Platyplectrus obscuratus
Creators: name: Yefremova, Zoya A.
name: Copeland, Robert S.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Eulophidae
Platyplectrus
Platyplectrus obscuratus

description: 14. Platyplectrus obscuratus (Ferrière, 1941)
Figs 55–58
Euplectromorpha obscurata Ferrière, 1941: 28.
Female and male, Africa, Nyasaland, Namiwawa & Uganda (BMNH, examined).
Platyplectrus obscuratus (Ferrière, 1941); Narendran, 2011: 321.
Diagnosis. Pronotum large, without carina. Occipital carina present. Scutellum with wide, lateral and posterior foveate grooves (Fig. 58), POL 1.7× as long as OOL. Vertex with numerous setae. Female. Antenna. F1 2.0× as long as pedicel and 1.4× as long as F2, F4 1.2× as long as wide. Petiole slightly longer than wide. Body mostly black.
Male. Antenna. F1 1.4× as long as F2, F4 1.2× as long as wide.
Redescription. Female. Body size 1.8–2.1 mm.
Colour (Figs 55–57): Thorax black, head dark brown including clypeus, eyes light grey, ocelli light yellow; scape and pedicel light yellow, funicle dark yellow, gaster yellow, brownish on Gt 4–6. Fore and mid legs yellow, hind coxae black, hind femur yellow with apical half brown.
Head: Malar sulcus present. Mandibles membranous. Eyes asetose. POL 1.7× as long as OOL. Occipital carina well developed. Antennae inserted above the level of the lower margin the eyes. Scape 4.2× as long as wide. Pedicel 1.6× as long as wide. Flagellomeres 1 – 4. F1 1.4× as long as F2, F2=F3, F3 1.16× as long as F4. Clava 3-segmented 2.4× as long as wide and 1.8× as long as F4 (Fig. 57).
Mesosoma: Pronotum without carina. Mesoscutum strongly reticulate. Scutellum rugulose in middle with strongly foveate lateral and posterior grooves (Fig. 58), axillae and propodeum strongly reticulate. Propodeum with strong median carina, callus with four long setae in marginal row and four in first row. Fore wing 2.5× as long as wide. SMV with 5 long setae. Speculum small along 1/5 MV. SMV (23): MV (35): PMV (17): STV (9). Costal cell with numerous short setae in three rows. Hind wing rounded apically. Hind tibiae with two spurs; TS1 1.25× as long as 1 sttarsomere and 1.6× as long as TS2. Petiole as long as wide.
Gaster 2.4× as long as wide.
Host. Larvae of Lymantriidae (Lepidoptera) (Ferrière, 1941) and Archips occidentalis (Walsingham) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) (Narendran, 2011).
Distribution. Uganda, South Africa; * Kenya, * Cameroon, * Congo.
Material examined. Kenya, 1 ♀, Rift Valley Prov., Matthews Range, 1459 m, 0.97984° N, 37.34599° E, Malaise trap, riverine forest, near Wamba, 17–31 May 2016, R. Copeland (NMK); 1 ♀, Rift Valley Prov., Saiwa swamp Nat. Park, nr. campsite, 1882 m, 1.09417° N, 35.11833° E, Malaise trap, next to permanent upland swamp, 12–26 Feb 2006, R. Copeland (NMK); 1 ♀, Eastern Prov., Endau Mtn, base of, 513 m, 1.30026° S, 38.52805° E, Malaise trap, indigenous forest, 18 May–1 Jun 2018, R. Copeland (SMNH-TAU); 1 ♀, Kaimosa Mission 27 mi. NE. Kisumu, xi-29-57,1650 m, E.S. Ross & R.E. Leech collectors (UCRC); 1 ♀ [7852–56], Rift Valley Prov., Chorlim, base of Mt. Elgon, 1893 m, 1.02903° N, 34.84699° E, Malaise trap in Acacia riverine woodland, 28 Jun –12 Jul, 2019, R. Copeland (NMK); 1 ♀, Rift Valley Prov. Chorlim, base of Mt. Elgon, 1882 m, 1.03149° N, 34.84780° E, Malaise trap in Acacia sp. riverine woodland, 8–22 Apr 2017, R. Copeland (SMNH-TAU); 1 ♀, Rift Valley Prov., Marich Pass Field Station, 917 m, 1.53633° N, 35.45800° E, Malaise trap, low canopy riverine forest, 7–21 Aug 2005, R. Copeland (NMK); 1 ♀, Rift Valley Prov., Tsavo West Nat Park, riverine woodland, 464 m, 2.99615º S, 38.45988º E, Malaise trap, bank of Tsavo river, nr. Nat. Pk. Gate, 9–23 Sep 2008, R. Copeland (SMNH-TAU); 1 ♀, Nyanza Prov., Ungoye, ICIPE field station, 0.61528º S, 34.09114º E, 1157 m, Malaise trap inside seasonally swampy forest, 29 May–12 Jun 2017, R. Copeland (NMK); Republic of Cameroon. 1 ♀, Cameroons Mt.; Buea Slope, 4500–4600 m, V 13–17.49. B. Malkin (UCRC); Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). 1 ♀, 1 ♁, Pool Abio, Lesio–Loun, Park, 3.61º S, 15.31.26º E, 26.viii. 2008, Braet, MT. (UCRC).
description: Published as part of Yefremova, Zoya A. & Copeland, Robert S., 2023, African Platyplectrus Ferrière (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) from Kenya, with description of nine new species, pp. 355-384 in Zootaxa 5360 (3) on pages 373-375, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5360.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/10088533