Synopeas tschirnhausi Buhl 2014, sp. n.

Synopeas tschirnhausi sp. n.

Figs 81–84

Etymology: Named after the collector, M. von Tschirnhaus.

Diagnosis: A most characteristic species of the genus on account of pointed eyes; head in frontal view only very slightly wider than high.

Description:

Female.

Body length 1.1 mm. Black, mandibles and coxae hardly lighter, A1–A6 and legs more or less light brownish, A1 blackish in basal 0.25; A7–A10 dark brownish. Head from above 1.85× as wide as long, 1.3× as wide as mesosoma, finely and uniformly reticulatecoriaceous (not transversely so), without hyperoccipital carina. LOL= 5 OOL. Upper outer corner of eye pointed. Head in frontal view (Fig. 81) very slightly wider than high (24:23). Antenna (Fig. 82) with A1 0.6× as long as height of head, as long as distance between inner orbits. Mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide, 1.1× as high as wide. Sides of pronotum finely reticulate­coriaceous, smooth in lower third and along hind margin. Mesoscutum evenly and moderately densely setose, uniformly and finely reticulatecoriaceous; notauli short and poorly evident at hind margin; mid lobe slightly and bluntly prolonged to base of scutellum; scuto-scutellar grooves rather narrow, each with about seven long setae. Mesopleuron smooth. Scutellum (Fig. 83) slightly and evenly convex, almost smooth, sparsely setose along middle, densely so laterally, without modification behind. Metapleuron smooth, in anterior 0.4 with very sparse pilosity, denser behind. Propodeal carinae high, dark, rounded, fused. Fore wing 0.85× as long as entire body, 2.2× as long as wide, clear, in apical half with fine and dense microtrichia; marginal cilia extremely short. Hind wing 5.4× as long as wide; marginal cilia one-third the width of wing. Metasoma (Fig. 84) two-thirds as long as head and mesosoma combined, about as long as mesosoma and slightly wider (19:18), 1.3× as wide as high. T1 with a few longitudinal crenulae. T2–T5 smooth, each with a narrow transverse stripe of reticulate microsculpture at hind margin, T6 with such sculpture all over. Apical tergites with a few inconspicuous setae in shallow punctures (eight on T5, fewer on the rest).

Comparison: In respect of unusual shape of head, somewhat similar to S. acutanguliceps Buhl, 2011, but that species has the head in frontal view 1.4× as wide as high and eyes not pointed.

Holotype: ♀ TOGO: Région des Plateaux, 1 km downstream of Totamé (07°35'21"N 00°37'55"E), 20.iv. 2008, 590 m, mountain slope with scattered forest trees and dense ground vegetation, rotting fruits of avocado, swept, M. von Tschirnhaus.