Asobara turneri Peris-Felipo, 2014

Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier, Broad, Gavin R. & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2014, Two new Afrotropical Asobara species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with complete notauli, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 54 (2), pp. 693-701 : 697-700

Asobara turneri Peris-Felipo sp. nov.

( Figs 13–24 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♀, South Africa, E. Cape Prov., Katberg , 4000 ft [= 1220 m a.s.l.], xii.1932, B. M. 1933–69 ( R. E. Turner leg.) ( BMNH) . PARATYPES: 1 ♀, South Africa, E. Cape Prov., Katberg , 19–26.ii.1933, B. M. 1933–175 ( R. E. Turner leg.) ( BMNH) ; 1 J, South Africa, Cape Province, Somerset East , 10–22.xii.1930, Brit. Mus. 1931–37 ( R. E. Turner leg.) ( BMNH) .

Description. Female. Head entirely smooth; in dorsal view 1.65 times as wide as its median length, 1.3 times as wide as mesoscutum, with rounded temples behind eye. Eye in lateral view 1.2 times as high as wide and 1.75 times as long as temple medially. POL 1.15 times OD; OOL 2.9 times OD. Face 1.3 times as wide as high; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus slightly curved ventrally, 1.6 times as wide as high. Mandible widened towards apex, 1.1 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth of mandible longer than lower tooth; middle tooth wide basally and narrowed towards apex, pointed apically; lower tooth rounded apically. Antenna thick, 28-segmented. Scape 1.3 times as long as pedicel. First flagellomere 3.65 times as long as its apical width; second flagellomere 6.5 times as long as its maximum width; 1.65 times as long as first flagellomere. Third flagellomere 4.8 times, fourth flagellomere 5.0 times, fifth to sixth flagellomeres 4.25 times, seventh to eleventh fl- agellomeres 3.6–3.7 times, twelfth to twenty-third flagellomeres 3.0–3.1 times, twenty-fourth to twenty-fifth flagellomeres 2.5 times, and twenty-sixth (apical) flagellomere 2.0 times as long as their maximum width accordingly.

Mesosoma 1.25 times as long as high (lateral view). Mesoscutum 1.1 times as long as maximum width. Notauli complete, finely crenulate, reaching anterior end of mesoscutal mid pit. Mesoscutal mid pit long. Scutellar sulcus sculptured, with lateral carinae. Precoxal suture present, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate. Propodeum sculptured, with complete median longitudinal carinae crossing from anterior to posterior margins, completely sculptured in apical half. Propodeal spiracle relatively small.

Wings. Length of fore wing 3.3 times its maximum width. Marginal cell reaching apex of wing, 3.9 times as long as its maximum width. Vein 3RSa 1.75 times as long as 2RS, 7.0 times as long as r, 0.65 times as long as 3RSb. Second submarginal cell distinctly narrowed distally, 2.7 times as long as maximum width. Hind wing 5.7 times as long as its maximum width.

Legs. Hind femur 6.75 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened towards apex, about 10.5 times as long as its maximum subapical width, 1.1 times as long as hind tarsus. Basitarsus of hind tarsus 2.25 times as long as second segment.

Metasoma distinctly compressed. First tergum sculptured, weakly widened towards apex, 1.3 times as long as its apical width, 0.5 times as long as propodeum. Ovipositor 5.9 times as long as first tergum, distinctly longer than metasoma, 2.8 times as long as hind femur, 0.6 times as long as fore wing.

Colour. Body dark brown. Legs brown. Wings hyaline. Pterostigma brown.

Body length 3.8 mm; fore wing length 4.7 mm.

Variation. Body length 3.65–3.80 mm; fore wing length 4.6–4.7 mm. Antenna 26–28- segmented. First flagellomere 3.55–3.65 times as long as its maximum width; second flagellomere 6.35–6.45 times as long as its maximum width. Length of fore wing 3.2–3.3 times its maximum width.

Male. Body length 3.7 mm; fore wing length 3.3 mm. Antenna 27-segmented. First flagellomere 3.5 times as long as its maximum width; second flagellomere 7.65 times as long as its maximum width, 2.2 times as long as first flagellomere. Hind femur 5.9 times as long as its maximum width.

Differential diagnosis. According to the key by FISCHER (2007), this new species is similar to A. kapiriensis Fischer, 2007 . Asobara turneri sp. nov. differs from A. kapiriensis in having the second flagellomere of female 6.4 times as long as its maximum width (6.0 times in A. kaipiriensis ), hind femur of female 6.75 times as long as its maximum width (5.0 times in A. kaipiriensis ), first metasomal tergum 1.3 times as long as its apical width (1.1 times in A. kaipiriensis ), and head in dorsal view 1.65 times as wide as its median length (2.0 times in A. kaipiriensis ).

Etymology. Named in honour R. E. Turner who collected specimens of this new species.

Figures

Figs 13–18. Asobara turneri Peris-Felipo sp. nov. (13, 15–18 – ♀, 14 –J). 13, 14 – habitus, lateral view; 15 – head, lateral view; 16 – mandible; 17 – basal segments of antenna; 18 – head, frontal view.

Figs 19–24. Asobara turneri Peris-Felipo sp. nov. (♀). 19 – mesosoma, lateral view; 20 – mesonotum; 21 – propodeum; 22 – first metasomal tergum; 23 – legs and metasoma, lateral view; 24 – fore wing.