Agathirsia schlingeri, Sharkey, Michael J., 2005

Sharkey, Michael J., 2005, A new species of Agathirsia Westwood (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 1070, pp. 43-47 : 45-47

Agathirsia schlingeri sp. n.

Fig. 2a –d.

Diagnosis: This species can be distinguished from all other species of Agathirsia by any of the following characters: extremely long ovipositor, almost 1.5 X body length; pegs at apex of hind tibia lacking; unique coloration, black except for yellowish brown fore and midtarsi ( Fig. 2 ). In the key by Pucci and Sharkey (2004) A. schlingeri runs to couplet 14, where it can be separated from A. davidi and A. keni with any of the character states listed above.

Description: Holotype Ψ.

Color: ( Fig. 2a ) Black, except fore and mid tarsi yellowish brown; wings lightly infuscate. Body length: excluding ovipositor, 8.6 mm. Head: longest seta at mid­antenna approximately 1/2 antenna width (as in P&S Fig. 7c); labial palpomere­2 subequal or shorter than combined length of 3 + 4; mandible with second mandibular tooth well developed (as in P&S Fig. 1 d); length of glossa fork = 0.16mm; glossa length less than 2X galea length; length of glossa = 0.72mm; ratio of glossa length: foretibia length =. 41mm; ratio of malar space: eye height = 0.56; face above clypeus with median longitudinal carinae ( Fig. 2 c); area anterior to ocellus without pits forming V­shape (as in P&S Fig. 7d); area between tentorial pit and antennal insertion without line of foveae. Mesosoma: notauli foveate and complete (as in P&S Fig. 5a); propodeum mildly rugose posteriorly mildly foveate anteriorly, shallow furrow along midline smooth and glabrous (as in P&S Figs.

9a,b); sternaulus foveate ( Fig. 2 b); mesepisternum without lobes between midcoxae; basal lobe of claws distinct (as in P&S Fig. 3a); thick, apically flattened apical spines on hind tibia absent ( Fig. 2 d); hind basitarsus not tapered distally; 1cu­a and 1­M of forewing separate (as in P&S Fig. 9c). Metasoma: ratio of posterior width of first tergum: length of first tergum = 0.70; setae on tergum 3 short and sparse on distal 1/2 (as in P&S Fig. 6d); tergum 3 without transverse groove; ovipositor length 12.5mm; ovipositor 7.68 X longer than hind basitarsus.

Male: Unknown.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Evert Schlinger, the collector of the sole specimen of this species, in recognition of his many contributions to insect taxonomy. Specimen Examined: Holotype: Mexico, Sinaloa, Guerrero: ~ 1 mi. (1,930m) W. Las Palmita[s], (Hwy. #40), [Lat. 25.6166667, Long. ­108.4333333, Elevation 68m.], 13.ix.1977, E.I. Schlinger (Essig Museum Entomology Collection, University of California, Berkeley, California).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Strict consensus tree of species of Agathirsia.

FIGURE 2. A. schlingeri: A) Lateral habitus. B) Lateral view of mesosoma. C) Anterior view of head. D) Lateral view of apex of hind tibia.