Sycophilodes Joseph
Creators: name: Pramanik, Achintya
name: Dey, Debjani
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Agaonidae
Sycophilodes

description: Sycophilodes Joseph
Sycophilodes Joseph, 1961: 92. Type species: Sycophilodes moniliformis Joseph, by original designation.
Diagnosis. Female and male. Head transverse. Mandibles bidentate (Figs 5, 15, 25, 35); maxillary palpi 4- segmented with 2 long apical setae; labial palpi 2-segmented with 2 long apical setae. Lower clypeal margin bilobed with relatively deep, ‘V’ shaped median cleft. Epistomal groove prominent; tentorial pit distinct on upper half of groove. Scrobes shallow, never including median ocellus. Antennae inserted on lower half of face, slightly above an imaginary line connecting lower margin of eyes, about one torular diameter above upper clypeal margin (Figs 2, 12, 22, 32). Scape subcylindrical, neither reaching median ocellus nor crossing imaginary line connecting upper margin of compound eyes; anellus distinct and asymmetric; funicular segments moniliform, slightly asymmetrical, clearly separated, subequal in length, distinctly wider than long (Figs 4, 14, 24, 34), with scattered trichoid sensilla and single row of plate sensilla; clava apparently unsegmented, basal three segments indicated by arrangement of plate sensilla. Malar space about one-third length of eye; malar sulcus deep and distinct (Figs 6, 16, 26, 36). Vertex slightly convex, without median ridge. Ocelli arranged in a strongly obtuse triangle (Figs 3, 13, 23, 33). Occipital carina very fine and extending ventrally to merge with hypostomal suture. Notauli distinct and reaching transscutellar line; axillar grooves converging at transscutellar line (Figs 7, 17, 27, 37). Mesoscutellum hardly convex, pointed anteriorly, as long as wide, with a pair of lateral setae almost mid-way along its length in addition to a sub-apical pair. Pleural line on mesopleuron deep and complete, lower mesepimeron well separated from upper mesepimeron by a deep groove (Figs 6, 16, 26, 36). Propodeum sub parallel to mesonotum, glabrous, with inconspicuous median carina; posterior lateral surface of propodeum sub perpendicular to remaining propodeal surface; propodeal spiracles at anterior propodeal corner; spiracular opening round, laterally slightly covered by a flange (Figs 8, 18, 28, 38). Fore wing with distinct postmarginal vein (Figs 9, 19, 29, 39). Marginal vein nearly touching anterior wing margin; postmarginal vein prominent.
Female. Antennal formula 11173 (Figs 4, 24). Fore wing with short and sparse pilosity; postmarginal vein at least half as long as stigmal vein (Figs 10, 30). Fore femur 1.5× as long as fore coxa. Gaster sub-sessile, slightly sub-depressed from below, tergites not forming median keel, posterior margin of first two gastral tergites weakly bilobed; 2nd gastral tergite greatly covered by overlapping 1st tergite; spiracles of 6th gastral tergite small and circular; 7th gastral tergite at its posterior extremities with a pair of small tubular cerci with 4 subequal setae at apex. Ovipositor relatively very long, internally coiled. Ovipositor sheath straight, slightly exceeding epipygium. Hypopygium wide but rather short, not reaching apex of metasoma, with a median ridge; mucro indistinct with a pair of long setae near base.
Male. Antennal formula 11163 (Figs 14, 34). Fore wing with short but dense pilosity; postmarginal vein subequal in length to stigmal vein (Figs 20, 40). Fore tibia as long as fore femur (Joseph 1961, pl. II, fig. 10). Gaster hardly petiolate, dorsoventrally sub-compressed; from the apex of ninth segment onwards, where small tubular cerci with 4 unequal setae visible, the segments tubular and exerted (Fig. 31). Genitalia well developed, with conspicuous digiti and 3 digital spines; claspers with 3 small teeth.
Biology. Associated with Ficus benghalensis L., which belongs to Ficus subgenus Urostigma. Species are hypothesized to be phytophagous gallers.
description: Published as part of Pramanik, Achintya & Dey, Debjani, 2014, Redescription of the fig wasp genus Sycophilodes Joseph (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Epichrysomallinae) with description of a new species from India, pp. 310-322 in Zootaxa 3838 (3) on pages 311-312, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3838.3.4, http://zenodo.org/record/251823