Notioperilitus, Belokobylskij, 2018

Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2018, Notioperilitus gen. nov., a new braconid genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from Australia, parasitoid of adult Morabinae (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae), with remarks on the generic placement of two Afrotropical euphorine species, Zootaxa 4441 (2), pp. 298-310 : 299-300

Notioperilitus gen. nov.

Type species: Perilitus morabinarum Blackith, 1967 .

Etymology. From Greek "notios" for "south" and the name of the most related genus " Perilitus ", because this new genus is similar to Perilitus and distributed in the southern Hemisphere. Gender: masculine.

Comparative diagnosis. This new genus is morphologically similar to Perilitus Nees, 1819 by the type of wing venation, structure of propodeum, shape and structure of the first metasomal tergite and ovipositor. Notioperilitus gen. nov. differs distinctly from Perilitus by having a high, wide and elongated median longitudinal protuberance on the frons ( Fig. 7 ) (no such protuberance in Perilitus ); in the maxillary palpus the second segment is short and wide, the fourth and fifth segments short, the first and third segments the longest (segments more or less of similar length and width except basal one in Perilitus ); labial palpus very short, with only two subglobular segments (with more than two long segments in Perilitus ); occipital carina widely interrupted dorsally ( Fig. 9 ) (mainly complete dorsally or rarely shortly interrupted in Perilitus ); mesoscutum and mesopleuron entirely densely and finely reticulate-coriaceous ( Figs 5, 12, 13 ) (smooth or punctate in Perilitus ). Finally, the known host of the new genus is the adult of grasshoppers in the subfamily Morabinae ( Fig. 1 ) ( Orthoptera : Eumastacidae ) (Blackith, 1965), when all known hosts of Perilitus s. str. members belong to adults or larvae of Coleoptera (records from the families Chrysomelidae , Curculionidae , Carabidae , Tenebrionidae etc.).

Description. Head ( Figs 5–9 ) transverse, distinctly broader than mesoscutum (dorsal view). Ocellar triangle with base larger than its sides. Frons flat, with high, wide and elongated median longitudinal protuberance ( Fig. 7 ). Eyes large, elongate-oval, glabrous, weakly bulging anteriorly beyond frons (dorsal view), weakly converging ventrally (front view). Facial setae minute, not obscuring face. Malar space short; malar suture distinct. Clypeus wide, strongly convex, with truncate lower margin. Occipital carina widely interrupted dorsally ( Fig. 9 ), distinct laterally and fused below with hypostomal carina. Mandibles strongly twisted, when closed overlapping for less than half mandible length. Maxillary palpus 5-segmented; second segment short and wide, fourth and fifth segments short and narrow, first and third segments the longest and narrow; last segment with long apical bristle. Labial palpus very short, with only two subglobular segments.

Antenna ( Figs 10, 11 ). Scapus robust, rather short, curvedly widened towards apex, its lower margin shorter than upper margin (lateral view); scapus length less than 1.5 × its maximum width. Pedicel somewhat globose. Flagellum 15–19-segmented, slender, considerably shorter than body length. First flagellar segment subcylindrical, without any transformations, much longer than its apical width, a little longer than second segment. Apical segment pointed apically, but without spine.

Mesosoma ( Figs 5, 12, 13 ). Mesoscutum and mesopleuron entirely and finely reticulate-coriaceous, entirely covered by dense and short semi-erect setae. Notauli shallow anteriorly and very shallow posteriorly, complete, sculptured. Prescutellar depression (scutellar sulcus) long and wide, with high median carina. Scutellum posteriorly with distinct narrow transverse furrow. Prepectal carina fine, but complete. Precoxal sulcus (sternaulus) very shallow, narrow, oblique, almost indistinct. Mesosternal longitudinal cavity rather deep and wide. Propodeum strongly oblique sloped, starting from basal third (in lateral view) with shallow and wide median impression in posterior two-thirds (dorsal view), without any delineated areas, entirely coarsely rugose-reticulate.

Legs ( Figs 2 , 4 , 20 ) slender and long, femora and tibiae densely granulate-reticulate. Fore leg without transformation; its tarsus as long as tibia. Hind tibial spurs ( Fig. 14 ) short, about 0.25 × as long as hind basitarsus. Hind basitarsus about 0.6 × as long as second-fifth segments combined. Tarsal claw small, simple, weakly curved.

Wings ( Fig. 15 ). In fore wing, pterostigma large and wide. Radial (marginal) cell strongly shortened, narrow, about 3.0 × longer than its maximum width. Metacarpus (1-R1) distinctly shorter that pterostigma. First medial abscissa (1-SR+M) present. Discoidal (first discal) cell petiolate anteriorly. Recurrent vein (m-cu) antefurcal, subparallel to basal vein (1-M). First mediocubital vein (M+CU1) well sclerotised. Nervulus (cu-a) postfurcal. Brachial (first subdiscal) cell open posteriorly; brachial vein (CU1b) absent. Hind wing with three hamuli. Radial (marginal) cell weakly narrowed towards apex. First abscissa of mediocubital vein (M+CU) about 3.0 × longer than second abscissa (1-M).

Metasoma ( Figs 16–20 ). First metasomal tergite ( Fig. 16 ) narrow in basal 0.3 and distinctly widened on apical part, not fused ventrally and with acrosternite ( Fig. 18 ), sculptured dorsally; its length less than twice larger than apical width, apical width 1.6–1.7 × its minimum width; narrow and deep dorsope present, laterope absent; spiracles on tubercles situated near middle of tergite. Suture between second and third tergites absent medially and very finely developed laterally. Lateral folds of second tergite present. All following segments behind third one distinctly exposed. Ovipositor straight, long, slightly shorter than metasoma ( Figs 2 , 4 ).

Hosts. Adult of grasshopper ( Fig. 1 ) from subfamily Morabinae ( Orthoptera : Eumastacidae ) (Blackith, 1965).

Distribution. Australia (South Australia).

Figures

FIGURES 4–14. Notioperilitus morabinarum (Blackith, 1967), comb. nov. (female, paratype). 4. Habitus, lateral view. 5. Head and mesonotum, dorsal view. 6. Head, front view. 7. Frons, dorsal view. 8. Head, lateral view. 9. Head, latero-posterior view; 10. Apical segments of antenna. 11. Basal segments of antenna. 12. Mesosoma, lateral view. 13. Mesosoma, dorsal view. 14. Hind tibia and tarsus.

FIGURES 1–3. Notioperilitus morabinarum (Blackith, 1967), comb. nov. (female, holotype).(© Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 2018). 1. Habitus of parasitoid, cocoon and host. 2. Habitus, lateral view. 3. Head and antennae, front view.

FIGURES 15–21. Notioperilitus morabinarum (Blackith, 1967), comb. nov. (female, paratype). 15. Wings. 16. Propodeum and first metasomal tergite, dorsal view. 17. Metasoma, dorsal view. 18. First metasomal tergite, ventral view. 19. First metasomal tergite, lateral view. 20. Metasoma, lateral view. 21. Cocoon.