Oenrobia kinabaluensis Hayat 1995
Creators: name: Kresslein, Robert L.
name: Polaszek, Andrew
name: Burks, Roger A.
name: Mottern, Jason L.
name: Lahey, Zachary
name: Heraty, John M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Aphelinidae
Oenrobia
Oenrobia kinabaluensis

description: Oenrobia kinabaluensis Hayat
(Figure 6)
Oenrobia kinabaluensis Hayat, 1995: 51–54. Type data: MALAYSIA: Sabah: Mt. Kinabalu NP Hqt. Liwagu R., 149 m, 6°00 ʹ 21”N, 116°32 ʹ 35”E, 23.v.1987, Smetana, A. Holotype, ♀. Type depository: CNC: CNC22192 [examined].
Diagnosis
Antenna with scape laterally flattened and expanded ventrally; multiporous plate sensilla (ts) trichoid rather than fused with flagellar segments along their length (Figure 6A). Vertex with postocellar lines (pol) present (Figure 6B). Mesosoma with axilla (ax) with 2 setae; mesoscutellum (mss) with medial longitudinal groove, scutellar sensilla (ss) separated by one diameter; metanotum with triangular dorsellum (dor) (Figure 6C). Fore wing infuscate posterior to marginal vein; stigmal vein short (Figure 6D). Third valvulae (3vl) enlarged and strongly triangular (Figure 6F).
Redescription
Female. Colour. The holotype (Figure 6) is cleared and slide-mounted, and as a result the body colour could not be reassessed. See Hayat (1995) for a discussion of body colour.
Antenna 8-segmented with all segments densely setose, antennal formula 1,1,3,3; scape laterally compressed and ventrally expanded, twice as long as wide, densely setose dorsally; pedicel shorter than Fu1, Fu1 2.9× as long as wide, 1.1× as long as both Fu2 and Fu3; all flagellar segments with multiporous plate sensilla (ts) trichoid rather than fused along their length; funicle with mushroom-like sensilla (Figure 6A). Head with frontovertex setose; postocellar (pos), transfacial, and mediofrontal lines; scrobal depression with two lines of setae; eyes setose; mandibles with 2 teeth and a truncation; maxillary palp 2-segmented (Figure 6B). Mesosoma with pronotum (no1) entire; mid lobe of mesoscutum (mlm) with ~45 setae, sculpture reticulate; side lobes of mesoscutum with 3 setae, lacking sculpture; axilla (ax) subquadrate with 2 setae, sculpture reticulate; mesoscutellum (mss) with 3 pairs of setae, longitudinal grove medially, lacking sculpture, scutellar sensilla (ss) separated by the diameter of one sensillum; metanotum with triangular dorsellum (dor). Fore wing apically rounded, 2.0× as long as width, with disc setae longer at near base than apex; wing fringe 0.1× as long as width of fore wing; submarginal vein subequal in length to marginal vein; stigmal vein short, adjacent to asetose patch on the wing disc; postmarginal vein extremely reduced (Figure 6D). Tarsal formula 5-5-5; mid tibia with spur subequal in length to mid basitarsus (Figure 6E). Petiole transverse, with indistinct sculpture. Gaster 7-segmented laterally with imbricate sculpture; Gt1–2 0, Gt3–7 with 1+1, 1+1, 2+2, 2+2, 2+2, and 4 setae, respectively. Ovipositor subequal in length to mid tibia. Third valvulae (3vl) enlarged and kite shaped, 0.5× as long as the second valvula (Figure 6F).
Male. Unknown.
Material examined
Holotype: See above. Non-type material: MALAYSIA: Sarawak: Borneo, Gunung Mulu National Park, Summit trail, vic. Paku Waterfall in forest, 4°2.27 ʹ N, 114°49.7 ʹ W 42 m, 16. ix.2011, Polaszek, A., Darling, D.C., Talamas, E., and Johnson, N.F. [2♀, ROME: OSU308696].
Comments
Oenrobia was established for a single species (Oenrobia kinabaluensis) considered intermediate between Coccophagus and Encarsia, with Hayat (1995) stating that it shares many diagnostic characteristics with the former, except for sharing the facial lines, postocellar lines and general habitus of the latter (Figure 6B). Oenrobia was further distinguished by a longitudinal groove on the mesoscutellum (Figure 6C) and trichoid longitudinal sensilla on the flagellum (Figure 6A). Hayat (1995) describes the ovipositor as ‘connected to the last tergum through a thin band-like extension’; however, this structure is not clearly illustrated nor identifiable on the type specimen. It is clear from an examination of the type material that this species is very close to Prococcophagus, sharing many diagnostic characteristics, including an expanded and laterally flattened scape, postocellar lines, conformation of the mesonotal sclerites, and an infuscate fore wing base (Figure 6D) (Hayat 1998; Wang et al. 2020; Qin et al. 2022). However, Oenrobia possesses several unique synapomorphies that help to distinguish it from Prococcophagus, including a relatively short stigmal vein, an undivided pronotum, a longitudinal groove on the mesoscutellum, a triangular dorsellum, and strongly enlarged triangular third valvulae (Figure 6C,D,F). Additional material should be collected from the type location, and molecular data captured, to definitively establish the placement of Oenrobia outside Prococcophagus or, alternatively, as a highly apomorphic species within Prococcophagus.
description: Published as part of Kresslein, Robert L., Polaszek, Andrew, Burks, Roger A., Mottern, Jason L., Lahey, Zachary & Heraty, John M., 2025, Nomenclatural spring cleaning: tidying Aphelinidae of taxa that do not spark joy, and a new species of Prococcobius Hayat (Aphelinidae: Coccophaginae), pp. 609-653 in Journal of Natural History 59 (9 - 12) on pages 624-625, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2024.2436124, http://zenodo.org/record/14970885