Diagnosis.

Buffington

Matthew L.

van Noort

Simon

Revision of the Afrotropical Oberthuerellinae (Cynipoidea, Liopteridae)

Zookeys156201220122021154

10.3897/zookeys.202.2136

Tessmannella

http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Liopteridae/Oberthuerellinae/Tessmannella/index.htm

http://species-id.net/wiki/Tessmannella

Hedicke

Tessmannella

Hedicke, 1912: 303. Type species:

Tessmannella spinosa

Hedicke, by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Female antenna 13-segmented, subclavate; male 14-segmented. Face with reticulate to rugose sculpture and scattered pubescence. Pronotum coarsely rugose with median tooth or spine viewed laterally. Mesonotum with coarse variable sculpture, propodeum without pronounced side margins. Petiole three times as long as broad, terga 2–4 short (viewed laterally and dorsally), terga 5 largest. Metafemora with a rounded lobe between medial area and apex, tooth on metafemur angled, hind tibia with a distinct lobe apically, opposite the tibial spines. Scutellum with three foveae.

Distribution.

Central African Republic; Congo; Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire); Equatorial Guinea; Gabon; Kenya.

Biology.

Unknown.

Comments.

Only four species were previously known in this genus, two described by Hedicke (1912), one by Benoit (1955), and one by Quinlan (1979). Tessmannella transiens Benoit (1955) was transferred to Oberthuerella by Ronquist (1995) leaving three species in the genus. Here we describe three new species, elevating the total to six.

Included species.

Tessmannella copelandi Buffington & van Noort, sp. n.

Tessmannella expansa Quinlan, 1979: 116

Tessmannella kiplingi Buffington & van Noort, sp. n.

Tessmannella nigra Hedicke, 1912: 304

Tessmannella roberti Buffington & van Noort, sp. n.

Tessmannella spinosa Hedicke, 1912: 303

Key to species of <italic><tp:taxon-name>Tessmannella</tp:taxon-name></italic> (both sexes)

(Available online at http://www.waspweb.org/Cynipoidea/Keys/index.htm)


1A	Forewing uniformly infuscate; posterior margins of T3 and T4 broadly emarginate	2

1B	Forewing basally hyaline, with either one or two infuscate patches posterior and distal to the marginal cell; posterior margins of T3 and T4 straight, not emarginate	4

2A	Ventral malar margin, immediately adjacent to mandibular base, distinctly striate	3

2B	Ventral malar margin, immediately adjacent to mandibular base, gently shagreened	Tessmannella nigra Hedicke

3A	Distinct clypeo-pleurostomal line present; face shagreened medially	Tessmannella spinosa Hedicke

3B	Clypo-pleurostomal line absent; face horizontally striate medially	Tessmannella expansa Quinlan

4A	Central scutellar area smooth, with a very faint central carina	Tessmannella copelandi sp. n.

4B	Central scutellar area areolate to foveate	5

5A	Forewing with single distinct infuscate patch throughout marginal cell and immediately posterior; central scutellar area areolate; dorsal and lateral pronotum areolate	Tessmannella roberti sp. n.

5B	Forewing with two infuscate patches, one including the marginal cell and space immediately posterior, and a second faint patch that encompasses the entire distal margin of the forewing (leaving a small, hyaline area between the distal margin and the marginal cell); central scutellar area foveolate; dorsal and lateral margins of pronotum horizontally striate, resulting in a ‘wave-like' texture	Tessmannella kiplingi sp. n.

Hedicke

(1912) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Cynipiden. I. Eine neue Gattung aus der Unterfamilia der Obertürellinae.Entomologische Zeitschift 1912: 303-304.

Benoit

PLG

(1955) Les Liopteridae Oberthurellinae du Congo Belge.Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 52: 283-293.

Quinlan

(1979) A revisionary classification of the Cynipoidea (Hymenoptera) of the Ethiopean zoologeographical region.Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History 39: 85-133.

Ronquist

(1995) Phylogeny and classification of the Liopteridae, an archaic group of cynipoid wasps (Hymenoptera).Entomologica Scandinavica Supplement46: 1-74.