Sycophila (Sycophila) ficophila Lotfalizadeh, 2024

Lotfalizadeh, Hossein, Delvare, Gérard, Cruaud, Astrid & Rasplus, Jean-Yves, 2024, Morphological phylogeny and revision of Sycophila and Ficomila (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea, Eurytomidae) associated with Afrotropical fig trees (Moraceae, Ficus), Zootaxa 5401 (1), pp. 1-190 : 92-96

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5401.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:376CAB04-43BE-4C9A-950B-80DBD676CFB0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10524453
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FD6B5E-726E-6171-5486-B773FCE6FDEF
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Sycophila (Sycophila) ficophila Lotfalizadeh
status	sp. n.

Treatment

Sycophila (Sycophila) ficophila Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus sp. n.

( Figs 61–63 View FIGURE 61 View FIGURE 62 View FIGURE 63 )

Type material examined. Holotype ♀: United Republic of Tanzania, Mazumbai, ex syconia of Ficus chirindensis , 16.iii.1996, Rasplus, J.Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg. Deposited in CBGP. Paratypes: same data as holotype, 13♀. United Republic of Tanzania, Mazumbai, Mt Usambara West , ex syconia of Ficus chirindensis , 20.ii.1995, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 11♀. Mialo, Mt Usambara West , ex syconia of Ficus natalensis , 20-21.ii.1995, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 3♀. Hedaru, -4.501436° 37.908976°, 27.iii.1996, ex syconia of Ficus bussei , Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 3♀ & 2♂. Mgwashi, -4.767051° 38.487671°, ex syconia of Ficus thonningii , 21.iii.1996, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 3♀. Marangu, -3.280994° 37.520889°, ex syconia of Ficus lutea , 3.iv.1996, Rasplus J.-Y. & Kerdelhué C. leg., 5♀.

Etymology. The specific name refers to multiple Ficus species in syconia of which we sampled the species.

Diagnosis. Female with funiculars distinctly long, 2× as long as wide ( Fig. 61B View FIGURE 61 ). Basal cell setose, costal cell with several dorsal setae ( Fig. 62E View FIGURE 62 ). Propodeum with long smooth median band and a row of areolae in each side reaching close to nucha ( Fig. 62B View FIGURE 62 ). Gaster entirely reticulate with petiole as long as broad dorsally; ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present ( Figs 62C, D View FIGURE 62 ).

Body of male mainly yellowish, scape entirely brown and propodeum entirely dark ( Fig. 63A View FIGURE 63 ). Flagellum with fu1–fu4 much longer than wide, clava short, not longer than funiculars together ( Fig. 63B View FIGURE 63 ). Fore wing entirely setose, without speculum ( Fig. 63D View FIGURE 63 ).

Description of holotype ♀ ( Figs 61–62 View FIGURE 61 View FIGURE 62 ). Length 3.79 mm. Body yellowish ( Fig. 61A View FIGURE 61 ), except head dorsally and posteriorly, frons, scape distally, mesosoma dorsomedially, propodeum medially and gaster dorsally dark brown; antennal flagellum, pedicel and scape distally dark brown; pronotum yellowish and black dorsomedially; fore wing with a dark brown spot below mv, not reaching base of mv, lower margin of mv not obscured by dark brown spot ( Fig. 62E View FIGURE 62 ); gaster bicoloured with dorsal edge dark brown ( Fig. 62C View FIGURE 62 ); body setation whitish, setation of fore wing entirely dark.

Head 1.38× as broad as high [HW 180 & HH 130] ( Fig. 61C View FIGURE 61 ); in dorsal view stout, 1.79× as broad as long [HW 250 & HL 140] ( Fig. 61D View FIGURE 61 ); face coriaceous with sparse punctures, vertex mostly coriaceous; malar space 0.61× length of eye [ms 43 & EH 70]; malar sulcus distinct, straight ( Fig. 61E View FIGURE 61 ); genal margin regularly curved, edged but not carinate; antennal toruli narrowly separated; interantennal space not raised, not carinate laterally; scrobal depression smooth, reaching the median ocellus, not carinate on margin; POL 1.93× as long as OOL [POL 58 & OOL 30] ( Fig. 61D View FIGURE 61 ); temple rounded, 0.37× the eye length (in dorsal view) [TL 35 & EL 95]; setation oriented downwards on face, outwards on the punctuate frons.

Antenna. Scape reaching above the lower margin of median ocellus, 3.86× as long as broad [SL 85 & SW 22]; fu1 2.2× as long as broad, [fu1L 55 & fu1W 25], distinctly longer than pedicel, not bulging dorsally; funicular (fu2–fu4) with two rows of mps, and 2–3 whorls of adpressed long setae; fu2–fu5 distinctly longer than broad ( Fig. 61B View FIGURE 61 ).

Mesosoma weakly arched dorsally, 1.5× as long as wide (160:105), with deep sculpture ( Fig. 62A View FIGURE 62 ); pronotum with coarse umbilicate punctures; mesepisternum raised medially, with piliferous sculpture on epicnemium, being closer to anteroventral margin of mesepisternum than to mesocoxa; mesoscutum 0.5× as long as wide (55:95), 0.7× longer than length of pronotal collar (55:75), with dense umbilicate punctures, transversely strigose anteriorly; notauli conspicuous, slightly obliterated by mesoscutum sculpture; prepectus bare, slightly sculptured; mesoscutellum umbilicate laterally and coriaceous on mesoscutellar disc; mesepimeron transversally strigose; metepimeron subtriangular and areolate with long white hairs; propodeum ( Fig. 62B View FIGURE 62 ) with deep median depression, with a smooth median band, and two short submedian carinae; lateral rows of areolae long and extending at least over posterior half of propodeum; basal carina inverted V, truncate mesally, lateral branches relatively straight; distance between lateral carinae less than 0.5× width of nucha.

Fore wing with short marginal fringe, apically subtruncate (pointed anteriorly); dark brown spot below mv; basal cell more setose, mv distinctly enlarged, rounded, lower margin convex, longer than pmv; stv not curved; pmv distinct, longer than stv; ventral side of costal cell densely setose, dorsally with row of setae; speculum present; parastigmal bristles absent ( Figs 62E, F View FIGURE 62 ).

Legs. Fore coxa without depression on frontal surface, hind coxa bare basodorsally; fore (23:8) and hind femora (30:10); hind tibia dorsally with more than 10 setae, setae shorter than hind tibia width.

Metasoma. Petiole shorter than broad dorsally, ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present. Metasoma 1.7× as long as wide (170:110) ( Fig. 62C View FIGURE 62 ), longer than mesosoma, strongly compressed laterally and dorsally angulate ( Fig. 62D View FIGURE 62 ); ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present; petiole in dorsal view not longer than wide, shorter than half-length of hind coxa; tergites finely sculptured;Gt4 (in lateral view) slightly as long as Gt3, sinuous posteriorly; Gt5 partly covering Gt6, sinuous posteriorly; Gt4– Gt5 with few setae dorsally, Gt6 ventrally sparse setose; ovipositor oriented dorsad but not distinctly upturned ( Fig. 62C View FIGURE 62 ).

Male ( Fig. 63 View FIGURE 63 ). Length 2.66–3.05 mm. Similar to female with longer petiole ( Fig. 63A View FIGURE 63 ); exhibiting same colouration, with some dark brown spots or band on different parts such as gaster and propodeum; antennal formula 11143; each funicular with 3–4 rows of mps and several whorls of relatively short and erected setae ( Fig. 63B View FIGURE 63 ); fore wing more setose than in female, speculum relatively narrow, costal cell dorsally with two rows of setae, ventrally sparsely setose ( Fig. 63D View FIGURE 63 ).

Variation. Length 3.50–5.13 mm. In some specimens, body entirely or partly brown.

Host plants. Ficus bussei , F. chirindensis , F. lutea , F. natalensis and F. thonningii .

Geographical distribution. United Republic of Tanzania.