Phanerotoma mesocellata, Achterberg, 2021

Achterberg, Cornelis van, 2021, The tribe Phanerotomini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae) of the Arabian Peninsula, with special reference to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, ZooKeys 1014, pp. 1-118 : 1

Phanerotoma mesocellata sp. nov. Figs 235-238 , 239-249

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), " United Arab Emirates, Sharjah Desert Park (15613), light trap, 1-30.iv.2007, 25°17'N, 55°42'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’10”. Paratypes: 1♀: Idem, 22.iii.-5.iv.2009; 1♀: Idem, 29.iii.-6.iv.2005; 5♀, 1♂: Idem, 23-30.iv.2005; 13♀, 2♂: Idem, 30.iv.-7.v.2005; 11♀: Idem, 6-13.iv.2005; 1♀: Idem, 21-29.iii.2005; 1♀: "United Arab Emirates, Sharjah (2279), light trap, 30.vi.-21.vii.2005, 25°21'N, 55°24'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’05”; 1♀: Idem, 2.v.-5.vi.2005; 3♀: "United Arab Emirates, Fujairah (2438), light trap, 2.v.-5.vi.2005, 25°08'N, 56°21'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’06”; 1♀: Idem, 5-24.iii.2005; 6♀: "United Arab Emirates, NARC near Sweihan (1245), light trap, 28.iii.-2.iv.2005, 24°24'N, 55°26'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’06”; 4♀: Idem, 2-9.iv.2005; 22♀, 3♂: Idem, 9-20.iv.2005; 1♀: Idem, 14-28.iii.2005; 8♀, 3♂: "United Arab Emirates, Wadi Bih dam (11366), light trap, 24.iv.-23.v.2007, 25°48'N, 56°04'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’10”; 4♀, 1♂: Idem, 13-30.iv.2008; 1♀: Idem, 19.ii.-29.iii.2007; 1♀: "United Arab Emirates, Hatta (11572), light trap, 21.vi.-19.vii.2006, 24°49'N, 56°07'E, A. v. Harten, RMNH’09”; 1♂: "United Arab Emirates, Sharjah x Khor Kalba (11542), light trap, 24°59'N, 56°09'E, 28.iii.-5.iv.2006, A. v. Harten, RMNH’10”; 4♀: " Yemen (5697), Al Kowd, light trap, iv.2001, A. van Harten & S. Al Haruri, RMNH’02”; 5♀: Idem, 16-20.viii.2001; 6♀: Idem, 8-12.vii.2001; 22♀, 1♂: Idem, 27-31.vii.2001; 5♀: Idem, 6-10.viii.2001; 7♀: Idem, v.-vi.2000; 14♀, 3♂: Idem, vii.1999; 2♀: Idem, ii.2000; 1♀: Idem, vii.2000; 7♀: Idem, viii.2000; 2♀: Idem, xii.2000; 1♀: Idem, viii.1999; 3♀: Idem, 21-25.viii.2001; 2♀, 1♂: Idem, vii.-ix.2001; 2♀: Idem, vi.2002; 4♀: Idem, ix.2003; 3♀: Idem, i.-iii.2003; 15♀, "Yemen (6090), Al Kadan, light trap, x.2001, A. van Harten & T. Abdul-Haq, RMNH’03”; 2♀: Idem, iv.2002; 14♀, 1♂: Idem, v.2002; 2♀, 1♂: Idem, i.2003; 7♀: Idem, xi.2001; 9♀: "Yemen (5404), Hamman’Ali, from coffee berries (with Ceratitis capitata ?), 14.iii.2001, A. van Harten, RMNH’02”; 4♀: "Yemen (6381), Ta’izz, light trap, ix.-x.2001, A. van Harten & A.R. Al Yarimi, RMNH"; 1♀: Idem, ix.1999; 3♀: Idem, x.1999; 6♀: Idem, xi.1999; 4 ♀: Idem, xii.1999; 8♀: Idem, i.2000; 12♀: Idem, v.2000; 17♀: Idem, ix.2000; 2♀, 1♂: Idem, 5.i.-2.ii.1998; 15♀: Idem, 26-28.vii.1999; 16♀, 1♂: Idem, 3-24.i.1999; 17♀, 1♂: Idem, viii.2000; 1♀: Idem, 27-31.vii.2001; 7♀: Idem, x.2001; 3♀: Idem, iii.-iv.2001; 5♀: Idem, vi.2002; 6♀, 1♂: Idem, vii.2002; 6♀: "Yemen (3645), Sana’a, light trap, iii.-iv.1999, A. van Harten, RMNH’00”; 1♀: Idem, v.1999; 1♀: "Yemen (6667), 12 km NW Manakhah, Mal[aise] trap, 27.iii.-5.v.2002, A. v. Harten, RMNH’03”; 1♀: "Yemen, Seyun, light trap, 4-6.ix.2002, A. van Harten, RMNH’03”; 3♀: "Yemen (6158), Al Lahima, 17.ix.-14.xi.2001, Mal[aise] trap, A. v. Harten, RMNH’02”.

Diagnosis.

Eighth-tenth antennal segments from apex of ♀ moderately moniliform, stocky, matt or slightly shiny, 14th segment from apex somewhat longer than wide (Figs 248 , 249 ); stemmaticum black or dark brown, but sometimes brownish yellow; mesosternum more or less shiny; second submarginal cell of fore wing comparatively short (Fig. 239 ); POL of ♀ 0.4-0.6 × width of posterior ocellus; eye 1.2-1.8 × as wide as median width of temple in lateral view (Fig. 247 ); vein 1-M (as usually parastigma) slightly darker than yellow M+CU1 of fore wing (Fig. 235 ); ovipositor sheath narrow apically (Figs 235 , 242 ). Closely related to P. ocularis and differs mainly by the shape of the apical antennal segments of the female, the more curved vein 2-SR and the size of the ocelli.

Description.

Female, holotype, length of body (excluding ovipositor) 3.6 mm; antenna 2.7 mm; fore wing 2.6 mm; visible part of ovipositor sheath 0.4 mm (erect setae mostly concentrated at apex).

Head. Width 1.7 × median length in anterior view and part of head above eye in lateral view 0.25 × height of eye (Fig. 247 ); antenna with 23 cylindrical segments, slightly widened submedially and slightly longer than fore wing, seven apical antennal segments small and moniliform (Fig. 249 ), with short bristles and apical segment with spine, third, fourth and penultimate segments 2.6, 2.4 and 1.4 × longer than wide in lateral view, respectively; area of stemmaticum coriaceous; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 15: 5: 3; length of eye 2.2 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 245 ); frons with weak median carina, mainly coriaceous, rather shiny and laterally rugulose; vertex rugulose-coriaceous and rather matt, posteriorly also with some transverse rugulae and distinctly emarginate (Fig. 245 ); temple mainly coriaceous and rather matt, nearly parallel-sided in lateral view (Fig. 247 ), gradually narrowed behind eyes; face transversely rugose laterally, rugulose and with obsolescent median bump and with satin sheen; clypeus smooth, moderately shiny and 0.9 × as wide as minimum width of face, intertentorial distance 3.6 × minimum width between clypeus and eye, long erect setose and with three distinct blunt teeth medio-ventrally (Fig. 246 ); eye large, strongly convex and in lateral view 1.8 × wider than temple (measured medially; Fig. 247 ), in anterior view its height 0.8 × minimum width of face (Fig. 246 ); upper condyle of mandible above lower level of eyes (Fig. 246 ); malar space mostly smooth, rather shiny and 0.4 × as long as basal width of mandible; lower tooth of mandible 0.2 × as long as apical tooth, small (Fig. 244 ).

Mesosoma (Figs 235 , 240 ). Length 1.5 × its width in lateral view; side of pronotum coriaceous dorsally and remainder rugose; posteriorly propleuron bulging near central groove; mesosternum finely granulate and with satin sheen; mesoscutum densely reticulate-rugose on granulate background, with satin sheen, notauli absent; scutellum nearly flat, finely granulate-rugulose; scutellar sulcus medium-sized, with eight carinae (Fig. 240 ); metanotum with median carina and minute medio-posterior tooth, its posterior border finely serrate; propodeum coarsely reticulate-rugose, on median-sized dorsal face less coarsely rugose, with transverse carina, no median carina, and latero-posteriorly weakly tuberculate. Wings. Fore wing 2.7 × longer than its maximum width; 1-R1 1.3 × as long as pterostigma; distance between wing apex and marginal cell apex 0.25 × length of 1-R1; r issued far beyond middle of pterostigma and 0.2 × 3-SR; 2-SR weakly curved and slightly converging to posterior margin of pterostigma (Fig. 239 ); SR1 curved; m-cu interstitial; parastigma large; 1-CU1 0.5 × as long as vein 2-CU1, cu-a 0.9 × 1-CU1, strongly inclivous; r:3-SR:SR1 = 4:19:49; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 28:19:9; r-m reclivous; 2-M slightly curved (Fig. 239 ). Hind wing: M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 22:17:10. Legs. Hind femur rather matt, 3.3 × as long as wide and robust; hind tibia swollen (Fig. 243 ); middle tibia with medium-sized blister; inner spur of middle tibia 0.5 × its basitarsus; hind coxa largely superficially granulate, but dorsally partly smooth and rather shiny.

Metasoma (Figs 241 , 242 ). Oval in dorsal view, 1.6 × as long as wide and 1.2 × as long as mesosoma; first and second tergites irregularly and coarsely longitudinally rugose; second metasomal suture rather wide and straight; third tergite 1.5 × longer than second tergite and laterally curved, convex medially, rounded posteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 241 ), obtuse posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 242 ), densely reticulate-rugose and with satin sheen (Fig. 241 ), lateral lamella narrow basally, but widened near apical half of third tergite and latero-apically, medio-apically somewhat barrower and concave; ovipositor sheath narrow, apically slightly widened and darkened (Fig. 242 ), its visible part 0.16 × as long as fore wing and 0.28 × metasomal carapace, and with erect setae mainly near its apex; hypopygium of ♀ with short widely triangular and up curved apical protuberance (Fig. 242 ) and with mostly medium-sized setae.

Colour. Pale brownish yellow; stemmaticum blackish; apex of antenna, hind tibia apically and subbasally and apex of ovipositor sheath rather brown; parastigma partly brownish, remainder and vein 1-M yellow; clypeus, palpi, tegulae, remainder of legs, mesoscutum medio-posteriorly, first and second tergites and metasoma ventrally pale yellowish or ivory; pterostigma (but basally and apically pale yellowish) and most veins brown; wing membrane slightly brownish below pterostigma and near vein 1-CU1.

Male.

Similar to female (including hind femur; Fig. 237 ), but antenna slenderer (Fig. 236 ).

Variations.

Length of fore wing of ♀ 2.1-2.7 mm (mainly UAE; many specimens from Yemen are larger (2.9-3.6 mm) because of using larger hosts), of ♂ 2.1-2.2 mm (UAE; Yemen 2.3-3.2 mm); vein 1-M of fore wing and parastigma pale yellowish, but sometimes more or less brown; second tergite brownish yellow or brown laterally; stemmaticum usually dark brown, but sometimes brownish yellow.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

Etymology.

Named after its intermediate sized ocelli (meso is Greek for middle).

Figures

Figures 235 - 238. Phanerotoma mesocellata van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀ holotype (but 236, 237 of ♂, paratype) 235 habitus lateral 236 antenna 237 hind femur and tibia lateral 238 middle femur and tibia lateral.

Figures 239 - 249. Phanerotoma mesocellata van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype 239 fore wing 240 mesosoma dorsal 241 first-third metasomal tergites dorsal 242 metasoma lateral 243 hind leg lateral 244 mandible ventral 245 head dorsal 246 head anterior 247 head lateral 248 antenna lateral 249 apical half of antenna lateral.