Ceraphron longumerunus, 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 : 232-236

Ceraphron longumerunus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:194318FF-36D8-4CB7-ADE6-AD12C18409BD

Fig. 66

Diagnosis

Mesosoma yellowish except meso- and metapleuron darker, metasoma light brown-yellowish except anterior third lighter; scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined, F1 4.8× as long as wide, F1 3.8× as long as pedicel, F1 slightly shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 longer than F9; few distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres; head width 1.09–1.29× (1.29) mesosoma width; mesoscutum width 1.32–1.68 × (1.32) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.26–1.32 × (1.32) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.17–1.21× (1.21) posterior mesoscutal width; anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex dorsally oriented in lateral view with pointed and bifurcated end. Male genitalia: harpe bulb-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.34; dorsomedial margins of harpes indistinct at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe indistinct in basal third, concave in middle third, convex in apical third, apex of harpe rounded; ventral area of gvc convex with indistinct distal setae; longest lateral seta as long as harpe, longest apical setae 2.5 × as long as harpe; gvc width 1.44 × distal gvc width; aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally.

Etymology

The species name is a composition of the word long, the flagellomere and the Latin word ‘ unus ’, which means ‘one’, with reference to the elongate F1.

Material examined

Holotype

KENYA • ♂; Western Province, 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-00036940 .

Paratypes

KENYA – Western Province • 2 ♂♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′4.9 N, 34°51′41.1 E; 1602 m a.s.l.; no date on label, 2007 or 2008; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 1; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NHMUK; NHMUK-013389018 , NHMUK-013389019 • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for preceding; ZFMK; ZFMK-HYM-00034462 , ZFMK-HYM-00034472 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00789 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°19′36 N, 34°52′14.6 E; 1570 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 6; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; SMNS; SMNS-HYM-T00790 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°21′7.9 N, 34°52′2.6 E; 1597 m a.s.l.; 2 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 7; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034467 ) • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°27′0.9 N, 34°50′52.9 E; 1649 m a.s.l.; 10 Jul. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 8; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; NMK; NMK ( ZFMK-HYM-00034468 ) • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 4 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034469 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′20.5 N, 34°51′52.8 E; 1634 m a.s.l.; 10 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 17; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034470 • 1 ♂; Kakamega Forest; 00°14′52.3 N, 34°52′5.3 E; 1607 m a.s.l.; 21 Aug. 2007; F. Hita Garcia leg.; Transect 18; primary rain forest; Winkler leaf litter extraction; ZFMK; ZFMK- HYM-00034471 .

Description

Male (N = 3 in morphometric measurements)

BODY LENGTH. 0.76–0.91 mm (0.88 mm).

COLOUR. Head light brown-yellowish, mesosoma yellowish except meso- and metapleuron darker, metasoma light brown-yellowish except anterior one third lighter; scape and pedicel yellowish, F1 yellowish, F2 to F9 light brown except F2 lighter; legs yellowish except metacoxa light yellow and transparent; fore wing venation light brown, distal end of marginal vein and pterostigma marginal vein distinctly darker, fore and hind wing disc slightly melanized, fore wing at proximal part and at proximal half of stigmal vein less melanized.

ANTENNA. 11-segmented, flagellomeres cylindric; scape 4.5 × as long as pedicel, scape shorter than F1 and F2 combined, F1 4.8 × as long as wide, F1 3.8× as long as pedicel, F1 1.6× as long as F2, F1 slightly shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F1 longer than F9, F6 2.3 × as long as wide, F6 shorter than F7 and F8 combined, F6 1.3 × as high as F9; few distinctly small multiporous plates on flagellomeres, sensillae on flagellomeres sickle-shaped and longer than width of F1 to F4.

HEAD. Head width 1.18–1.30 × (1.18) head height; head width 1.86–1.96 × (1.88) interorbital space; maximum eye diameter 1.11–1.39 × (1.32) minimum eye diameter; head height 1.50–1.60 × (1.52) maximum eye diameter. Dorsal margin of occipital carina ventral to dorsal margin of lateral ocellus in lateral view; preoccipital furrow present; preoccipital carina indistinct. OOL:POL:LOL 1.00:0.37– 0.44:0.42–0.56 (1.00:0.44:0.56); OOL 2.13–3.17 × (2.25) lateral ocellus diameter. 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 not compressed laterally. Head width 1.09–1.29× (1.29) mesosoma width; Weber length 263–294 µm (294 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 straight; dorsal axillar area setose, setae curved backwards; mesoscutellum setose, setae curved backwards or straight. Mesoscutum width 1.32–1.68× (1.32) mesoscutellum width; posterior mesoscutal width 1.26–1.32 × (1.32) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.47–1.59× (1.59) mesoscutellum width; mesoscutellum length 1.17–1.21 × (1.21) posterior mesoscutal width; Weber length 1.27–1.62 × (1.62) mesoscutum width; Weber length 1.34–1.50× (1.34) mesoscutellum length. Anteromedian projection of the metanoto-propodeo-metapecto-mesopectal complex dorsally oriented in lateral view with pointed and bifurcated end; mesometapleural sulcus absent; posterior propodeal projection straight and light in ventrolateral view; posterior mesosomal comb absent. Basal transverse carina of petiole (on syntergum) present; at least five basal longitudinal carinae on syntergum; translucent patches on metasoma absent.

FORE WING. Length 2.98–3.10 × (3.02) width; stigmal vein 3× as long as pterostigma marginal length.

MALE GENITALIA. Genital length 86–113 µm (113 µm); Weber length 2.61–3.05 × (2.61) genital length; gvc width 59–63 µm (63 µm); genital length 1.38–1.80× (1.80) gvc width; gvc width three quarters of gvc length; gvc width 1.44× distal gvc width. Proximodorsal margin of gvc convex; distodorsal margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 66C ); proximoventral margin of gvc concave; distoventral margin of gvc descending proximomedially ( Fig. 66A ); ventral area of gvc convex with indistinct distal setae; dorsal area of gvc straight ( Fig. 66B ); proximolateral margin of gvc ascending ventrally; distolateral margin of gvc descending ventrally ( Fig. 66B ). Harpe bulb-shaped in ventral and dorsal view; harpe/gvc index 0.34; lateral articulation site of harpe with gvc not flush ( Fig. 66A, C ); ventral margin of harpe straight, dorsal margin slightly concave ( Fig. 66B ), lateral margin straight and emarginated at apical third, widest point of harpe at lateral articulation site with gvc ( Fig. 66A, C ); dorsomedial margins of harpes indistinct at distodorsal margin of gvc, dorsomedial margin of harpe indistinct in basal third, concave in middle third, convex in apical third ( Fig. 66C ), apex of harpe rounded ( Fig. 66A, C ). Harpe with at least one lateral seta restricted to apical third, longest lateral seta as long as harpe, lateral seta oriented distolaterally and distoventrally; harpe with at least three apical setae, longest apical setae 2.5 × as long as harpe, apical setae oriented distolaterally, distomedially and distoventrally; harpe with at least three median setae restricted to apical third, longest median setae more than one third as long as harpe, median setae oriented distomedially and distoventrally. Aedeagus + gonossiculus more than two thirds as long as harpe, apex of aedeagus + gonossiculus acute ( Fig. 66A, C ) and dorsal to apex of of harpe. Aedeagus + gonossiculus with at least two distinct digital teeth, oriented dorsally. Genitalia weakly sclerotized with strongest sclerotization at aedeagus + gonossiculus.

Female

Unknown.

Variation

Longest apical setae are as long as the harpe in ZFMK-HYM-00034462 (apical setae might be broken). The digital teeth of the aedeagus + gonossiculus are indistinct in NHMUK-013389019 and ZFMK- HYM-00034472. The sensillae of the flagellomeres are longer than the width of all flagellomeres in ZFMK-HYM-00034471.

Biology

Host unknown, specimens collected from leaf litter.

Distribution

Afrotropical: Kenya.

Remarks

Comparison with similar species

The colouration pattern of Ceraphron longumerunus sp. nov. is somewhat similar to that of Ceraphron cingulum sp. nov., Cyoceraphron invisibilis sp. nov. and Cyoceraphron njano sp. nov. However, by many body and male genitalia characters C. longumerunus can be easily distinguished from all other treated species.

Condition of type material

In the holotype, the left F9, the left mesotarsus and the last two left protarsal segments are missing. The posterior end of the metasoma is slightly deformed, thus the body length measurement is not precise.

Figures

Fig. 66. Holotype of Ceraphron longumerunus sp. nov. (ZFMK-HYM-00036940). A–C. Male genitalia in ventral (A), lateral (B) and dorsal (C) views. D. Habitus in lateral view.