Robertsia weibleni
Creators: name: Noort, Simon Van
name: Rasplus, Jean-Yves
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Agaonidae
Robertsia
Robertsia weibleni

description: Robertsia weibleni van Noort & Rasplus sp. nov.
(Figs. 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60 & 61)
Holotype Ψ: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Madang Province, Kau Wildlife Area, Baitabag village nr. Madang, altitude: 50 m, 5º08'S 145º46'E, G. Weiblen & U. Koil, G059, 14 July 1995, ex Ficus xylosycia Diels (det: G.Weiblen, 7–8/95). Deposited in MCZC.
Paratypes: 9Ψ same data as holotype; 43Ψ, 3ɗ: PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Madang Province, Ohu Conservation Area, Ohu village, nr. Gum river, 100m altitude, 5º13'S 145º41'E, B. Isua & G. Weiblen, 8 February 1999, B207, ex Ficus xylosycia Diels. Deposited in BPBM, JYRC, MCZC, NHML, SAMC.
Etymology. Named in honour of George Weiblen (University of Minnesota) in recognition of his collecting efforts in Papua New Guinea and Borneo.
Diagnosis. Female: head extremely narrow (2.5X longer than wide), tapering anteriorly in dorsal view; mandibles in close apposition; clypeal margin with a short, sharp medial tooth; vertex short, 0.17X eye length in lateral view. Male: head strongly tapering anteriorly; eyes large, longer than cheek length; vertex concave; mandibles short, in close apposition; pronotum elongate, barrel­shaped; propodeal spiracles situated 1.6X their own diameter from anterior propodeal margin.
Affinities. Robertsia weibleni is most similar to R. vaamondei, from which it can be separated in females by the sharp medial point on the clypeal margin; a head that tapers anteriorly (as opposed to a parallel­sided head); mandibles that are in close apposition at the base; and a very short vertex relative to eye length. Except for the vertex these characters will distinguish the males as well. In addition the shape of the head and mandibles easily separate males of the two species.
Description of female. Colour and size. Black, except for antennae, mandibles, tibiae, tarsi and fore coxae which are yellowish­brown and metasoma which is dark­brown. Total length, with head in prognathous position, 2.4–3.0 mm. Habitus (Figs. 4 & 48).
Head (Figs. 8, 12 & 16). Elongate, dorsally smoothly and evenly convex, in lateral cross­section representing half tube shape; 2.5X longer than wide across the compound eyes; sides converging towards the mouth (Figs. 8 & 16); ventrally with medial triangular excavation deepening and widening towards vertex (Fig. 16). Ventral tentorial pits not discernable. Vertex short, in lateral view 0.17X eye length. Eye 1.6X longer than wide, 0.3X as long as the head (Fig. 12). Dorsal distance between eyes 0.75X eye length (Fig. 8). Cheek length (from eye to base of mandible) 1.8X eye length. Malar groove strongly sinusoidal, reaching base of mandible (Figs. 4 & 12). Toruli situated anteriorly, approximately equidistant from clypeal margin as from sides of head in dorsal view; in close apposition, divided by interantennal carina that anteriorly fades close to toruli. Clypeus not defined by lateral sutures, but shallowly excavated. Clypeal margin slightly concave with small medial point and a strong seta on either side (Fig. 8). Mandible broad, with a strong apical tooth and a smaller subapical tooth; ridge present on leading ventral edge. Mandibles situated in close apposition at base (Figs. 8 & 16). Antennal formula 11153; funicle segments subequal in size. Scape length 4X pedicel length.
Mesosoma (Figs. 24, 28 & 32). Pronotum narrow and extremely elongate, 2.5X as long as wide, 0.94X head length; smooth. Mesoscutum 1.6X as wide as long, with fine striation laterally, central portion smooth. Notauli faint with row of setae present along suture. Scutellum 1.3X longer than wide, axillae widely spaced, delimited by fine sutures. Propodeum 1.4X wider than long. Propodeal spiracles situated less than their diameter from anterior propodeal margin (Fig. 24). Propleura large and evident in lateral view, ventrally meeting at an angle. Prosternum flat and elongate rhomboidal (Fig. 32). In lateral view propleura, pronotum and fore coxa with fine striations, together forming a distinct longitudinal concavity with ridges delimiting concavity dorsally and ventrally (Fig. 28). Fore femur 4.6X longer than wide. Foretibia as long as foretarsus, with two to three apical teeth and two subparallel rows of 5 and 4–7 teeth converging towards base of tibia. Forewing 2.8X longer than wide. Submarginal, marginal, postmarginal and stigmal veins in the ratio 27:12:5:5.
Metasoma (Fig. 4). As wide as high, 0.68X as long as mesosoma. Ovipositor valves do not extend beyond end of metasoma. Hypopygium truncate.
Description of male. Colour and size. Black, except for propodeum and metasoma which are brown, antennae and legs which are yellowish­brown, and mandibles which are brownish­orange. Total length, with head in prognathous position, 1.6 mm. Habitus (Figs. 36 & 56).
Head (Figs. 36 & 40). Elongate, 1.8X longer than wide across the compound eyes; sides converging towards the mouth (Fig. 40); ventrally with broad posterior triangular excavation deepening and widening towards vertex. Ventral tentorial pits in close apposition, situated basal width of mandible from hypostomal margin. Vertex in dorsal posterior view concave. Eye large, 1.6X longer than wide, almost half (0.47X) of head length, longer (1.3X) than cheek length (from eye to base of mandible in lateral view) (Fig. 36). Malar groove slightly sinusoidal, extending from base of mandible, deepening and widening towards eye. Toruli situated anteriorly, 0.17X head length from clypeal margin; separated from each other by less than torulus width; weak interantennal carina. Clypeus not defined by lateral sutures. Clypeal margin almost flat, rising slightly to a small medial point. Mandible broad, curved, ending in a strong apical tooth; weak subapical tooth on inner margin; excavated on inner side with ridge on ventral edge. Antennal formula 11153; funicle segments slightly wider than long. Scape length 2.7X pedicel length.
Mesosoma (Figs. 36 & 44). Pronotum elongate, 1.43X longer than wide, 0.87X head length; with fine reticulate striations. Mesonotum (scutum, scutellum and metanotum) reduced to a single fused narrow transverse band 0.25X propodeal length. Propodeum 1.6X wider than long. Propodeal spiracles situated 1.6X their diameter from anterior propodeal margin (Fig. 44). Prosternum posteriorly extending as a keel between fore coxae. Fore femur 2.7X longer than wide. Fore tibia 1.3X longer than fore tarsus, with an apicoventral semi­circle of 8 teeth.
Metasoma (Fig. 36). As wide as high; as long as mesosoma.
description: Published as part of Noort, Simon Van & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2005, Revision of the Papua New Guinean fig wasp genus Robertsia Bou ek (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae: Sycoecinae), pp. 1-35 in Zootaxa 929 on pages 10-12, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.171118