Tubiformopius tubibasis Fischer

Wharton, Robert, Ward, Lauren & Miko, Istvan, 2012, New neotropical species of Opiinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) reared from fruit-infesting and leaf-mining Tephritidae (Diptera) with comments on the Diachasmimorpha mexicana species group and the genera Lorenzopius and Tubiformopius, ZooKeys 243, pp. 27-82 : 71-72

Tubiformopius tubibasis Fischer comb. n. Fig. 84

Opius (Opius) tubibasis Fischer, 1978: 163-165. Holotype female in AEIC.

Opius (Opius) tubibasis : Yu et al. 2005, 2012 (electronic catalogs).

Type locality.

Ecuador, Cañar, Naupán, 3200 m.

Type material.

Holotype. Female (AEIC), first label, first line: W. Naupán(Cañar) second line: 3200m. Ecuador third line: XII. 10. 70 fourth line: Luis Peña second label [red]: Holotype third label, first line: [female symbol] Opius second line: tubibasis third line: Holotype sp. n. fourth line: det. Fischer fourth label [yellow] Type 1195

Diagnosis.

Holotype female. Labrum completely concealed by mandibles; clypeus tall, narrow, weakly protruding in profile, ventral margin truncate. Mandible with weak basal lobe, apically nearly parallel-sided. Malar space distinct, malar sulcus not evident except as a small impression adjacent eye. Antenna with 24 flagellomeres. Pronotum dorsally not readily visible in holotype. Disc of mesoscutum nearly bare, with a very sparse row of setae between notauli and transscutal articulation; midpit absent or nearly so, with faint indication of a depression when viewed in certain angles; notauli weak, present as short, weakly sculptured grooves on anterior declivity, not extending posteriorly onto disc of mesoscutum; supra-marginal carina between base of notaulus and tegula absent. Scuto-scutellar sulcus relatively narrow as in Opius tubigaster , crenulate throughout. Precoxal sulcus barely visible as a short, broad, very shallow, completely unsculptured indentation. Propodeum granular rugose, without median carina anteriorly, moderately setose. Fore wing with stigma long, curled in holotype, but very gradually tapered distally; r1 equal to or slightly longer than stigma width; second submarginal cell long, distinctly narrowing distally; m-cu widely antefurcal; 2CUb arising slightly below middle of hind margin of first subdiscal cell, 2cu-a absent, first subdiscal cell broadly open at posterior-distal corner. Hind coxa smooth; hind femur very long, slender, weakly bilobed. T1 completely striate, the striae curving medially from basal-lateral area adjacent dorsal tendon attachment, completely obscuring dorsal and lateral carinae; dorsope and laterope absent; T1 spiracle indistinct, situated at 0.65 length of T1; T1 parallel-sided, 2.5 × longer than apical width; S1 appears fused to T1; S1 0.6 × length of T1.

Remarks.

Van Achterberg and Salvo (1997) suggested the possibility that tubibasis might belong in Lorenzopius despite the absence of a midpit on the mesoscutum. The subsequently described Tubiformopius is a better fit because tubibasis is nearly identical to the type species of Tubiformopius , especially with respect to critical features of mesosomal sculpture and fore wing venation in addition to the shape of the mandible.