Meteorus comonile Rousse et Braet

Rousse, Pascal & Braet, Yves, 2012, Braconid wasps (Hymenoptera) of Reunion. 1. Euphorinae (including Meteorini): key to species and description of six new species, Zootaxa 3449, pp. 26-46 : 38-40

Meteorus comonile Rousse et Braet sp. nov.

( Fig. 9 )

Diagnosis. Species with mesosoma mostly dark brown and tergite I yellowish orange. The short and triangular mandibles, with fine apical teeth, are characteristic.

Description. FEMALE: B: 2.9; F: 3.0; O: 1.0.

Head. Entire head covered with moderately dense pilosity. Head barely constricted behind eyes: temples moderately long, subparallel then strongly rounded in dorsal view, 0.7x as long as maximal eye width in lateral view. Antenna with 23 flagellomeres, pedicel bulbous, flagellomere 1 0.9x as long as flagellomere 2, flagellomere 22 0.6x as long as flagellomere 23, flagellomere 23 0.6x as long as flagellomere 1. Face slightly wider than high, strongly bulging medio-longitudinally, centrally with fine transverse striations and laterally finely punctate. Eyes slightly convergent ventrally, in dorsal view 1.7x longer than temple. Clypeus transverse, sparsely and finely punctate, strongly convex in profile view, ventral margin acute and weakly concave. Mandibular teeth small and obtuse. Upper tooth about twice longer than lower tooth. Malar line a little shorter than mandibular basal with.

Mesosoma. Entire mesosoma covered with a moderately dense pilosity. Pronotum with some transverse striations laterally. Mesopleuron with shallow sparse punctures, excepted a rugose area below tegula. Sternaulus wide and sinuate, rugose, running from half height of the anterior margin of mesopleuron to middle coxa. Metapleuron rugose reticulate. Mesonotum moderately punctate, notaulus wide and rugose but shallow, confluent into a postero-median rugose and slightly concave area. Scutellum swollen, scuto-scutellar groove moderately deep and crenulate. Propodeum rugose reticulate, without carination. Forewing with m-cu apical to 2/Rs, 1R1 petiolate. Hind coxa with a medio-longitudinal depression on external face.

Distribution records. Reunion.

Etymology. “ Comon i lé?” is an usual Creole sentence meaning “How are you?”.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE Ƥ ( MNHN EY 6641) Verbatim label data: Notre Dame de la Paix / Panoramique du sentier marmailles, alt. 1700m, 15/12/2010, fauchage, coll. T. Ramage; complete. PARATYPE ( CBGP) 13 St Philippe / Mare Longue, alt. 320m, II.2001, coll. Cirad; complete.

Comments. The significant difference observed between the two collected specimens may be imputed to sexual dimorphism or to intraspecific variability as well. Meteorus comonile sp. nov. differs from the 51 other Meteorus spp. reported in the studied area by the combination of the following characters: ventral margins of tergite I partially joining, presence of a postero-median area on mesoscutum, face barely wider than high, antennae moderately short (23–25 flagellomeres), forewing with 1R1 petiolate, mesosoma distinctly darker than metasoma. Moreover, Meteorus comonile sp. nov. differs from all the species housed in the MNHN and the MRAC collections (types examined) by one or several of the following characters: 2/M absent, tergite I 1.4x longer than apically wide, 1+2Rs of forewing trapezoidal, eye 1.4x wider than temple in dorsal view, general coloration or size strikingly different. M. comonile is close to M. wittei de Saeger, 1946 but this latter species differs by its tergite I more than twice as long as its apical width.

Metasoma. Tergite I with very weak longitudinal aciculations apically, basal half smooth, strongly curved in profile view, ventral margins joined from base to half their length. First tergite 1.4x as long as apically wide, its apex 3.6x as long as base. Following tergites smooth and shining. Ovipositor sheath 1.0x as long as hind tibia.

Color. Mainly yellowish orange with large dark brownish parts: antenna, upper half of back head, entire mesosoma (though postero-median concave area, scutellum and propodeum distinctly clearer), lateral margins of tergites II–III, base of tergite IV, tarsi and hind tibia.

MALE. (1 specimen). B: 2.9; F: 3.0. Antenna with 25 flagellomeres. Distinctly lighter than female (mainly yellowish with testaceous to brownish parts), though the relative repartition of colors is similar. Otherwise similar to female.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Meteorus comonile sp. nov. habitus. a: female. b: male.