Oreiscelio paradoxus Talamas & Johnson & van Noort & Masner & Polaszek 2009, sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CAC66883-6C71-4A34-883A-973BDC9D8D65

urn:lsid:biosci.ohio-state.edu:osuc_concepts:231740

Figures 91-96; Morphbank 45

Description. General: Body length of female: 3- 3 mm (n=2). Body color: black.

Antenna: Color of antennae in female: dark brown to black throughout. Seta on pedicel of antenna in female: present, not reaching apex of A3.

Head: Color of setae on the head: white. Sculpture of dorsal frons between frontal carina and median ocellus: areolate. Preocellar pit in females: present as a distinct pit. Transverse rugae at vertex: present. Sculpture of posterior vertex: coarsely foveate. Sculpture of occipital rim: areolate. Interantennal process: diverging into two carinae that extend laterally along surface of frons. Number of anteriorly projecting setae on anteclypeus: 6. Color of mandibles in female: basal half black; apical half pale brown. Mandibular teeth in female: teeth of equal size, ventral tooth larger, but less than 2x as long as dorsal tooth. Sculpture of ventral gena anterior to genal carina: row of shallow areolae with reduced ridges between cells. Sculpture of ventral gena posterior to genal carina: irregularly rugose. Shape of anteclypeus: striplike, straight to slightly convex.

Legs: Color of legs: dark brown, tarsi and distal portion of tibiae light brown, brown, tarsi and distal portion of tibiae yellow.

Mesosoma: Sculpture of dorsal pronotum: areolate. Color of setae on the dorsal mesosoma: white. Sculpture of medial mesoscutum: areolate, areolate, with pronounced longitudinal ridges. Sculpture of lateral mesoscutum: same as medial mesoscutum with a subtle confusion of sculptural elements. Notaulus in female: absent. Parapsidal line: delimited. Sculpture of scutellum: areolate. Median furrow on scutellum: absent. Posterior margin of scutellum: convex. Outer projection of the propodeum: rounded. Posterior margin of propodeal shelf between inner and outer propodeal projections in female: nearly straight, strongly oblique. Sculpture of ventral pronotum: foveate reticulate, becoming smooth at anterolateral corner. Anterior pronotal pit: small. Pronotal cervical sulcus: poorly defined. Mesepimeral sulcus: indicated by dorsoventral line of foveae. Sculpture of femoral depression in female: smooth throughout, transversely striate throughout, finely foveate throughout. Mesopleural carina: weakly defined by fine ridges. Sculpture of ventral mesepisternum: smooth, with smooth area surrounded by small foveae. Pilosity of metapleural triangle in female: present as many short fine white setae. Sculpture of ventral area of metapleuron: foveate reticulate.

Metasoma: Submarginal ridge on T1: percurrent, well-defined. Sublateral carina on T2: percurrent. Sculpture of T2–T3: reticulate rugose. Sculpture of T4: longitudinally strigose. Sculpure of T5: longitudinally strigose. Shape of subapical T 6 in female in dorsal view: short, width along anterior margin at least three times the length.

Longitudinal medial keel on S1: absent. Sculpture of medial S 2 in female: punctate reticulate. Sculpture of medial S 3 in female: longitudinally strigose, effaced to smooth. Sculpture of medial S 4 in female: longitudinally strigose, effaced to smooth. Sculpture of medial S 5 in female: longitudinally strigose, effaced to smooth. Sculpture of lateral S 3 in female: punctate crenulate. Sculpture of lateral S 4 in female: longitudinally strigose. Sculpture of lateral S 5 in female: longitudinally strigose. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 2 in female: mostly smooth, with scattered punctures or shallow rugulae. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 3 in female: mostly smooth, with scattered punctures or shallow rugulae, smooth. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 4 in female: mostly smooth with scattered punctures or shallow rugulae. Sculpture of marginal depression of S 5 in female: rugulose. Apical spine on S 6 in female: extending beyond apex of T6 and visible in dorsal view.

Diagnosis. Oreiscelio paradoxus is easily recognized by the reduced outer propodeal projection (Fig. 92, 94) and the posteriorly depressed mesoscutellum (Figs 91, 93).

Etymology. The epithet paradoxus refers to the placement of this species in Oreiscelio despite its lack of a developed outer propodeal projection.

Link to distribution map. 46

Material examined. Holotype female: ZIMBABWE: Salisbury, I–III.1975, A.Watsham, OSUC 234365 (deposited in CNCI) 47 . Paratypes: UGANDA: 1 female, OSUC 233710 (CNCI).