Ceraphron lirhanda, 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 : 221-224

Ceraphron lirhanda sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CEEC92FA-9249-47B2-A67E-AAD4253EAD05

Fig. 63

Diagnosis

Metasoma brown except anterior third lighter; dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital carina distinct; posterolateral processes of gena present. Male genitalia: harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.49; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave and diverging distolaterally from base to apex, apex of harpe rounded; dorsal margin of harpe straight; gvc width more than three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.29 × distal gvc width; harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae more than one third as long as harpe.

Etymology

The species is named after the Lirhanda Hill (1734 m a.s.l.) in Kakamega Forest.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 9 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036925 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.4 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; 7 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 2; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036846 • 4 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; 7 Jul. 2007; ZFMK-HYM-00036847 to ZFMK-HYM-00036850 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′49.9 N, 34°52′16.1 E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 15; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036852 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°13′15.5 N, 34°53′24.7 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 23 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 22; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036854 .

Description

Male (N = 2 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.25– 1.07 mm (1.25 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma dark brown, metasoma brown except anterior third lighter; scape and pedicel yellowish, flagellum brown, gradually darkening from F1 to F9; legs yellowish except proximal third of coxae brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 4.7× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.1× as long as wide, F1 2.0× as long as pedicel, F1 1.4× as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 slightly shorter than F9, F6 1.4 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3× as high as F9; numerous large multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.09–1.30 × (1.30) head height; head width 1.94–2.03× (2.03) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.23–1.27× (1.23) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.56–1.68 × (1.56) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina distinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.48– 0.61:0.52–0.55 (1.00:0.61:0.50); OOL 2.00 × (2.00) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face distinct; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 1.00–1.03× (1.03) mesosoma width; Weber length 388–481 µm (481 µm). Mesoscutum densely setose, setae curved backwards; median mesoscutal sulcus present; median mesoscutal sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation; interaxillar sulcus absent (= scutoscutellar sulcus adjacent to transscutal articulation), scutoscutellar sulcus concave; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum sparsely setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.68–2.11 × (2.11) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.36–1.70× (1.70) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.38–1.70× (1.70) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.00–1.01 × (1.00) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.35–1.48 × (1.35) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.67–1.80 × (1.67) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex straight in lateral view with blunt, lighter and bifurcated end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection distinct, straight in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb indistinct. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least five distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; pairs of translucent patches on metasomal syntergum and synsternum.

FORE WING. Length 3.05–3.10 × (3.10) width; stigmal vein longer than 3× pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 136–163 µm (163 µm); Weber length 2.85–2.96 × (2.96) genital length; gvc width 78–86 µm (86 µm); genital length 1.74–1.89× (1.89) gvc width; gvc width more than three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.29 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 63C ); proximoventral margin of gvc slightly convex; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 63A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc slightly convex ( Fig. 63B ), slightly indented distomedially; proximolateral margin of gvc slightly ascending and emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending dorsally ( Fig. 63B ). Harpe cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.49; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 63A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin straight ( Fig. 63B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 63A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly concave and diverging distolaterally from base to apex ( Fig. 63C ), apex of harpe rounded ( Fig. 63A, C ). Harpe with at least three lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae more than one third as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae longer than one third as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least eight median setae, longest median setae more than one quarter as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and medioventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus pointed ( Fig. 63A, C ) and ventral to apex of harpe. Genitalia moderately sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at distal margin of gvc and all margins of harpe.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Translucent patches are absent in ZFMK-HYM-00036848. The apex of the harpe is slightly pointed in ZFMK-HYM-00036847 and ZFMK-HYM-00036854.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron lirhanda sp. nov. and C. herreni sp. nov. can be distinguished by the colour of the anterior third of the metasoma which is lighter than the rest of the metasoma in C. lirhanda and concolourous with the rest of the metasoma in C. herreni . The male genitalia of both species differ in the harpe/gvc index (0.49 in C. lirhanda and 0.41 in C. herreni ) and the gvc width to gvc length ratio (more than three quarters in C. lirhanda and two thirds in C. herreni ).

For more comparisons with similar species, see remarks under C. mamamutere sp. nov.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the right F9 is missing, the right hind wing is detached and the posterior part of the metasoma is deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 63. Holotype of Ceraphron lirhanda sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036925). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.