Phanerotoma signifera, 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 signifera sp. nov. Figs 336 , 337-346

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), " Yemen: Al Kowd (4055), ix.1999, light trap, A. v. Harten & S. Al Haruri, RMNH’00”.

Diagnosis.

Distance between apex of marginal cell and apex of fore wing 0.3-0.4 × vein 1-R1 (Fig. 337 ) and vertex finely rugulose; antenna of ♀ with six apical moniliform segments and widened subapically (Fig. 346 ); ocelli small (POL ca. 1.4 × width of posterior ocellus; Fig. 343 ); head 1.4 × wider than high medially in anterior view (Fig. 344 ); head distinctly emarginate medio-posteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 343 ); inner tooth of mandible small, 0.3 × apical tooth; second submarginal cell of fore wing small (Fig. 337 ); anterior half of vein 1-M yellow; vein r of fore wing ca. 0.7 × vein 3-SR (Fig. 337 ); pterostigma conspicuously dark and large compared to weakly pigmented venation (Fig. 337 ); third tergite of metasoma flattened in lateral view (Fig. 340 ). Close to P. lepta but differs by the different shape of the second submarginal cell of the fore wing, of the pterostigma and of the head in anterior view and dorsal view, smaller ocelli, longer vein r of the fore wing and conspicuous pterostigma.

Description.

Female, holotype, length of body (excluding ovipositor) 2.1 mm; antenna 1.9 mm; fore wing 1.8 mm; visible part of ovipositor sheath 0.15 mm (only apically erect setose).

Head. Width 1.4 × median length in anterior view and part of head above eye in lateral view 0.3 × height of eye (Fig. 345 ) and emarginate medio-posteriorly (Fig. 343 ); antenna widened subapically, with 23 segments and slightly shorter than fore wing, six apical antennal segments suddenly (compared to more basal segments) small and moniliform (Fig. 342 ) and apical segment with tiny spine, third, fourth and penultimate segments 2.5, 2.7 and 1.2 × longer than wide in lateral view, respectively; area of stemmaticum punctulate but mostly smooth posteriorly; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 72: 18: 23; length of eye 2.1 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 343 ); frons smooth near antennal sockets, aciculate medially, rugulose laterally and without median carina; vertex superficially coriaceous and rather shiny, but posteriorly rugulose; temple superficially coriaceous and with satin sheen; face superficially finely rugulose and with small median bump and with satin sheen; clypeus smooth and shiny and 0.8 × minimum width of face, intertentorial distance 2.5 × minimum width between clypeus and eye, long erect setose and with three obsolescent teeth medio-ventrally (Fig. 344 ); eye medium-sized, strongly convex and in lateral view 1.4 × wider than temple (measured medially; Fig. 345 ), in anterior view its height 0.7 × minimum width of face; upper condyle of mandible below lower level of eyes (Fig. 344 ); malar space rugulose-coriaceous, with satin sheen and 0.7 × as long as basal width of mandible; lower tooth of mandible 0.3 × as long as apical tooth (Fig. 345 ).

Mesosoma (Figs 336 , 338 ). Length 1.4 × its width in lateral view; side of pronotum crenulate medially and posteriorly, punctate dorsally and mostly smooth ventrally; propleuron posteriorly distinctly convex; mesosternum granulate and rather matt; mesoscutum densely and finely reticulate-rugulose; scutellum rugulose-punctate (but smooth posteriorly) and rather matt; notauli not indicated; scutellar sulcus wide, with three carinae (Fig. 338 ); metanotum without median carina anteriorly and with minute tooth medio-posteriorly; propodeum rugulose anteriorly and remainder rugose, without transverse or median carina, and latero-posteriorly slightly tuberculate. Wings. Fore wing 2.7 × longer than its maximum width; pterostigma wide; length of 1-R1 1.1 × as long as pterostigma; distance between wing apex and marginal cell apex 0.35 × length of vein 1-R1; r issued far beyond middle of pterostigma and 0.7 × 3-SR; 2-SR straight and distally slightly converging to posterior margin of pterostigma (Fig. 337 ); SR1 straight; 2-SR+M indistinct, m-cu sub-interstitial; parastigma large; 1-CU1 0.45 × as long as vein 2-CU1, cu-a as long as 1-CU1; r:3-SR:SR1 = 9:9:51; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 21:9:8; r-m reclivous; 2-M slightly curved (Fig. 337 ). Hind wing: M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 18:16:5. Legs. Hind femur with satin sheen, 4.1 × as long as wide and slightly widened submedially (Fig. 341 ); blister of middle tibia obsolescent; inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 × its basitarsus; hind coxa mostly smooth and shiny.

Metasoma (Figs 339 , 340 ). Elliptical in dorsal view, 1.8 × longer than wide and 1.3 × as long as mesosoma; first and second tergites, densely and finely longitudinally rugose; second metasomal suture medium-sized; third tergite 1.5 × longer than second tergite and laterally nearly straight and apically widely truncate (Fig. 339 ), in lateral view rather flat, finely rugulose-coriaceous and with satin sheen (Fig. 340 ), lateral lamella medium-sized, wider and not protruding latero-apically and medio-apically truncate and rather wide; ovipositor sheath parallel-sided, apically narrow, its visible part 0.08 × as long as fore wing and 0.15 × metasomal carapace and only apically with long erect setae; hypopygium with medium-sized straight apical triangle (Fig. 340 ), apically without spine and densely setose.

Colour. Pale brownish yellow (including ovipositor sheath); basal half of antenna, face, clypeus, tegulae, legs, palpi, pronotum, propleuron, first and second tergites white or nearly so; apical half of antenna yellowish brown; apex of ovipositor sheath brown; stemmaticum, pterostigma (but basally and ventrally pale) and apex of scutellum dark brown; parastigma and veins ivory or colourless; apical half of third tergite and apical half of metasoma ventrally rather darkened; wing membrane slightly brownish below pterostigma.

Male.

Unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Yemen.

Etymology.

The name signifera refers to the conspicuously dark pterostigma (signum is Latin for mark and - fera is a Latin suffix meaning to bear, carry or have).

Figures

Figure 336. Phanerotoma signifera van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype, habitus lateral.

Figures 337 - 346. Phanerotoma signifera van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype 337 wings 338 mesosoma dorsal 339 first-third metasomal tergites dorsal 340 metasoma lateral 341 hind leg lateral 342 antenna lateral 343 head dorsal 344 head anterior 345 head lateral 346 apical third of antenna lateral.