Monograph of the Afrotropical species of Scelio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae), egg parasitoids of acridid grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae)
Author
Yoder, Matthew J.
Author
Valerio, Alejandro A.
Author
Polaszek, Andrew
Author
Noort, Simon van
Author
Masner, Lubomir
Author
Johnson, Norman F.
text
ZooKeys
2014
380
1
188
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.380.5755
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.380.5755
1313-2970-380-1
Scelio impostor Yoder
sp. n.
Figures 257-262; Morphbank 58
Description.
Female body length: 3.20-4.44 mm (n=12). Male body length: 3.80 mm (n=1). Color of scape in female: brown. Surface of dorsal head in female: covered throughout with very fine sculpture. Occipital carina in female: percurrent. Profile of posterior margin of head in lateral view: produced posteriorly, head appearing wedge-shaped. Width of genal setae: narrow to moderately wide. Shape of medial anteclypeus in female: narrow, trapezoidal, not strongly projected medially, apically slightly truncate to very weakly bilobed. Surface of mandible base in female: smooth. Form of mesosoma in female: typically formed, with propodeal shelf moderately elongate and clearly visible in dorsal view. Surface of pronotal nucha in female: sculptured throughout. Transverse pronotal carina in female: developed laterally, absent medially, not percurrent. Shape of mesoscutellum: semicircular to weakly transverse, evenly rounded posteriorly. Surface of propodeal nucha in female: sculptured throughout.
Surface
of propodeal shelf in female: sculptured throughout. Color of metasoma in female: brown, T5-T6 dark brown. Sculpture of T6: finely longitudinally striae.
Diagnosis.
This species is most similar to
Scelio ipomeae
which shares a similarly developed clypeus and anteclypeus and similar general habitus.
Scelio impostor
may be distinguished from
Scelio ipomeae
by the sparse, narrow pilosity of the gena (
Scelio ipomeae
with pilosity of the gena denser, setae thicker) and the brown metasoma (orange in
Scelio ipomeae
, but see Comments for that species). Individuals of
Scelio ipomeae
have the head
somewhat
wedge shaped in lateral view (Fig. 266), whereas those of
Scelio impostor
are typically more rounded (Fig. 262).
Figures 257-262. 157
Scelio impostor
sp. n., holotype female (OSUC 250816). 257 Habitus, dorsal view 258 Habitus, lateral view 259 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 260 Head and mesosoma, lateral view 261 Head, anterior view 262 Head, lateral view. Scale bars in millimeters.
Etymology.
The epithet is used as a noun in apposition derived from the English, in reference to the similarity to
Scelio ipomeae
.
Link to distribution map.
http://hol.osu.edu/map-large.html?id=244754
Material examined.
Holotype, female: SOUTH AFRICA: Western Cape Prov., 25km N Prince Albert, damp wash, SA-018, Kat River Crossing,
33°05'39"S
,
21°49'59"E
, 500m, 3.
X-
24.X.2004, malaise trap, Irwin, Parker & Hauser, OSUC 250816 (deposited in SANC). Paratypes: SOUTH AFRICA: 12 females, 1 male, OSUC 211315, 212515, 250812-250815, 250817, 250972-250974 (CNCI); OSUC 213944 (OSUC); OSUC 222098, 234715 (SAMC).