Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) africanus Soyka, 1950

Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2013, Review of Gonatocerus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in the Palaearctic region, with notes on extralimital distributions, Zootaxa 3644 (1), pp. 1-178 : 44-47

Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) africanus Soyka, 1950

( Figs 58–64 )

Gonatocerus africanus Soyka 1950: 126 . Holotype female [lost from PPDD] (not examined). Type locality: Gedida, Dakhla Oasis, New Valley Governorate, Egypt.

Gonatocerus sp(p).: Walker et al. 1997: 239, 241 (in part, collections from Turkmenistan, “one or more species” mentioned). Gonatocerus africanus Soyka : Huber et al. 2009: 271 (list).

Type material examined. G. africanus Soyka : paratype female [ NHMW] on slide labeled: 1. “ Dakhla Gedida, 21.3. 32 in Orange grove”, 2. “ Co-Type ”, 3. “ Gonatocerus africanus ( Soyka) female ”, 4. “ 738 ”.

Material examined. HUNGARY. VAS, W of Köszeg , 47 ° 23 ’09’’N 16 ° 31 ’ 19 ’’E, 355 m, 16–20.vi. 2009, I. Mikó [1 Ƥ, UCRC]. ITALY. LAZIO, Roma Prov.: Castelporziano Presidential Estate , costal dunes in N corner, 41 ° 42.150 ’N 12 ° 21.038 ’E, 5 m, 11–12.vi. 2003, M. Bologna, J. Munro, A. Owen, J.D. Pinto [1 Ƥ, UCRC]. 0.8 km W of Sasso , 42 °02.967’N 12 °02.209’E, 264 m, 9–10.vi. 2003, M. Bologna, J. Munro, A. Owen, J.D. Pinto [3 Ƥ, UCRC]. KYRGYZSTAN. DZHALAL-ABAD, 18 km WSW of Kazaeman , 41 ° 21 ’01’’N 73 ° 48 ’ 37 ’’E, 1550 m, 15.vii. 2000, C.H. Dietrich [1 Ƥ, UCRC]. TALAS, 18 km WSW of Taldy Bulak , 42 ° 26 ’ 31 ’’N 72 ° 49 ’ 12 ’’E, 1930 m, 15.vi. 1999, C.H. Dietrich [1 Ƥ, UCRC]. MONGOLIA. ÖMNÖGOVI, Naran Bulag , 43 ° 27 ’N 100 ° 27 ’E, 1405 m, 17–20.vii. 1994, J. Carpenter [3 Ƥ, UCRC]. SPAIN. ALICANTE, Alicante, 16.vii. 1952, J.K. Holloway (on Amaranthus sp.) [3 Ƥ, EMEC]. TURKMENISTAN. MARY, Baýramaly District, sovkhoz “ Karakumkanal ”, 15.vi. 1992, S.V. Triapitsyn (emerged 26.vi. 1992 in University of California , Riverside , quarantine from Salsola sp. plant material, S&R # 92 - 25 - 6).

Distribution. PALAEARCTIC: Egypt, Italy *, Hungary *, Kyrgyzstan *, Mongolia *, Spain *, and Turkmenistan *.

Redescription. FEMALE (paratype and non-type specimens). Body length about 1120 µm (dry-mounted specimens from Italy). Head mostly brown, with some yellow; scape mostly light brown, pedicel mostly brown, and flagellum dark brown; pronotum yellow to brown, mesoscutum mostly brown to dark brown anteriorly and light brown posteriorly, scutellum and axillae light brown to brown, dorsellum and propodeum brown to dark brown; legs mostly light brown; gaster mostly yellow except light brown to brown apically.

Antenna ( Figs 58, 60 , 61 ) with radicle about 0.3 × total length of scape, rest of scape 3.1–3.6 × as long as wide; pedicel longer than F 1; F 1 the shortest funicle segment, F 3 about as long as F 4 or slightly longer, F 5 –F 7 more or less subequal in length, F 8 a little shorter and broader, with an incision at apex; mps on F 4 (usually 0 or, occasionally, 1), F 5 (usually 1 except 2 in the specimens from Mongolia), F 6 (2), F 7 (2) and F 8 (2); clava with 8 mps, 3.5–3.8 × as long as wide, almost as long as combined length of F 6 –F 8.

Mesosoma ( Figs 60 , 63 ). Propodeum ( Fig. 62 ) with submedian lines wide apart. Fore wing ( Figs 59, 60 , 64 ) 3.1–3.4 × as long as wide; longest marginal seta 0.2–0.3 × maximum wing width. Fore wing disc almost hyaline, bare behind submarginal vein, setose behind and beyond marginal vein. Hind wing 19–20 × as long as wide; disc almost hyaline, setose; longest marginal seta 2.4–2.6 × maximum wing width.

Metasoma ( Figs 60 , 63 ) longer than mesosoma. Petiole about 2 × as wide as long. Ovipositor occupying 0.7–0.8 × length of gaster, not exserted beyond its apex; ovipositor length: mesotibia length ratio 1.1–1.3: 1.

MALE. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Gonatocerus africanus is characterized by the distinctive yellow-brown body color and the female antenna ( Figs 58 , 61 ) with F 3 and F 4 subequal in length and bearing usually 1 mps on F 5 and 2 mps on F 6 –F 8.

Hosts. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 58 – 60. Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) africanus Ƥ (paratype): 58, antennae; 59, wings; 60, habitus.

FIGURES 61 – 64. Gonatocerus (Lymaenon) africanus Ƥ (Castelporziano Presidential Estate, Lazio, Italy): 61, antenna; 62, dorsellum and propodeum; 63, mesosoma and metasoma; 64, fore wing.