Oberthuerella breviscutellaris Benoit

Buffington, Matthew L. & Noort, Simon van, 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae), ZooKeys 202, pp. 1-154 : 12-16

Oberthuerella breviscutellaris Benoit Figures 5-6

Oberthuerella breviscutellaris Benoit, 1955: 286.

Description.

Coloration of head and mesosoma black to dark brown; metasoma, legs yellow-orange. Sculpture on vertex, lateral surface of pronotum and mesoscutum present, deeply striate on head, costate with remnants of foveae on pronotum, mesoscutum.

Head. Broadly triangular in anterior view. Pubescence on head present, sparse setae scattered over head. Sculpture along lateral margin of occiput absent. Gena (measured from compound eye to posterolateral margin of head) short, ratio of length of gena to length of compound eye in dorsal view <0.3, in dorsal view. Sculpture of gena deeply striate. Lateral margin of occiput defined by distinctly angled, raised, sharp carina. Occiput (except extreme lateral margin) smooth. Ocelli small, ratio of maximum diameter of a lateral ocellus to shortest distance between lateral ocelli 0.2-0.4. Anterior ocellus close to posterior ocelli, posterior margin of anterior ocellus behind or subcontiguous with a transverse line running through anterior margins of posterior ocelli. Relative position of toruli close to ocelli, ratio of vertical distance between inner margin of torulus and ventral margin of clypeus to vertical distance between anterior ocellus and torulus <2.0. Median keel of face present, extending to middle of face, not reaching clypeus. Vertical carina adjacent to ventral margin of torulus absent. Facial sculpture present, punctate-rugose, transversely striate; striations meeting at medial keel. Facial impression absent, face flat. Antennal scrobe absent. Anterior tentorial pits large. Vertical delineations on lower face absent. Ventral clypeal margin laterally, close to anterior mandibular articulation, straight. Ventral clypeal margin medially straight, not projecting. Clypeus horizontally striate. Malar space adjacent to anterior articulation of mandible evenly rounded, striate. Malar sulcus absent. Compound eye close to posterior ocellus, ratio of distance between compound eye and posterior mandibular articulation to distance between posterior ocellus and compound eye> 1.2. Compound eye, in dorsal view, distinctly protruding from the surface of the head, particularly laterally. Pubescence on compound eye absent. Orbital furrows absent. Lateral frontal carina of face absent. Dorsal aspect of vertex variously strigate. Posterior aspect of vertex foveate. Hair punctures on lateral aspect of vertex absent. Posterior surface of head almost flat, not deeply impressed.

Labio-maxillary complex. Apical segment of maxillary palp with pubescence, consisting only of erect setae. Apical seta on apical segment of maxillary palp shorter than twice length of second longest apical seta. Erect setae medially on apical segment of maxillary palp present. Last two segments of maxillary palp (in normal repose) straight. Distal ma rgin of subapical segment of maxillary palp straight, apical segment bending outwards. Apical segment of maxillary palp more than 1.5 times as long as preceding segment.

Antenna. Articulation between flagellomeres in antenna connate with articles broadly joined. Female antenna composed of 11 flagellomeres. Female F1 shorter than F2; black. Flagellomeres of female antenna cylindrical, not widened towards apex, non-clavate. Placoidal sensilla absent. Distal flagellomeres of female antenna not conspicuously enlarged compared to proximal.

Pronotum. Macrosculpture on lateral surface of pronotum present, deeply costulate with remnants of foveae. Pubescence on lateral surface of pronotum present, sparse, composed of few short hairs. Anterior flange of pronotal plate distinctly protruding anteriorly, transversely striate. Carinae extending posteriorly from lateral margin of pronotal plate absent. Lateral pronotal carina present. Pronotal crest absent. Dorsal margin of pronotal plate (in anterior view) rounded. Submedian pronotal depressions closed laterally, deep. Lateral margin of pronotal plate defined all the way to the dorsal margin of the pronotum. Pronotal plate wide, almost as wide as head.

Mesoscutum. Mesoscutal surface convex, evenly curved. Sculpture on mesoscutum present, deeply transversely costate. Notaulus present, marked by series of deep subcontiguous pits of uniform width. Median mesoscutal carina absent. Anterior admedial lines present, with adjacent cuticular surface horizontally striate. Median mesoscutal impression present, short, indicated by notch. Parascutal carina distinctly sinuate, posteriorly ending in posteroventrally directed projection.

Mesopleuron. Horizontally strigulate, with striae converging along posterior margin of sclerite. Subpleuron entirely smooth with long, white setae over entire surface. Lower mesopleuron micro-pitted anteriorly, smooth and glabrous posteriorly. Epicnemial carina present, running from mesoscutum to anterior margin of mesopleural carina, narrow ventrally, costate. Lateroventral mesopleural carina present, marking abrupt change of slope of mesopectus. Mesopleural triangle absent. Subalar pit large and well defined, lying in posterior end of subalar groove. Speculum present, distinctly reticulate. Mesopleural carina absent.

Scutellum. Dorsal surface of scutellum foveate-areolate. Circumscutellar carina absent. Posterior margin of axillula marked by distinct ledge, axillula distinctly impressed adjacent to ledge. Lateroventral margin of scutellum posterior to auricula smooth, becoming dorsoventrally striate posteriorly. Dorsoposterior part of scutellum produced posteriorly into sharp spine, less than 1.0 × length of petiole. Dorsal part of scutellum entirely rugose. Scutellar plate absent. Scutellar foveae present, two, each with four longitudinal divisions resulting in transverse row of 10 longitudinally elongate subfovea. Longitudinal scutellar carinae absent. Single longitudinal carina separating scutellar foveae present, short, ending at posterior margin of foveae. Posterolateral margin of scutellum drawn out into distinct protuberance. Lateral bar with strong strigate sculpture, narrow.

Metapectal-propodeal complex. Metapectal cavity anterodorsal to metacoxal base present, ill-defined. Anterior margin of metapectal-propodeal complex separated from mesopleuron by deep, broad, uninterrupted marginal impression. Posteroventral corner of metapleuron (in lateral view) rounded, not drawn out posteriorly. Anterior impression of metepimeron present, narrow, linear impression, not broadened ventrally. Posterior margin of metepimeron distinct, separating metepimeron from propodeum. Subalar area abruptly broadened anteriorly, with an indicated longitudinal division. Calyptra present, blunt, lobe-like, polished posteriorly with setiferous punctures anteriorly. Dorsellum present, two strong medial fovea, laterally strongly excavated with fine pubescence in lateral depressions. Anterior impression of metepisternum, immediately beneath anterior end of metapleural carina, absent. Pubescence thin, evenly covering entire metapectal-propodeal complex. Propodeal spurs present, crenulate. Lateral propodeal carinae present, not reaching scutellum. Ventral end of lateral propodeal carina terminating before reaching nucha. Inter propodeal carinae space lightly setose, foveate. Petiolar foramen removed from metacoxae, directed posteriorly. Horizontal carina running anteriorly from lateral propodeal carina present. Lateral propodeal carina straight, sub-parallel. Calyptra, in lateral view, elongate. Propodeum relatively short, not drawn out posteriorly. Calyptra, in posterior view, dorsoventrally elongate.

Legs. Pubescence posterolaterally on metacoxa sparse to moderately dense, confined dense hair patch absent. Microsculpture on hind coxa absent. Longitudinal carina on the posterior surface of metatibia absent. Metafemoral spine present, elongate, extending distally as low keel along ventral femoral margin. Distal mesotibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Distal metatibial spurs shorter than medial spurs. Ratio of first metatibial segment to remaining 4 segments greater than 1.0. Pubescence on outer surface of metatarsal claw sparse, consisting of few setae. Outer surface of metatarsal claw microcarinate. Apical seta of metatarsal claw positioned on outer surface below dorsal margin. Base of metatarsal claw weakly expanded, apex slightly bent, ratio width of base to length of apex <0.6.

Forewing. Pubescence of forewing absent on basal half of wing, sparse distally. Apical margin of female forewing rounded. Rs+M of forewing tubular. Mesal end of Rs+M vein situated closer to posterior margin of forewing, directed towards posterior end of basalis. Vein R1 tubular along at least basal part of anterior margin of marginal cell. Basal abscissa of R1 (the abscissa between 2r and the forewing margin) of forewing as broad as adjacent forewing veins. Forewing entirely infuscate. Marginal cell of forewing membranous, similar to other wing cells. Areolet absent. Hair fringe along apical margin of forewing absent.

Petiole. Slightly elongate, 1.5 –2× longer than wide. Surface of petiole longitudinally costate, ventral keel absent. Posterior part of female petiole not abruptly widened. Ventral flange of annulus of female petiole absent.

Metasoma. Setal band (hairy ring) at base of tergum 3 absent, base of metasoma glabrous. Tergum 3 distinctly smaller than tergum 4. Posterior margin of tergum 3 smoothly rounded. Posterior margin of tergum 4 arcuate. In lateral view, sternum 3 exposed, ventral border of T2-T7 visible. Sculpture on metasomal terga present, dorsally finely punctate, posteriorly with distinct bands of setiferous pits. Syntergum absent, all postpetiolar terga free. Annulus absent. Peg-like setae on T6-T7 present. Posteroventral cavities of female metasoma T7 present, setose. Female posteroventral margin of T6-T7 distinctly sinuate. Terebrum and hypopygium (in lateral view) straight, pointing posteriorly.

Ovipositor. First valvula of ovipositor narrowing gradually, not broadened apically, serrate at tip. Ovipositor clip absent.

Diagnosis.

This species has a distinctly striate lateral aspect of the pronotum, as well as a horizontally striate mesopleuron; these features are shared with Oberthuerella kibalensis and Oberthuerella sharkeyi , but differs from the former by having an entirely orange metasoma (dark brown/black in Oberthuerella kibalensis ), and differs from the latter having 10 subfovea present at the anterior base of the scutellum (4 subfovea in Oberthuerella sharkeyi ).

Distribution.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Zimbabwe. Link to Distribution Map. [http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=181554]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: Lulua Prov., Luatshi (Luashi), XI-1938, F. Freyne, Mus. Cong. Cyn1-3 (deposited in MRAC). Other material: KENYA: Coast Prov., Shimba Hills, coastal rainforest, Makadara Forest, 04°13.651'S, 39°25.910'E, 22. X– 5.XI.2008, R. Copeland (1 female, USNM ENT 00764776 (USNM)). (Further material listed in Quinlan, 1979).