Grammospila martae, van Achterberg, 2018

van Achterberg, Cornelis, 2018, Notes on Grammospila Foerster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Alysiinae), with description of a new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 65, pp. 131-140 : 131

Grammospila martae sp. n.

Figures 1-3 , 4-10 , 14

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ ( RMNH), " N. Italy: Cuneo, N.P. Alpi Marittime, Trinità, Ponte del Suffiet , 1192 m, Mal[aise] trap 4, near rivulet", "edge of wet forest, N44°11'427" E07°26'864", 10-24.vi.2008, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries, EDIT-RMNH’08”. Paratypes: 2 ♀ ( RMNH) with same data .

Comparative diagnosis.

The short vein r (much shorter than width of pterostigma), the straight ventral margin of the mandible, the large anterior tentorial pit and the smooth triangular area between pit and eye indicate that G. martae sp. n. belongs to Grammospila Foerster, despite the partially open first subdiscal cell of the fore wing. Within this genus it shares with G. tirolensis ( Königsmann) the comparatively short antenna (shortest of all known species, only 0.9 times as long as body or fore wing). It differs from G. tirolensis by the shorter antenna (1.3 times as long as body and 1.0-1.1 times as long as fore wing in G. tirolensis ) and the different wing venation, as indicated in the key.

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 4.1 mm; of fore wing 4.2 mm.

Head. Head transverse, its maximum width 1.9 times median length in dorsal view and temple slightly widened behind eyes (Fig. 11 ); antenna with 32 segments, 0.9 times as long as fore wing or body, third segment 1.4 times as long as fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.7, 2.6 and 1.5 times their width, respectively (measured in lateral view), apical segment without apical spine (Figs 8 , 13 ); maxillary palp 0.7 times as long as height of head; labial palp segments slender; length of eye in dorsal view 0.8 times temple; temple and vertex smooth and shiny, except for some sparse punctulation, sparsely setose; stemmaticum slightly protruding, with median groove; OOL: diameter of ocellus: POL = 16:5:6; frons slightly depressed and glabrous, with shallow pit in front of anterior ocellus and behind antennal sockets crenulate, strongly shiny; face rugose and rugulose laterally, medially largely smooth and with triangular area, rather flat (Fig. 10 ); anterior tentorial pits large (Fig. 3 ); width of clypeus 2.4 times its maximum height; clypeus distinctly convex, largely smooth, truncate ventrally and hardly protruding, ventral rim depressed and thin; epistomal suture narrow and smooth (Fig. 10 ); malar space hardly developed; mandible 1.2 times longer medially than wide, with medium-sized ventral lamella (Figs 2 , 3 ) and no crest connected to third tooth and baso-ventral corner depressed (Fig. 2 ), with two wide lobe-shaped lateral teeth, middle tooth wide triangular, upper tooth gradually widened dorsally.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4 times longer than high; pronope absent and pronotum with finely crenulated groove anteriorly (Fig. 6 ); propleuron evenly convex (Fig. 5 ); oblique groove of pronotal side finely crenulate, but posteriorly mainly granulate and near posteriorly margin rugose, remainder of pronotum smooth (Fig. 5 ); epicnemial area of mesopleuron distinctly crenulate or rugose (Fig. 5 ); precoxal sulcus remaining removed from anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron, wide and distinctly crenulate (Fig. 5 ); remainder of mesopleuron shiny and with some very superficial micro-sculpture; episternal scrobe rather small, round; pleural sulcus finely crenulate (Fig. 5 ); mesosternal sulcus medium-sized and crenulate; postpectal carina absent; medially metapleuron with large pit and largely smooth, remainder crenulate or rugose (Fig. 5 ); lateral carina of mesoscutum complete and finely crenulate; notauli absent on disc, but anteriorly shallowly crenulate; medio-posterior depression long, linear and finely crenulate (Fig. 6 ); mesoscutal lobes along imaginary courses of notauli sparsely setose, smooth and strongly shiny, middle lobe rather protruding antero-laterally (Fig. 6 ); scutellar sulcus rather deep and superficially crenulate, 0.3 times as long as scutellum; scutellum distinctly convex (protruding over level of mesoscutum), largely smooth, with superficial transverse crest and medio-posteriorly with few punctures (Fig. 6 ); metanotum smooth, anterior half with lamelliform median carina; dorsal surface of propodeum hardly differentiated from its posterior surface, coarsely and densely rugose, but antero-laterally sparsely so.

Wings. Fore wing: Pterostigma elongate elliptical (Fig. 4 ); vein r issued from basal 0.4 of pterostigma and its length 0.5 times width of pterostigma; r:2-SR:3-SR:SR1 = 5:20:37:80; r-m vertical and unsclerotized, half as long as 2-SR; SR1 slightly sinuate; M+ CU 1 largely sclerotized; cu-a vertical; 1- CU 1:2- CU 1 = 5:21; CU 1b absent, resulting in an open subdiscal cell but 2-1A sclerotized and 3- CU 1 medium-sized (Fig. 1 ); m-cu antefurcal. Hind wing: M+ CU:1-M:1r-m = 40:18:28; 1r-m curved; m-cu and most of SR1 absent (Fig. 4 ).

Legs. Hind coxa smooth; tarsal claws medium-sized (Fig. 14 ); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.3, 10.0 and 6.0 times their width, respectively.

Metasoma. Length of first metasomal tergite 1.6 times its apical width, irregularly rugose, convex medially, subparallel-sided behind spiracles and dorsal carinae united subbasally in a strong median carina (Fig. 7 ), medio-posteriorly strongly convex and distinctly above level of second tergite in lateral view (Fig. 1 ); spiracles of first tergite facing dorsally; dorsope and laterope large; second suture only laterally present (Fig. 7 ); second and third tergites flat, with band of setae and smooth; ovipositor sheath with long setae apically, glabrous submedially, setose part of sheath 0.05 times as long as fore wing (total: 0.07 times) and 0.2 times as long as hind tibia (Fig. 1 ).

Colour. Black; tegula brown; labrum, humeral plate, fore femur (except basally), tibia and tarsus, apical half of middle femur, tibia and tarsus, and apex of hind femur brownish yellow; remainder of legs dark brown or brown (Figs 1 , 14 ); palpi pale yellowish or whitish; mandible (except dark brown margin) orange brown; metasoma dark brown, but first tergite black and metasoma ventro-basally pale yellowish; wing membrane subhyaline; pterostigma and veins brown.

Male. Unknown.

Variation. Length of body 3.5-4.1 mm; of fore wing 3.7-4.2 mm, antenna of ♀ with 31(1) or 32(2) segments, third segment 1.4-1.5 times as long as fourth segment; precoxal sulcus up to base of middle coxa and finely crenulate or posteriorly absent; length of first metasomal tergite 1.5-1.7 times its apical width; setose part of sheath 0.05-0.06 times as long as fore wing.

Distribution.

Italy ( CN).

Etymology.

Named after Marta Di Biaggi (Parchi Alpi Marittime e Marguareis, Valdieri) for her help and kindness during the EDIT fieldwork in the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime.

Figures

Figures 1 - 3. Grammospila martae sp. n., ♀, holotype. 1 habitus, lateral aspect 2 mandible, full view on dorsal tooth 3 mandible, full view on third tooth.

Figures 4 - 14. Grammospila martae sp. n., ♀, holotype. 4 wings 5 mesosoma lateral aspect 6 mesosoma dorsal aspect 7 first-third metasomal tergites dorsal aspect 8 apical segments of antenna 9 outer hind claw 10 head anterior aspect 11 head dorsal aspect 12 head lateral aspect 13 basal segments of antenna 14 hind leg lateral aspect.

Figures 15 - 17. Grammospila rufiventris (Nees), ♀, Netherlands (Waarder). 15 habitus, lateral aspect 16 head, anterior aspect 17 head, lateral aspect.