Ceraphron kaharabu, 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 : 204-207

Ceraphron kaharabu sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1B81FEC-2031-4235-8087-E54F49B43E00

Fig. 58

Diagnosis

Mesosoma amber-coloured and ventrolateral parts darker than rest; scape brown, pedicel light brown, flagellum brown; scape 5.1 × as long as pedicel; dorsal margin of occipital carina dorsal to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital carina distinct; OOL 2.73–3.33 × (2.73) lateral ocellus diameter; lateral margin of torulus distinctly raised; posterolateral processes of gena present; translucent patches on metasoma absent. Male genitalia: harpe trapezoidal to cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.38; dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal half, slightly concave and diverging distolaterally in apical half, apex of harpe slightly rounded; harpe with at least four lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae more than two thirds as long as harpe; harpe with at least four apical setae, longest apical setae more than three quarters as long as harpe.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Swahili word ‘ kaharabu ’ which means ‘amber’, with reference to the amber-coloured body.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, Kakamega Forest; 00°12′09 N, 34°52′06 E; 1553 m a.s.l.; 2 May 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 28; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00036980 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 2 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°12′42.6 N, 34°55′52.3 E; 1615 m a.s.l.; 16 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 20; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036981, ZFMK-HYM-00036987 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′6.1 N, 34°52′9.2 E; 1605 m a.s.l.; 4 Sep. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 23; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00036982 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 1.00– 1.54 mm (1.27 mm).

COLOUR. Head dark brown, mesosoma amber-coloured and ventrolateral parts darker than rest, metasoma amber-coloured; scape brown, pedicel light brown, flagellum brown; legs golden-yellowish except pro-and mesocoxa light brown, proximal three quarters of metacoxa light brown; fore wing venation light brown, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 5.1× as long as pedicel, scape longer than F1 and F2 combined, F1 2.1× as long as wide, F1 2.1 × as long as pedicel, F1 1.2 × as long as F2, F1 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 shorter than F9, F6 1.8× as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.2× as high as F9; numerous medium-sized multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and shorter than width of flagellomeres.

HEAD. Head width 1.18–1.27× (1.27) head height; head width 1.91–2.03× (1.94) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.30–1.74× (1.30) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.57–1.68 × (1.57) 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 1.00:0.37– 0.47:0.42–0.47 (1.00:0.47:0.42); OOL 2.73–3.33× (2.73) lateral ocellus diameter. White, thick setae on upper face present; supraclypeal depression present; lateral margin of torulus distinctly raised; intertorular carina present; posterolateral processes of gena present.

MESOSOMA, METASOMA. Mesosoma not compressed laterally. Head width 0.98–1.05 × (1.04) mesosoma width; Weber length 400–431 µm (431 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 or straight; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.72–1.90× (1.82) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.38–1.52 × (1.39) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.48–1.55× (1.48) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.02–1.08 × (1.07) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.15–1.28 × (1.15) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.41–1.49 × (1.41) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex curved in lateral view with blunt, lighter and slightly bifurcated end, extending to end of mesosoma; mesometapleural sulcus present; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least seven distinct, basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.75–2.78 × (2.75) width; stigmal vein 3× as long as pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 194–222 µm (222 µm); Weber length 1.94–2.09 × (1.94) genital length; gvc width 97–117 µm (97 µm); genital length 1.65–2.29 × (2.29) gvc width; gvc width lees than two thirds of gvc length; gvc width 1.28 × distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc slightly concave; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 58C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 58A ); ventral area of gvc slightly convex; dorsal area of gvc convex ( Fig. 58B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending and slightly emarginated ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 58B ). Harpe trapezoidal to cone-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.38; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 58A, C ); ventral margin of harpe slightly concave, dorsal margin slightly convex ( Fig. 58B ), lateral margin convex, widest point of harpe at basal third ( Fig. 58A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes slightly converging and almost touching at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe slightly convex and slightly diverging distolaterally in basal half, slightly concave and diverging distolaterally in apical half ( Fig. 58C ), apex of harpe slightly rounded ( Fig. 58A, C ). Harpe with at least four lateral setae restricted to apical half, longest lateral setae more than two thirds as long as harpe, lateral setae oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least four apical setae, longest apical setae more than three quarters as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distodorsally, distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least six median setae, longest median setae more than half as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than half as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 58A, C ) and dorsal to apex of harpe. Strong sclerotization with strongest sclerotization at harpe and aedeagus + gonossiculus and weakest sclerotization at distal third of gvc.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

In ZFMK-HYM-00036982 the posterolateral processes of the gena is less distinctly developed, has at least six basal longitudinal carinae on the syntergum, and its lateral margin of the harpe is less convex.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

Ceraphron kaharabu sp. nov., C. cephalotes Sundholm, 1970 , and C. longulus Sundholm, 1970 have harpes of generally similar shape. They can be distinguished by the harpe/gvc index being distinctly higher in C. cephalotes and C. longulus (0.58 and 0.50) than in C. kaharabu (0.38), and the gvc width to length ratios also being higher in C. cephalotes and C. longulus (width to length almost equal) than in C. kaharabu (less than two thirds). In addition, C. kaharabu is very differently coloured than C. cephalotes and C. longulus , i.e., the species are easy distinguishable.

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

Condition of type material

Holotype is immaculate.

Figures

Fig. 58. Holotype of Ceraphron kaharabu sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036980). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.