Xiphentedon gerardi, Gumovsky, 2023

Gumovsky, Alex, 2023, Revision of Xiphentedon Risbec, 1957 and Colpixys Waterston, 1916 (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), with descriptions of new species from the Afrotropics, European Journal of Taxonomy 905, pp. 1-83 : 72-74

Xiphentedon gerardi sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:38BCF020-B61E-4B54-A75F-9007EAECD225

Figs 35–36

Diagnosis

As for the group, and also: entire antenna dark, all legs predominantly dark, fore tarsi and terminal two tarsomeres of mid and hind legs dark ( Fig. 35A, F ); head dorsally ~2.5× as wide as long; interantennal space with a short blunt process; gena not bulging, without a spine ( Fig. 36C ); axillular projection bi- or tridentate ( Figs 35B , 36F ); median propodeal strip wide Y-shaped, coriaceous, submedian areas coriaceous to reticulate near nucha and on basal half of propodeum; lateral propodeal sulcus light, complete, but disappears within posterior reticulation ( Figs35D , 36E ); metasomal petiole robust conical, but slightly wider than long, with robust raised neck ( Figs 35D , 36E ).

Female

Pedicel plus flagellum about 2.0×as long as scape, which is generally slender or very slightly widened, flagellum not clavate, gaster as long as or 1.2–1.3 × as long as wide, ovate, syntergum transverse; CC without setae on ventral side; WIP with broad red field along apical margin, followed by narrow blue, green and violet stripes ( Fig. 36B ).

Male

Antennal scape widened apically, about 3.3× as long as wide; body bright green, head brighter than in female.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of Gérard Delvare, a French entomologist and the collector of the holotype. The species epithet is a Latin noun in the genitive case, not changing with the gender of the genus.

Type material examined

Holotype

BENIN • ♀; Sékou; 13 Nov. 1993; G. Delvare leg.; MNHN.

Paratypes

BENIN • 4 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; MNHN, CIRAD.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 1 ♀ (small variety); “ Congo Belge: Kivu, Rutshuru , 1285 m., 22 May – 4 Jun. 1934, G.F. de Witte: 427”; MRAC .

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♂; “ Dukuduku Forest. Res ., Ntl.”; Apr.1977; G.L. Prinsloo leg.; SANC.

Description

Female

Length 1.2–1.7 mm. Dark green, paler in smooth areas; legs predominantly dark, just extreme apices of femora and tibiae paler, tarsi brownish, terminal tarsus of mid and hind legs darker; entire antenna dark; wings transparent, venation pale brown; OMA dark, but occasionally paler than rest of gaster.

Head in dorsal view 2.3× as wide as long; ocelli of moderate size; POL slightly more than 2.0× OOL. Occipital margin traced, but not sharply carinate. MDO: OOL: OCL in ratio 5: 6: 3. Eye poorly pubescent.

Head in frontal view about 1.4× as wide as high. Area above frontal sutures evenly lightly reticulate. Eye height equates interocular distance; eye height about 3.5× malar space.

Surface between toruli (interantennal space) weakly elevated as a short blunt process. Width of oral fossa nearly 3.0× malar space. Distance between lower eye margin and antennal torulus about as long as diameter of torulus. Scape about 5.5× as long as wide, 0.6–0.7 × eye height; combined length of pedicel plus flagellum about 0.9 × as long as width of head; pedicel about 2.0× as long as wide and as long as each of equilong funicular segments, which are all slightly more than 2.0× as long as wide; clava two-segmented, about 2.3× as long as wide, with short terminal spine.

Mesosoma 1.4–1.5 × as long as wide. Pronotal collar not carinate, pronotal shoulders blunt. Prosternum with protruding flange, bearing fine complete median groove, anterior margin of this flange bilobed and with a carina extending underneath. Mesoscutum almost 2.0 × as broad as long, mesoscutellum slightly longer than broad (if apical protrusion is excluded), slightly longer than mesoscutum. Axillula with bidentate, almost sessile projection; occasionally a bifurcation of one tooth occurs (so, virtually tridentate).

Propodeum with wide confused-rugulose median strip, distinctly delimited anteriorly by sharp pliciform borders, which mergе posteriorly with propodeal reticulation; submedian areas flat, smooth anteriorly, striate-reticulate posteriorly; lateral propodeal sulcus complete, but supracoxal groove less distinct within posterior reticulation of propodeum.

Spur of hind tibia as long as width of tibia.

Fore wing about 2.0× as long as wide, CC asetose, about 7.0–8.0× as long as wide, SMV with two setae on SC; MV 1.2–1.3 × CC; PMV as long as or slightly longer than STV; speculum broadly open below; apical marginal fringe as long as width of PR.

Metasomal petiole 1.2–1.3 × as long as wide, conical, with narrow striate ‘roof’, about 0.6× as long as propodeum. Gaster about 1.3× as long as wide.

Male

Differs from female as follows: body bright green, antennal scape 3.3×, pedicel about 1.8× as long as wide, F1 3.5×, F2 and F3 2.0×, clava about 3.0× as long as wide; combined length of pedicel plus flagellum 1.2× as long as width of head; oral fossa about 3.3× as long as malar space; metasomal petiole 1.8× as long as wide, 1.4× as long as propodeum.

Biology

Unknown.

Distribution

Benin, DRC, RSA.

Remarks

This species is distinguishable from X. forceps sp. nov. in the predominantly dark mid and hind tibiae (narrowly darkened in X. forceps ).

Figures

Fig. 35. Xiphentedon gerardi sp. nov. A–B, D. ♀, holotype (Benin; MNHN). C, E. ♂, paratype (RSA; SANC). F. ♀, paratype (DRC; MRAC). A, C, F. Habitus. B, D. Mesosoma in lateral (B: the axillular projection is arrowed) and dorsal (D) views. E. Head and anterior part of mesosoma, fronto-lateral view.

Fig. 36. Xiphentedon gerardi sp. nov., ♀, paratype (Benin; CIRAD). A. Head and mesosoma in ventral view. B. Wings, WIP. C–D. Lower face and prothorax, ventral view, the flange on the arc of the prosternum is arrowed. E. Mesoscutellum and propodeum. F. Axillula.