Sycophila (Tineomyza) beninensis Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus, 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 : 178-181

Sycophila (Tineomyza) beninensis Lotfalizadeh & Rasplus sp. n.

( Figs 130–132 )

Type material examined. Holotype ♀: Benin, road of N’dali-Ina, 10.xi.1993, ex syconia of Ficus sp. , Delvare G. leg. Deposited in CBGP . Paratypes: same data as holotype, 15♀ & 11♂. Burkina Faso, Koro falls , 15km Bobodioulasso, 21.ii.2006, ex syconia of Ficus abutilifolia, Bouyet J. leg. ( JRAS01765 _06) 2♀ & 1♂ .

Etymology. The specific name refers to the country where the holotype was collected.

Diagnosis. Petiole shorter than broad dorsally, ventral transverse carina between petiole and St1 present. Metasoma 1.65× as long as wide (165:100) ( Fig. 131C ), longer than mesosoma, slightly compressed laterally ( Fig. 131D ); 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) much as long as Gt3 (at least 1.5× longer), not sinuous posteriorly; Gt5 partly covering Gt6, not sinuous posteriorly; Gt4– Gt5 with few sparse setae dorsally, Gt6 few sparse setae ventrally; ovipositor upturned ( Fig. 131C ).

Diagnosis. In female body superficially sculptured and with sparse umbilicate punctures ( Fig. 130A ). Funiculars slightly longer than wide, fu5 at most as long as wide ( Fig. 130B ). Malar sulcus absent ( Fig. 130E ). Fore wing with a small dark brown spot not reaching base of mv ( Fig. 131E ). Tergites finely sculptured, with Gt4 about 1.5× as long as Gt3 ( Fig. 131C ). Petiole shorter than broad, in dorsal view distinctly shorter than hind coxa ( Fig. 131D ).

In male body mainly yellow ( Fig. 132A ). Antenna with fu1 longer than broad, as long as pedicel, constricted basally ( Fig. 132B ).

Description of holotype ♀ ( Figs 130–131 ). Length 2.92 mm. Body generally brown ( Fig. 130A ), except prepectus ventrally, propodeum dorsally, metepisternum, hind tibia medially, hind femora in distal two third and gaster entirely except Gt1 and Gt7 yellowish; antennal yellowish-brown, pronotum uniformly yellowish; fore wing with a dark brown spot below mv, lower margin of mv not obscured by dark brown spot, dark brown spot not reaching base of mv ( Fig. 131E ); gaster bicoloured, striped ( Fig. 131C ); body setation whitish, setation of fore wing entirely dark.

Head 1.38× as broad as high [HW 193 & HH 139] ( Fig. 130C ); in dorsal view stout, 1.72× as broad as long [HW 193 & HL 112] ( Fig. 130D ); face and vertex mostly coriaceous; malar space 0.45× length of eye [ms 40 & EH 88]; malar sulcus absent (or just visible basally) ( Fig. 130E ); genal margin regularly curved, edged but not carinate; antennal toruli narrowly separated; interantennal space raised and seen in lateral view, carinate laterally; scrobal depression smooth, reaching the median ocellus, not carinate on margin; POL 2.66× as long as OOL [POL 48 & OOL 18] ( Fig. 130D ); temple rounded, 0.17× the eye length (in dorsal view) [TL 15 & EL 90]; setation oriented downwards on face, outwards on the punctuate frons.

Antenna. Scape not reaching median ocellus, 4.35× as long as broad [SL 100 & SW 23]; fu1 1.14× as long as broad [fu1L 32 & fu1W 28], not longer than pedicel, not bulging dorsally; funiculars (fu2–fu4) with one row of mps and 2 whorls of short adpressed setae; fu2–fu4 not longer than broad; fu5 as long as broad ( Fig. 130B ).

Mesosoma weakly arched dorsally, 1.65× as long as wide (165:100), with obliterate punctures ( Fig. 131A ); pronotum with sparsely disperse umbilicate punctures; mesepisternum without any process or raised sculpture on epicnemium; mesoscutum 0.55× as long as wide (55:100), 0.6× longer than length of pronotal collar (55:90), sparsely umbilicate, coriaceous anteriorly; notauli impressed, conspicuous; prepectus bare, slightly sculptured; mesoscutellum generally reticulate with some sparse superficial umbilicate punctures; mesepimeron transversally strigose; metepimeron subtriangular and areolate with long white hairs; propodeum ( Fig. 131B ) with shallow median depression, with a smooth median band, without any median carina, lateral rows of areolae short (extending at most to half-length 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, distal margin round; dark brown spot below mv; basal cell bare or nearly so; mv not enlarged, normally broadened, in lower margin concave, not longer than pmv; stv not curved; pmv distinct, not longer than stv; ventral side of costal cell bare, dorsally bare; speculum present; parastigmal bristles absent ( Figs 131E, F ).

Legs. Fore coxa without depression on frontal surface, hind coxa bare basodorsally; fore (30:12) and hind femora (30:12); hind tibia dorsally with 7–8 setae, setae shorter than tibia width.

Male ( Fig. 132 ). Length 1.50–2.25 mm. Colouration mainly yellowish with gaster brownish-yellowish; similar to female with longer petiole ( Fig. 132A ); antennal formula 11143; fu1 longer than broad, as long as pedicel, constricted basally, each funicular with one row of mps and 2 whorls of relatively short setae ( Fig. 132B ).

Variation. Length 2.02–2.95 mm. In some specimens, propodeum yellowish, gaster entirely yellowish or with a dorsal dark band and sometimes body entirely yellowish.

Host plants. Ficus abutilifolia and an unknown species of Ficus .

Figures

FIGURE 130. S. (Tineomyza) beninensis sp. n. (♀). A, female in lateral view. B, antenna. C, head in frontal view. D, head in dorsal view. E, head in lateral view. F, mesosoma in lateral view.

FIGURE 131. S. (Tineomyza) beninensis sp. n. (♀). A, mesosoma in dorsal view. B, propodeum. C, metasoma in lateral view. D, metasoma in dorsal view E, fore wing. F, fore wing venation.

FIGURE 132. S. (Tineomyza) beninensis sp. n. (♂). A, male in lateral view. B, antenna. C, propodeum.