Pediobius maleficus Gumovsky 2018, sp. n.
Creators: name: Gumovsky, Alex
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eulophidae
Pediobius
Pediobius maleficus

description: Pediobius maleficus Gumovsky, sp. n.
(Figs 14, 15, 17B, F, 18C)
Diagnosis. Head in dorsal view (Fig. 17F) about 3.3× as broad as long, face mostly finely reticulated, but smooth below antennae, frontal sutures complete, antennal toruli situated just below level of lower eye margins (Fig. 17B); head with strong bristles, which at least 2.0× longer than flagellar setae; lower face narrowed and elongate, with nearly straight or concave genae (Fig. 17B), malar space about 0.6× as long as eye height, mouth opening about 0.8× as long as malar space; mandible with two teeth; occipital margin sharp and distinctly curved (Fig. 17F); antennal scape dark metallic; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum with coarse sculpture (Fig. 14C), notauli marked anteriorly by fine sutures, by shallow depressions posteriorly; entire dorsum with setae longer than flagellar setae; mesoscutellum with one pair of setae; propodeum with distinct nucha bearing two foveae, its submedian areas 2.0× as broad as long, submedian carinae subparallel anteriorly and diverging posteriorly (Fig. 18C); propodeal callus with 2 setae; metatibial spur slightly longer than metabasitarsus, about 2.5–2.7× as long as breadth of metatibia, subcosta of submarginal vein with two strong bristles; forewing with speculum partly closed below, with basal setal line present as two short setae and cubital setal line of 6 setae at underside of wing; stigmal vein with short uncus and sphaerical stigma, as long as postmarginal vein; fore wing transparent; WIP mostly with very narrow apical violet band followed by wide blue area (Fig. 15E, F); metasomal petiole short, robust, about 0.5–0.7× as long as propodeum, Gt1 occupying approximately 1/3 length of gaster.
Type material. Holotype ♀, DRC, North Kivu Province, “ Congo belge, Nyongera (pres Rutshuru), Kivu, 1218 m (Butumba), 17-vii- 1935, G.F. de Witte: 1667 ” (deposited in: RMCA).
Paratypes: ♀, ibid., “ Congo belge: Kivu, Nyongera (pres Rutshuru), 1218 m (Butumba), 18-vii-1935, G.F. de Witte: 1663”; 2 ♀, ibid., 18-vii-1935, 1663”; 2 ♀, ibid., Mongala Province, Bumba, “Coll. Mus. Congo, Bumba, XII-1939 - I-1940, H. De Saeger ” (RMCA); ♀, CAR, Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki, Mabéa Bai, 21.4 km 53° NE Bayanga, 3°02.01'N 16°24.57'E, 510 m, 3.v.2001, S. van Noort, Sweep, CAR01-S01, Lowland Rainforest, marsh clearing, SAM-HYM-P067853; ♀, ibid., 7–8.v.2001, Malaise trap, CAR 01 - M68, SAM-HYM-P069892; ♀, ibid., 6.v.2001, CAR 01 -S59, SAM-HYM-P066772; ♂, ibid., CAR 01 -S71, SAM-HYM- P066676; ♂, ibid., Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Réserve Spéciale de Forêt Dense de Dzanga-Sangha, 12.7 km 326° NW Bayanga, 3°00.27'N 16°11.55'E, 420 m, 12.v.2001, S. van Noort, Sweep, CAR 01 - S128, Lowland Rainforest, SAM-HYM-P065304; ♀, Gabon, Prov. Ogoové-Maritime, Réserve des Monts Doudou, 25.2 km 304° NW Doussala, 2°13.63'S 10°23.67'E, 660 m, 17.iii.2000, S. van Noort, Sweep, GA 00-S128, Lowland Rainforest, undergrowth, low canopy in forest, SAM-HYM-P0023562; ♀, ibid., Reserve de la Moukalaba-Dougoua, 7 km NW Doussala; 02°19'84"S, 10°32'65"E, 110 m, 21.III.2000, S. van Noort, sweep, GA00-S147, Coastal Lowland Rainforest, forest margin along road, SAM-HYM-P0023702; ♂, ibid., GA00-S147, SAM-HYM-P00 23703 (SAMC); 3 ♀, Kenya, Maai-Mahui, 24–25 March 2013, plain, hills & along small stream (left side of the road to Nairobi) (A. Gumovsky) (SIZK).
Other (non-type) material. ♀, Cameroon, North-West Province, “ MSF, Dimban, Sanyere, 17-12-[19]81, leg. S.G. Compton, Sweep ”, donated to SAM 1994, SAM-HYM-P 011852; ♀, ibid., South-West Province, Musone, Lk Mboandong [? Lake Mbwandong], 10-12-[19]81, leg. S.G. Compton, Sweep ”, donated to SAM 1994, SAM-HYM- P 011920 (SAMC); ♀, DRC, North Kivu Province, “ Congo belge: Kivu, Rutshuru (Envir. Du poste), 1218 m, 18/ 23-vi-1934, G.F. de Witte: 447” (RMCA); ♀, CAR, Prefecture Sangha-Mbaéré, Parc National de Dzanga-Ndoki, Mabéa Bai, 21.4 km 53° NE Bayanga, 3°02.01'N 16°24.57'E, 510 m, 3.v.2001, S. van Noort, Sweep, CAR 01 -S04, Lowland Rainforest, marsh clearing, SAM-HYM-P067854; ♂, ibid., Réserve Spéciale de Forêt Dense de Dzanga- Sangha, 12.7 km 326° NW Bayanga, 3°00.27'N 16°11.55'E, 420 m, 12.v.2001, S. van Noort, Sweep, CAR01- S128, Lowland Rainforest, SAM-HYM-P 065303; ♀, ibid., Réserve Spéciale de Forêt Dense de Dzanga-Sangha, 12.7 km 326° NW Bayanga, 3°00.27'N 16°11.55'E, 420 m, 10–11.v. 2001, S. van Noort, Malaise trap, CAR 01-M82, Lowland Rainforest, SAM-HYM-P06 9938 (SAMC).
Description. Female. Body length about 2.3–3.0 mm. Body dark, with bright metallic luster in places (Fig. 14A–C): face green (Figs 14F, 17B), propodeum and Gt1 bright metallic blue; entire antenna and legs dark metallic, fore wing transparent, two proximal tarsomeres pale, two terminal tarsomeres darker.
Head about 1.4× as broad as mesosoma (Fig. 17F), 3.3× as broad as long in dorsal view, with regularly distributed bristles. Occipital margin with sharp carina (Fig. 17F). POL about 1.7× OOL. Head in frontal view 1.4– 1.5× broader than high (Figs 14F, 17B). Eye nearly bare, with rather short sparse setae; its height about 1.7× as long as malar space. Lower face narrowed and elongate, genae somewhat concave in most specimens (Figs 14F, 17B) or occasionally (some of the non-type specimens) nearly straight (Fig. 15C, D). Mouth opening in same plane as lower face, its breadth about 0.8× malar space; cutting edge of mandible with two teeth. Upper margins of antennal toruli situated just below level of lower eye margins (Figs 14F, 17B). Combined length of pedicel and flagellum just slightly longer than maximum head breadth (measured between outer eye margins, Fig. 14F). Scape 5.6–6.0× as long as broad, and about 0.5× as long as head height; pedicel nearly 3.8× as long as broad. Funicle with F1 about 4.2–4.7× as long as broad and 1.1–1.3× as long as F2, F2 2.6–3.3× and F3 about 2.1–2.7× as long as broad; clava about 1.5–2.0× as long as broad, slightly longer than F3.
Mesosoma about 4.8× as long as broad (Fig. 14A–C). Pronotum short, conical, its collar situated notably lower than level of convex mesoscutum and visible as a wide strip in dorsal view, bearing sharp transverse carina and small lateral shoulders. Mesoscutum just weakly convex in lateral view, with fine reticulation, notaular depressions marked as fine sutures anteriorly, and as shallow depressions posteriorly (Fig. 14C). Axilla lightly but distinctly reticulated, with 1 short seta. Anterior margin of mesoscutellum advanced medially, coarsely reticulated, with elongate meshes anteriorly, rounded posteriorly (Fig. 18C). Dorsellum very narrow, subrectangular in shape, with acute tip and two flanges on sides (resultant from fused anterolateral foveae). Propodeum smooth, but with narrow frosted areas near posterior end of lateral plica and submedian carinae, with broad anterior groove just under dorsellum and deep foveae on sides of the groove (Fig. 18C). Submedian carinae subparallel anteriorly and diverging posteriorly, delimiting somewhat sunken median strip stretching to robust nucha, which bears two large foveae anteriorly and smooth or coriaceous flange posteriorly; median strip bearing median carina or carinulae, or smooth (Fig. 18C); propodeal callus with 2 setae. Fore wing 2.5× as long as broad (Fig. 14B), with speculum partly closed below, with basal setal line present as two short setae and cubital setal line of 6 setae at underside of wing; marginal vein nearly 2.0× as long as wide costal cell, stigmal vein short, with short uncus and sphaerical stigma, slightly longer than breadth of marginal vein in its broadest part, as long as short postmarginal vein. WIP mostly with very narrow apical violet band followed by wide blue field (Fig. 15E, F) or (non-type specimens) with this field narrow (Fig. 15G, H). Metatibial spur long, about 2.5–2.7× as long as breadth of metatibia, slightly longer than metabasitarsus. Metatibia about 0.8–0.9× as long as metatarsus, metabasitarsus about 2.6–3.0× as long as breadth of metatibia.
Metasoma slightly longer than head plus mesosoma (Figs 14A, B, 15A). Metasomal petiole short, robust, tubular, with distinct collar (Fig. 18C); about 0.5–0.7× as long as propodeum. Gaster elongate ovate, about 3.0× as long as broad; Gt1 smooth polished, occupying approximately 1/3 length of gaster, Gt7 elongate, about 2.0× as long as wide.
Male. Body length about 1.6–1.7 mm. Very similar to female except for: antennal scape about 5.5× as long as broad; pedicel about 1.6–1.7× as long as broad, F1 about 4.0×, F2 about 3.0×, F3 slightly less than 3.0× as long as broad; clava about 4.0× as long as broad, with distinct constriction between two segments and short terminal spine (Fig. 14D, E). Metasoma about 0.8× as long as head plus mesosoma. Metasomal petiole 3.3× as long as broad, about 1.4× longer than propodeum. Gaster subpentagonal, about 1.5× as long as broad.
Etymology. The specific epithet is a Latin for evil or magic and reflects the confusing similarity of this species with P. askari.
Distribution. Kenya, DRC, CAR, Cameroon, Gabon.
Host. Unknown.
Comparative remarks. The species resembles P. askari due to the narrowed lower face and coarse sculpture of head and dorsum. However, it differs from P. askari by the shorter lower face (Fig. 14E, F) and transparent wings (Fig. 14A, B). Although this species is rather recognizable, there are some specimens possessing morphological features which are deviant if compared to most other specimens including the holotype. One female specimen from Cameroon (SAM-HYM-P 011852, Fig. 15A–D) is characterized by the same WIP of fore wing (Fig. 15E) as in the holotype and paratypes (Fig. 15F), but also has the straighter genae (Fig. 15B–D). The four other females and one male (from Cameroon, CAR and DRC) have the forewing WIP with the blue apical band being narrower (Fig. 15G, H) than in other specimens. These variations are considered intraspecific here; however, the bearers of the features are not included in the type series.
description: Published as part of Gumovsky, Alex, 2018, New enigmatic species of the genus Pediobius (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) from Afrotropics, with notes on related genera, pp. 201-236 in Zootaxa 4438 (2) on pages 226-227, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4438.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1294718