Species of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae from rainforest canopies in Tanzania, with keys to the Afrotropical species of Amblyaspis, Inostemma, Leptacis, Platygaster and Synopeas (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) Peter Neerup Buhl The platygastrid diversity from a canopy fogging experiment in Tanzania is assessed, a total of about 1140 specimens in 141 species was found. Forty species new to science are described: Allotropa canopyana, A. fusca, Leptacis acuticlava, L. dendrophila, L. dilatispina, L. ioannoui, L. johnsoni, L. kryi, L. laevipleura, L. latipetiolata, L. mckameyi, L. papei, L. piestopleuroides, L. popovicii, L. pronotata, Parabaeus austini, P. brevicornis, P. papei, Platygaster hamadryas, Pl. kwamgumiensis, Pl. leptothorax, Pl. mazumbaiensis, Pl. nielseni, Pl. sonnei, Pl. ultima, Pl. vertexialis, Synopeas acutanguliceps, S. canopyanum, S. ciliarissimum, S. dentilamellatum, S. dorsale, S. fredskovae, S. glabratum, S. gnom, S. laeviventre, S. lineae, S. longiceps, S. mazumbaiense, S. semihyalinum, and S. verrucosum. Keys are given to nearly all known Afrotropical species of Amblyaspis Förster, 1856, Inostemma Haliday, 1833, Leptacis Förster, 1856, Platygaster Latreille, 1809 and Synopeas Förster, 1856. Peter Neerup Buhl, Troldhøjvej 3, DK-3310 Ølsted, Denmark. [email protected] Introduction The wasp subfamilies Platygastrinae and Scelio- The Eastern Arc Mountains are renown in Africa trachelinae consist of parasitoids, the hosts of the for high concentrations of endemic species of ani- former being especially gall midges. They are mostly mals and plants. Thirteen separate mountain blocks very small (1–2 mm), black, weakly shining wasps comprise the Eastern Arc, supporting around 3300 with elbowed antennae that have at the most 8 flag- km2 of sub-montane, montane and upper montane ellomeres in the antenna (sometimes fewer, espe- forest. At least 96 vertebrate species, 800 vascular cially in the subfamily Sceliotrachelinae). The wings plant species and many hundreds of invertebrate of platygastrids most often lack venation, but the species are endemic, with data for butterflies, mil- setation of the wings is often characteristic for each lipedes, spiders and dragonflies indicating potential species or group. Hitherto 167 Afrotropical species trends in importance (Burgess et al. 2007). At the of Platygastrinae and Sceliotrachelinae have been same time, the Eastern Arc Mountains are one of the formally described. The Afrotropical fauna of the 17 most threatened tropical ecosystems or hotspots groups has been summarized most importantly by worldwide (Newmark 2002). In the present paper, Masner (1960) and Sundholm (1970). Additional the hitherto neglected diversity of Platygastrinae and contributions include Huggert (1976) and Buhl Sceliotrachelinae in the Eastern Arc region (Usam- (1997a, 1997b, 1998, 2001, 2003a, 2003b, 2004a, bara Mountains) is investigated, this being also the 2004b, 2005, 2006, 2010). Important notes on many first systematic account on canopy fogged material older African platygastrid types were recently given of these groups in the world. by Notton (2010). An annotated bibliography of Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 154: 75–126, Figs 1–160. [ISSN 0040-7496]. http://www.nev.nl/tve © 2011 Nederlandse Entomologische Vereniging. Published 1 June 2011. 76 Tijdschrift voor Entomologie, volume 154, 2011 the group can be found on N.F. Johnson’s website at tion because of too doubtful taxonomic placement http://atbi.biosci.ohio-state.edu:210/hymenoptera/ (or they being too badly preserved). eol_scelionidae.home Standard abbreviations used in the descriptions are A1–A10 = antennomeres 1–10, OOL = distance between lateral ocellus and eye, LOL = distance Material and methods between lateral and anterior ocelli, and T1–T6 = A total of about 1140 specimens of Platygastridae, tergites 1–6. representing about 141 species, were sorted from The keys are kept simple and are intended to be used samples obtained by canopy fogging, deposited in as a guide in conjunction with the original descrip- the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen tions or redescriptions, freely available on the above (ZMUC). mentioned website. The information on the general The detailed locality data are: distribution and type species of the genera generally Tanzania, Tanga, Lushoto District, Mazumbai Forest follows Vlug (1995). Reserve, 4°49’S 38°29’E, 1650–1730 m, 6.vii.1995, All material has been mounted on card points on 6.xi.1995 and 27.xi.1995. pins, and it is preserved in ZMUC. Tanzania, Tanga, Lushoto District, Mazumbai Forest Reserve, 4°49’S 38°31’E, 1370–1435 m, 04.xii.1995 and 8.xii.1995. Taxonomy Tanzania, Tanga, Muheza District, Kwamgumi Forest Reserve, 4°57’S 38°44’E, 170–220 m, Genus Aceroteta Kozlov & Masner, 1977 18.vii.1995, 20.vii.1995, 23.vii.1995, 25.vii.1995, 5.xi.1995 and 9.xi.1995. Distribution. Worldwide Tanzania, Tanga, Muheza District, Kwamgumi For- Type species. A. borealis Kozlov & Masner, 1977. est Reserve, 4°57’S 38°45’E, 825 m, 13.xi.1995. One species has been described from the Afrotropical Tanzania, Tanga, Muheza District, Kwamgumi For- region, Aceroteta africana Buhl, 2005. Two females est Reserve, 4°57’S 38°45’E, 430 m, 15.xi.1995. and a male, probably belonging to this species (hith- erto only known from South Africa), were present in Both sampling areas are located in north-east Tan- the canopy fogging material (Mazumbai 4.xii.1995 zania. Mazumbai Forest Reserve is one of the few and Kwamgumi 5.xi.1995). remaining intact submontane forests located in the West Usambara Mountains. The Kwamgumi Forest Genus Allotropa Förster, 1856 Reserve, in the East Usambara Mountains 30 km SE of the Mazumbai plots, is a habitat representing Distribution. Worldwide the transition between coastal and Eastern Arc for- Type species. A. mecrida (Walker, 1835). Four species est types, and one of the lower forest reserves of the have been described from the Afrotropical region. East Usambara Mountains. The study sites and col- Two specimens were present in the canopy fogging lecting method are elaborated upon by McKamey material, each of them representing a distinct new (1999). species. The gender of the generic name is feminine. To put a limit to the paper, only the taxonomically most interesting or morphological most significant Allotropa canopyana sp. n. or well-characterised species were formally described. Figs 1–3 Slightly more than half of the species in the mate- rial were judged too similar or poorly characterised Material examined. Holotype /: Tanzania, Tanga, at the present level of investigation to place with suf- Lushoto Dist., Mazumbai For. Res., 1370–1435 m, ficient certainty under an earlier described or a new 4.xii.1995 (ZMUC). species, but about 45% of the species in the mate- Diagnosis. Head as wide as mesosoma, 2.6 times as rial, 66, could be named, and 40 of these 66 species wide as long; scutellum almost smooth; female meta- are described below as new to science. The unnamed soma shorter than rest of body; antennae and legs dark. species are listed under each genus as “sp. 1, sp. 2, Description. Female. Body length 0.75 mm. Body sp. 3…” (the material has been labelled accordingly) black; A1–A5, tegulae and legs including coxae dark with indication of distribution on localities (Maz- reddish brown; base and apex of tibiae and segments umbai and/or Kwamgumi), and it is mentioned if 1–4 of all tarsi slightly lighter. the species was present in the material by less than Head from above (Fig. 1) 2.6 times as wide as long, three specimens (singleton or doubleton). Less than as wide as mesosoma; occiput smooth, sharply angled 5% of the specimens were not used in the calcula- in front; vertex and frons finely reticulate-coriaceous, .