Aphanogmus taji, Salden & Peters, 2023

Salden, Tobias & Peters, Ralph S., 2023, Afrotropical Ceraphronoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) put back on the map with the description of 88 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 884 (1), pp. 1-386 : 125-128

Aphanogmus taji sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BE9ED6CF-C211-4735-B173-D5B1DB98DA28

Fig. 34

Diagnosis

Scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined; F1 3.7× as long as pedicel; F1 longer than F9; head height 1.67–1.86× (1.67) maximum eye diameter; OOL:POL 0.33–0.50 (0.44); OOL:LOL 0.67–0.85 (0.67); OOL 0.92–1.11× (0.92) lateral ocellus diameter; ocelli distinctly domed; fore wing length 2.51 × width; stigmal vein shorter than 2 × pterostigma marginal length. Male genitalia: harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe broader with plateau on apex in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.26; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.14; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.63; dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe convex and diverging distolaterally from base to apex.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ taji ’ which means ‘crown’, with reference to the prominent ocelli.

Material examined

Holotype

TANZANIA • ♂; Kilimanjaro Region, Mount Kilimanjaro; 3°16′7.1 S, 37°18′28.7 E; 1169 m a.s.l.; 10 Nov. 2012; KiLi project leg.; “low 3”; HOM2, homegarden; Coloured pan trap; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037058.

Paratypes

TANZANIA – Kilimanjaro Region • 1 ♂; Mount Kilimanjaro; 3°16′51.5 S, 37°19′20.5 E; 1124 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2012; KiLi project leg.; “tree 2”; COF4, coffee plantation; Coloured pan trap; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00037065 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; “high 3”; HOM2, homegarden; ZFMK- HYM-00037064 • 1 ♂; Mount Kilimanjaro; 3°20′15 S, 37°29′34.9 E; 1275 m a.s.l.; 9 May 2012; KiLi project leg.; “high 3”; HOM4, homegarden; Coloured pan trap; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037061 • 2 ♂♂; Mount Kilimanjaro; 3°20′15 S, 37°29′34.9 E; 1275 m a.s.l.; 31 Oct. 2012; KiLi project leg.; “tree 3”; HOM4, homegarden; Coloured pan trap; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037060 , ZFMK-HYM-00037062 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; “low ex”; ZFMK-HYM-00037063 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for preceding; “high 1”; ZFMK-HYM-00037066 • 1 ♂; Mount Kilimanjaro; 3°18′15 S, 37°30′4.5 E; 1485 m a.s.l.; 29 Oct. 2012; KiLi project leg.; “high 1”; GRA3, grasland; Coloured pan trap; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00037059 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.33–1.51 mm (1.43 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma brown; scape, pedicel and flagellum brown; legs brown except joints lighter and tarsi transparent; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres trapezoidal; scape 5.8× as long as pedicel, scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined, F1 3.5× as long as wide, F1 3.7 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.6 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 longer than F9, F6 1.9× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2 × as high as F9; numerous distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres erect and longer than width of F1 to F5.

HEAD. Head width 1.28–1.33 × (1.28) head height; head width 1.94–1.97 × (1.94) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.07–1.19× (1.15) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.67–1.86 × (1.67) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina present. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:2.01– 3.00:1.18–1.50 (1.00:2.25:1.50); OOL 0.92–1.11× (0.92) lateral ocellus diameter; ocelli distinctly domed. White, thick setae on upper face absent; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena absent.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma compressed laterally. Head width 1.17–1.25× (1.19) mesosoma width; Weber length 444–488 µm (444 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus present (= scutoscutellar sulcus not adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 2.16–2.27× (2.26) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.52– 1.65× (1.65) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.84–2.00× (2.00) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.19–1.21 × (1.21) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.30–1.37× (1.37) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.53–1.56× (1.54) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight and oriented posterodorsally in lateral view with pointed and lighter end; mesometapleural sulcus absent, mesometapleuron with distinct longitudinal striations; posterior propodeal projection distinctly short in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; short basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 2.51 × width; stigmal vein shorter than 2× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 213–238 µm (219 µm); Weber length 1.85–2.29 × (2.03) genital length; gvc width 72–94 µm (94 µm); genital length 2.33–2.96× (2.33) gvc width; gvc width more than half of gvc length; gvc width 1.45 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 34C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc strongly descending proximomedially ( Fig. 34A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 34B ); proximolateral margin of gvc strongly ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 34B ). Harpe bilobed; ventral lobe finger-shaped and dorsolateral lobe broader with plateau on apex in lateral view; harpe/gvc index 0.26; dorsolateral lobe/ventral lobe index 0.14; dorsolateral length of harpe/harpe index 0.63; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 34A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly convex, dorsal margin convex ( Fig. 34B ), lateral margin slightly convex, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 34A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe convex and diverging distolaterally from base to apex ( Fig. 34C ), apices of ventral and dorsolateral lobe rounded ( Fig. 34A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta on dorsolateral lobe restricted to apical half, longest lateral seta half as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least one apical seta on dorsolateral lobe, longest apical seta on dorsolateral lobe half as long as harpe, apical seta on dorsolateral lobe oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least two apical setae on ventral lobe, longest apical setae on ventral lobe less than one quarter as long as harpe, apical setae on ventral lobe oriented distodorsally, distolaterally and distoventrally; indistinct number of median setae on ventral lobe, longest median setae less than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae with indistinct orientation. Aedeagus + gonossiculus less than one third as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus rounded ( Fig. 34A, C ) and dorsal to apex of dorsolateral lobe of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with indistinct digital teeth. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Paratypes as ZFMK-HYM-00037059, ZFMK-HYM-00037060 and ZFMK-HYM-00037061 have at least two digital teeth [indistinct (i.e., not clearly visible) in the holotype]. The interaxillar sulcus is absent in ZFMK-HYM-00037059 and ZFMK-HYM-00037060.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected with coloured pan trap.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Tanzania.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Aphanogmus taji sp. nov. is very similar to A. rafikii sp. nov., both species share a quite dark colouration, a short marginal fringe of the fore wing and an elongated F1. However, their male genitalia are very different, and also OOL:POL and OOL:LOL are very low in A. taji . Aphanogmus taji has very similar harpe and lobe indices as A. ndefu sp. nov. but these two species are easily distinguishable from each other (e.g., mesometapleuron with distinct longitudinal striations in A. taji and mesometapleuron without longitudinal striations in A. ndefu , scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined in A. taji and scape longer than F1 and F2 combined in A. ndefu , F1 3.5 × as long as wide in A. taji and F1 2.9 × as long as wide in A. ndefu , and metacoxa brown in A. taji and metacoxa light yellow and transparent in A. ndefu ).

Aphanogmus taji sp. nov. matches some of the diagnostic characters of the Aphanogmus hakonensis species complex ( Polaszek & Dessart 1996): Dark body colouration (except for the legs), longitudinally striated mesometapleuron without a sulcus, and laterally and posteriorly carinate mesoscutellum. It does not have a lighter scape, pedicel and F1–F5 ( Polaszek & Dessart 1996). We refrain from formally assigning A. taji to the Aphanogmus hakonensis species complex.

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under A. maua sp. nov., and A. robustus sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right fore wing is detached. The metasoma is slightly deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 34. Holotype of Aphanogmus taji sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00037058).A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.