Iconella mongashtensis Zargar & Gupta, 2019

Zargar, Mohammad, Gupta, Ankita, Talebi, Asghar & Farahani, Samira, 2019, A review of the Iranian species of genus Iconella Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae) with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4586 (3), pp. 491-504 : 493-497

Iconella mongashtensis Zargar & Gupta sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BB73C843-808E-431F-BF50-65AEA0DC3F3E

Type material. Holotype: ♀ (mounted on card); Southwestern Iran: Khuzestan, Baghmalek, Ghale tol, (31°37’49.70” N, 49°52′53.35” E, 880m), 4.iv.2017; Malaise trap in citrus orchard; leg. M. Zargar (ICAR̄NBAIR). Paratypes: 2♀ Khuzestan, Baghmalek, Ghale tol, (31°37’49.70” N, 49°52′53.35″ E, 880m), 21.iv.2017, 5.v.2017; Malaise trap in citrus orchard; leg. M. Zargar ( TMUC ICAR ̄ NBAIR) .

Diagnosis. Propodeum with strong medial longitudinal carina with fine radiating lines/carinae on lateral sides at an angle, running from apex towards base on the lateral sides with granular sculpture in between carinae; median area on both sides shallowly and sparsely punctate with setae; apical one third with fine pitted appearance ( Fig. 4C ); penultimate flagellomere 1.6× as long as wide; TI parallel sided at base, converging from middle to apex, TI 2.1× longer than basal width, basal width 2.4× as long as apical width ( Fig. 4E ); 1-R1 1.3× as long as pterostigma, 3.2× as long as distance from end of 1-R1 to tip of radial cell ( Fig. 4D ).

Description. Female. Body length 2.9 mm, fore wing length 3.1 mm ( Fig. 4F ).

Head ( Figs 4 A–4B). Confluent punctations on face and shallowly rugose on vertex and temple region; width of head 1.2× as long as height; width of face 1.4× as long as height; ocelli large, POL: MOD: OOL–6: 4: 5; eyes large, 1.5× as high as wide; antenna as long as body; flagellomeres finely setose, apical flagellomere 1.6× longer than penultimate, penultimate flagellomere 1.6× as long as wide.

Mesosoma ( Fig. 4C ). Mesoscutum densely and evenly punctate, setose and dull; notauli indistinct; scutellum smooth and shiny, scutellar sulcus crenulate; postscutellum smooth and shiny; prepectal carina absent; precoxal sulcus absent; propodeum with strong medial longitudinal carina with fine radiating lines on lateral sides at an angle from apex towards base; basal margin densely punctate, remaining propodeum not smooth, shallowly punctate.

Wings ( Fig. 4D ). Areolet absent, vein r arising little after from middle of pterostigma; pterostigma 3× as long as wide; vein 1-R1 1.3× as long as pterostigma, 3.2× as long as distance from end of 1-R1 to tip of radial cell, 3.2× as long as r; vein 1-cu1 1.1× as long as 2-cu1; width of discoidal cell 1.4× as long as height.

Legs ( Fig. 4F ). Metafemur length 3.3× as long as median width; hind basitarus 1.9× longer than inner hind tibial spur, 3.1× longer than telotarsus.

Metasoma ( Figs 4 E–F). TI parallel sided at base, converging from middle to apex; TI 2.1× longer than basal width, basal width 2.4× as long as apical width, dull punctations at apex; TII strongly constricted at base and triangular, its apical width 4× longer than median length; tergites posterior to TI finely pitted and with scattered long setae; ovipositor sheath 1.1× as long as hind tibia and setose; hypopygium strongly sclerotized, sharp edged and not truncated apically, with medium sized scattered setae.

Colouration ( Fig. 4F ). Body black; antenna black; first and second segment of labial palp and maxillary palp yellowish brown, remaining testaceous; tegula yellowish brown; profemur yellowish brown with blackish infuscation on anterior half; mesofemur brown, paler towards apex; metafemur black; protibia and mesotibia brown; metatibia brown on anterior half and black on posterior half; protarsus and mesotarsus yellowish brown; metatarsus dark brown, except for yellowish area on anterior half of first tarsomere; at least some fore wing veins with thin brown margins and interior of veins yellow to light brown, pterostigma brown.

Male. Unknown

Host. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Khuzestan province ( Iran).

Etymology. The name refers to mountainous region of Mongasht that it is considered to be one of the longest semi branches of the Zagross mountain ranges, which is also the distribution range of the species.

Comments. This new species is most similar to Iconella meruloides ( Nixon 1965) , from which it can be separated by (1) propodeum dull and not smooth in I. mongashtensis ( Fig. 4E ) vs smooth and shiny in I. meruloides ( Fig. 3C ) (2) first tergite basal width 2.4× as long as apical width ( Fig. 4E ) vs 1.8× in I. meruloides ( Fig. 3E ) (3) distance between hind ocelli visibly longer than distance between hind ocellus and marginal eye ( Fig. 4B ) vs equal in I. meruloides ( Fig. 3B ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Iconella meruloides (Nixon 1965). A. Head, frontal view; B. Head, dorsal view; C. Mesosoma, dorsal view; D. Fore wing; E. Metasoma, dorsal view; F. Habitus, lateral view.

FIGURE 4. Iconella mongashtensis Zargar & Gupta sp. nov. A. Head, frontal view; B. Head, dorsal view; C. Mesosoma, dorsal view; D. Fore wing; E. Metasoma, dorsal view; F. Habitus, lateral view.