Protosclerogibba australis gen. et sp. nov., new genus and species of sclerogibbid wasps (Hymenoptera: Sclerogibbidae) from South Africa
Author
Olmi, Massimo
Author
Marletta, Alessandro
Author
Guglielmino, Adalgisa
Author
Speranza, Stefano
text
Zootaxa
2016
2016-03-01
4085
1
127
134
journal article
31439
10.11646/zootaxa.4085.1.6
184c6be0-2ea3-49e4-a9d5-4a7e94de2be8
1175-5326
1052513
F5037344-3014-457D-8269-A28B1692DC9D
Protosclerogibba
Olmi, Marletta, Guglielmino & Speranza
,
gen. nov.
(
Figs 1–5
)
Type species
:
Protosclerogibba australis
sp. nov.
Diagnosis
. See description below.
Description
.
Female
. Micropterous (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); fore wing very reduced, about twice as long as scutellum, without veins (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); hind wing reduced, about half as long as fore wing; head with three ocelli (
Fig. 1
); frons not produced over base of antennae (antennal toruli not concealed in dorsal view) (
Figs 2
,
4, 5
); eyes large, situated in the posterior three fourths of the head (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); head with posterior margin much longer than anterior one (
Figs 1
,
4
); first antennal segment slightly longer than anterior flat surface of the hypostomal bridge (
Fig. 3
); palpal formula 6/4; antenna 12-segmented (
Figs 1, 2
); scutum, scutellum, metanotum and propodeum separated by distinct sutures (
Figs 1
,
4
); mesosoma not crossed by a straight suture separating the metanotum and scutellum from the propodeum (
Figs 1
,
4
); metanotum composed of two narrow pieces situated on sides of scutellum and hidden under wings; profemur strongly enlarged (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
), meso- and metafemur less enlarged (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); tibial spurs formula 1/2/2.
Male
. Unknown.
FIGURES 1–3
.
Protosclerogibba australis
sp. nov.
, holotype, ♀. 1, dorsal view; 2, lateral view; 3, head in ventral view (a: first antennal segment; h: hypostomal bridge). Seventh exposed segment of gaster very small. Scale bar 1.89 mm (1), 1.87 mm (2), 0.93 mm (3).
FIGURES 4–5
.
Protosclerogibba australis
sp. nov.
, holotype, ♀. 4, dorsal view; 5, lateral view (metasoma in unnatural horizontal position for better gluing it to the label; natural position is oblique and vertical as in figure 2). Scale bar 1.94 mm (4), 1.80 mm (5).
Differential diagnosis
. The main distinctive characters of
Protosclerogibba
are the following: female micropterous (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); frons not produced over base of antennae (antennal toruli not concealed in dorsal view) (
Figs 2
,
4, 5
); eyes large, occupying the hind three fourths of the head (
Figs 1, 2
,
4, 5
); palpal formula 6/4; antenna composed of 12 segments (
Figs 1, 2
). The three above characters cannot be found in other genera of sclerogibbids. In fact females of other extant sclerogibbids are always apterous (
Figs 6–8
), with frons produced over base of antennae (antennal toruli concealed in dorsal view) (
Fig. 9
), eyes small, occupying the hind two thirds of the head (
Figs 6–8
); palpal formula varying from 2/1 to 6/3, never 6/4; antenna composed of 14–39 segments (
Figs 6–8
). In the few known fossil sclerogibbids (three known specimens, all females), the females are macropterous (in
Sclerogibbodes embioleia
and
Pterosclerogibba antiqua
) (
Fig. 14
) or apterous (in
Probethylus poinari
Olmi, 2005
) (
Fig. 13
); no males of fossil sclerogibbids are known.
Hosts
. Unknown.
Etimology
. The name of the new genus is formed by proto- and
Sclerogibba
, meaning first
Sclerogibba
in order of time among the extant species.
Species
. Type species only.
Distribution
.
South Africa
.