Synopeas basipubens, Buhl, 2014

Buhl, Peter Neerup, 2014, New species and new records of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae from Togo (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), African Invertebrates 55 (1), pp. 68-68 : 106-108

Synopeas basipubens sp. n.

Figs 70, 71

Etymology: From Latin basis and pubescens (covered with hairs basally); in reference to the unusually strongly pubescent junction of T1–T2.

Diagnosis: Female A5 distinctly longer and wider than A4; notauli absent; scutellum much below level of mesoscutum, with a short tooth; female metasoma 1.1× as long as rest of body.

Description:

Female.

Body length 1.1–1.4 mm. Black, A1–A6 and legs light brown; A7–A10, mandibles and coxae dark brown. Head from above ( Fig. 70 ) 1.75× as wide as long, 1.3× times as wide as mesosoma, dull, finely reticulate­coriaceous, in lower half of frons with weak transverse elements; hyperoccipital carina absent, head smoothly rounded, but margin just behind eyes sometimes slightly spinose in dorsal view. LOL= 1.75 OOL. Head in frontal view 1.15× as wide as high.Antenna with A1 0.8× as long as height of head, longer than distance between inner orbits (14:13); A2 slightly longer than A3–A4 combined; A4 about 1.75× as long as A3 and 1.75× as long as wide; A5 distinctly wider than A4 and 1.2–1.6× as long; A6 small; A7–A10 forming a clava, A9 1.2–1.4× as wide as long. Mesosoma ( Figs 70–71 ) 1.9× as long as wide, 1.3× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum finely reticulate­coriaceous (not longitudinally so), smooth along wide hind margin. Mesoscutum evenly and rather sparsely setose, finely and uniformly reticulate­coriaceous except postero-medially; notauli absent; hind margin medially with a transverse, blunt and slightly brownish prolongation over base of scutellum, having dense whitish setosity at each side. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum dull and bare medially, densely setose towards sides, with a distinct, short tooth with a translucent lamella below. Metapleuron smooth, with long whitish pilosity except along narrow anterior and upper margins. Propodeal carinae dark and fused. Fore wing 0.7× as long as entire body, just reaching tip of metasoma, 2.75× as long as wide, almost clear, with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia absent. Hind wing 6.1× as long as wide; marginal cilia about 0.25× width of wing. Metasoma ( Fig. 71 ) 1.1× as long as head and mesosoma combined, slightly wider than mesosoma (16:15), 1.25× as wide as high. T2 smooth, except for a few short longitudinal crenulae behind the large basal tufts of pubescence. T3–T5 almost smooth, T6 dull towards sides, but apical tergites with numerous deep punctures: about 18 in one transverse row on T3, approximately 22 more scattered on T4, about 26 scattered on T5, about 16 on T6.

Male.

Body length 0.9–1.0 mm. Antenna with preapical antennal segments each about as long as wide; flagellar pubescence short. Metasoma 0.80–0.95× as long as head and mesosoma combined.

Comparison: There is a graded series of specimens towards “strongly developed” ones with a more spinose margin behind eyes, longer and wider A5 and more transverse A8–A9. This species runs to S. dentilamellatum Buhl, 2011 , in Buhl’s (2011 b) key to Afrotropical species of Synopeas , but that species has more slender preapical female antennal segments, scutellum at level of mesoscutum, female metasoma more flattened, is less pubescent anteriorly, and apical tergites are more sculptured.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région du Centre, Montagne Gabongala, Forêt du Mont Balat (Balam) between Diguina and Gassi Gassi, NW of Diguina Konta (08°11'47"N 00°55'19"E), 28.iv. 2008, 440 m, sparsely forested mountain slope and top of mountain range (above the mountain foot with the above coordinates) with dry forest, fire­influenced ground, violet flowers of Kaemperia aethiopica (Schweinf.) Benth., within herb stratum, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Paratypes: 1♀ Région des Plateaux, main road between Agbanon and Agoté, at brook Tomezuitoe (07°15'53"N 00°47'51"E) 15.iv. 2008, 360 m, brook bank at teak forest ( Tectona grandis ), shady cocoa plantation, swept ; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, Anonoè, at creek Okpabè (07°33'40"N 00°36'10"E), 22.iv. 2008, 280 m, swept along bank and in cocoa plantation ; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, N of Ayagba, at river Kpélékoun (07°46'13"N 00°47'48"E), 23.iv. 2008, 340 m, grass and shrubs along river, swept ; 6♂ Région des Plateaux, Plateau de Danyi, near Atigba (07°09'52"N 00°41'33"E), 14.iv. 2008, 775 m, remains of secondary rainforest, underwood, forest plantation, road side with much Sida acuta , swept ; 2♀ Région des Plateaux, Ouvêtsévé near Kpélé Élé (07°21'27"N 00°51'12"E), 15.iv. 2008, 345 m, creek bank within forest, diverse herb vegetation, swept ; 1♀ Région des Plateaux, Abriwa­Nko, about 5 km N of Badou, at creek Ègnulu–Agbadja (07°37'18"N 00°36'13"E), 24.iv. 2008, 310 m, swept in cocoa and avocado plantation. All M. von Tschirnhaus .

Figures

Figs 70, 71. Synopeas basipubens sp. n., female: (70) head and mesosoma in dorsal view, scale bar = 10 μm; (71) body in lateral view, scale bar = 100 μm.