena: dorsoventrally strigose. Basiconic sensillum on A7: absent.

Color of mesosoma in female: dark brown to black. Color of mesosoma in male: dark brown to black. Sculpture along posterior pronotal sulcus: striate, striae well defined; rugulose. Notaulus: smooth furrow incomplete, reaching suprahumeral sulcus as row of punctures. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: densely punctate posteriorly, becoming denser and transversely rugulose anteriorly. Sculpture of mesoscutellum: smooth medially, moderately punctate laterally. Postacetabular sulcus: comprised of small cells. Mesopleural carina: present. Sculpture along ventral half of prespecular sulcus: coarsely punctate. Sculpture of posterolateral mesepisternum: coarsely punctate. Sculpture of ventral surface of mesepisternum: finely punctate; moderately punctate. Setation of ventral metapleural area: absent. Setation of metapleural triangle: sparse. Sculpture of metapleural triangle: punctate rugose. Posterior margin of metapleuron below propodeal spiracle: straight to moderately convex; with blunt kink near intersection with metapleural sulcus. Color of legs: femora and metacoxa brown, otherwise yellow.

Color of metasoma in female: dark brown to black throughout. Color of metasoma in male: dark brown to black throughout. Posterior margin of transverse sulcus on T2: strongly convex. Sublateral tergal carina on T2: absent. Microsculpture on T2: present. Microsculpture on T3: present. Microsculpture on T4: absent. Horn on T1 in female: present as a large, apically rounded protuberance. Macrosculpture of T2 in female: longitudinally strigose throughout. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in female: absent; longitudinally strigose; rugulose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in female: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T4 in female: absent. Macrosculpture of lateral T4 in female: absent; weakly rugulose. Punctation of T4 in female: sparse in medial third, dense laterally; absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense. Macrosculpture of T5 in female: absent; weakly rugulose laterally. Punctation of T5 in female: dense throughout; sparse along midline, otherwise dense; absent along midline, otherwise moderately dense. Shape of T5 in female: width of posterior margin less than length. Microscupture on T6 in female: absent. Sculpture of T6 in female: densely and finely punctate. Macrosculpture of T2 in male: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of medial T3 in male: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of lateral T3 in male: longitudinally strigose. Macrosculpture of T4 in male: absent. Punctation of T4 in male: sparse in medial third, dense laterally. Macrosculpture of T5 in male: absent. Punctation of T5 in male: sparse along midline, otherwise dense throughout. Sculpture of S2: coarsely punctate throughout. Prominent longitudinal median carina on S2: absent.

Wings: macropterous, apex or forewing extending beyond posterior margin of T3. Color of forewing in female: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of forewing in male: slightly infuscate throughout. Color of hind wing: slightly infuscate throughout. Density of setation in fore wing: uniform throughout. Density of setation in hind wing: uniform throughout. Length of R1: more than 1.5 times as long as r. M+Cu and RS+M in forewing: spectral.

Diagnosis.

The body shape, color and size of Trichoteleia tezitra is similar to Trichoteleia bidentata , Trichoteleia funesta and, to a lesser extent, Trichoteleia quazii . S2 in Trichoteleia quazii has a longitudinal median carina (as in Fig. 45), whereas S2 in Trichoteleia tezitra is uniformly punctate with no carina. Trichoteleia tezitra shares with Trichoteleia bidentata spectral Rs+M and M+Cu veins, and differs in having three, versus two, mandibular teeth.

Etymology.

This species is given the name tezitra, meaning “angry” in Malagasy, for the appearance of its head. The epithet is to be considered as a noun in apposition.

Link to Distribution Map.

[http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=241273]

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: MADAGASCAR: Toliara Auto. Prov., 19.8km (84°) E Sakaraha, leaf mold / rotten wood / tropical dry forest, BLF7510, Zombitse-Vohibasia National Park, 22°50'36"S, 44°42'36"E, 770m, 5. II– 9.II.2003, sifted litter, Fisher, Griswold et al., CASENT 2136542 (deposited in CASC). Paratypes: MADAGASCAR: 3 females, 1 male, CASENT 2133132, 2133135, OSUC 334221 (CASC); CASENT 2135929 (OSUC).