Pholichora subscleroma Quicke and Shaw, 2005

Quicke, Donald L. J. & Shaw, Mark R., 2005, First host record for the rogadine genus Pholichora van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with description of a new species and notes on convergent wing venation features, Journal of Natural History 39 (7), pp. 531-537 : 532-535

Pholichora subscleroma Quicke and Shaw , sp. nov.

( Figures 1–8 )

Type material. Holotype: female [ South Africa] ‘‘ Idem No : ZEB HP.2, Ref. No. 30.4.1956, A. RT Ltd Zebediela’ ’, ‘‘ Locality Zebediela Transvaal, O. P. Schoeman 30.4.1956, A. RT Ltd Zebediela’ ’, and ‘‘ Ex Ascotis selenaria reciprocaria Schiff, C. I. E. 15771’’ ( BMNH) . Paratypes: two males, same data as holotype , one specimen lacking head, most legs and fore wings ( BMNH) .

Length. Length of body 7.8 mm and of fore wing 6.9 mm.

Head ( Figures 1–3 ). Antenna with 55 flagellomeres (male; incomplete in available female specimen). Terminal flagellomere acuminate (male). Basal flagellomere (female) 1.15× longer than wide, rather oblique apically, approximately as long as second flagellomere laterally and 1.15× longer than third. Height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorioocular distance51.0:2.7:1.0. Head transverse, 1.5× wider than maximally long in dorsal view. Width of head 2.7× shortest distance between eyes. Eyes strongly emarginate. Height of eye 1.7× shortest distance between eyes. Posterior ocellar line: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye51.3:3.3:1.0. Occiput rugulose to finely transversely striate.

Mesosoma ( Figure 4 ). Mesoscutum coriaceous-rugulose and densely short-setose. Notauli weakly impressed. Mesopleuron with a large, slightly concave, area of fine dorso-ventral striation. Scutellar sulcus with five carinae between the outer ones, though the medial one is rather weak. Scutellum entirely with fine longitudinal striation, and with lateral carinae (as extensions of lateral carinae of scutellar sulcus) largely complete. Propodeum with moderately developed protuberances laterally; mid-longitudinal carina of propodeum complete.

Wings ( Figures 5, 6 ). Fore wing: vein 1-M moderately curved posteriorly. Length of veins r:3-SR:SR151.0:1.76:3.64. Vein r-m 0.67× vein 2-SR. Lengths of veins m-cu:2- SR+M52.25:1.0. Subbasal cell largely glabrous apically, with a distinct patch of dense setae on a small, slightly thickened area of wing membrane, but without a distinct sclerome. Vein 1-CU1 0.78× length of vein 2-CU1.

Hind wing: vein 2-SR+M longitudinal, 0.42× length of vein 1-M. Vein M+CU 1.1× length of vein 1-M.

Legs. Length of hind femur (excluding trochantellus): tibia: tarsus542:61:52. Hind femur (excluding trochantellus), tibia, and basitarsus 3.9, 9.0, and 6.15× longer than maximally deep, respectively. Hind tibial spurs 0.42 and 0.33× length of hind basitarsus.

Metasoma ( Figures 7, 8 ). Densely clothed with short setae. First metasomal tergite 1.1× wider posteriorly than medially long; with longitudinal striation and complete strong midlongitudinal carina. Second metasomal tergite 1.36× wider posteriorly than medially long; largely finely longitudinally striate, with a distinct but fine mid-longitudinal carina but without a mid-basal triangular area. Third tergite largely finely striate becoming densely punctate posteriorly. Ovipositor sheaths distinctly up-curved and expanded distally.

Coloration. Largely yellowish. Antennae black except medial part of scapus which is dark brown. Stemmaticum and ovipositor sheath black. Telotarsi darkened apico-dorsally.

Wings hyaline with apical 0.4 distinctly grey; venation yellow-brown except for fore wing vein C+SC+R, anterior half of pterostigma and parastigma which are nearly black.

Notes. The new species does not run easily in the key to Pholichora species by van Achterberg (1991). It can be distinguished from all other species in that key by the longitudinal hind wing vein 2-SC+R (transverse in inopina van Achterberg, bipanna van Achterberg and madagascarensis (Granger)).

Unfortunately, no host remains are associated with the three available specimens, so it is possible that the associated data are incorrect. However, the putative host, the giant looper, Ascotis reciprocaria (Walker) ( Lepidoptera : Geometridae , Ennominae), is an important pest of a variety of commercial crops including citrus fruits, and therefore we feel that making this identification known may have some value for biocontrol. A. selenaria Denis and Schiffermüller (type locality Austria) was treated as a senior synonym of A. reciprocaria (type locality Congo / South Africa) in Janse (1932), but the African taxon is now treated as a separate species, under the name A. reciprocaria , as in the recent checklist of Geometridae ( Parsons et al. 1999) , though there are apparently still some taxonomic issues to resolve (L. Pitkin, personal communication). When feeding on citrus crops, the host larva eats the outer layer of the fruit and causes a great deal of both cosmetic and actual damage.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Pholichora subscleroma n. sp., Automontageẹ light micrographs. (1) Head, facial aspect to show transverse sculpture; (2) Head, lateral aspect; (3) Head, dorsal aspect; (4) Mesosoma, lateral aspect.

Figures 5–8. Pholichora subscleroma n. sp., Automontageẹ light micrographs. (5) Wings; (6) Part of subbasal cell showing patch of dense setae on thickened area of wing membrane (arrow); (7) Most of metasoma, dorsal aspect; (8) Apex of metasoma showing ovipositor sheath, lateral aspect.