Xanthopimpla pseudosternata, Pham & Broad & Matsumoto & Wägele, 2011

Pham, Nhi Thi, Broad, Gavin R., Matsumoto, Rikio & Wägele, Wolfgang J., 2011, 3056, Zootaxa 3056, pp. 1-67 : 24

Xanthopimpla pseudosternata sp. nov.

( Figs 2e, 4d, 6b, 8c, 10e, 12c, 14b, 16a, 17b)

Diagnosis. Occipital area yellow; lateral black mark on mesoscutum joined posteriorly to black mark in front of scutellum; base of hind coxa with black spot anteriorly; metasomal tergites densely, coarsely punctate; ovipositor lower valve with six, small ridges apically; ovipositor sheath 1.1x hind tibia.

Description (Holotype female). Body length 10.5 mm, fore wing 9.5 mm, ovipositor sheath 2.5 mm. Head. First antennal flagellomere 1.6x length of second; diameter of lateral ocellus 1.1x ocellar-ocular distance; frons polished; face 0.9x as high as wide, moderate-sized to large punctures, pubescent; clypeus 0.6x as high as wide, apical margin thin and emarginate; malar space about 0.3x basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma . Epomia short; lower anterior corner of pronotum rounded, about 100°; mesoscutum with sparse hairs anteriorly; notaulus distinct on anterior 0.25 of mesoscutum, extending to anterior level of tegula; scutellum convex, pubescent, lateral carina forming high flange, medially half as wide as first flagellomere width, gradually narrower to apex; mesopleuron with sparse, small punctures on upper half, dense, large punctures at level of sternaulus and along epicnemial carina; sternaulus long, distinctly impressed; epicnemial carina present on lower half, postpectal carina forming high, triangular flange with deep median notch; metapleuron polished, submetapleural carina strong; propodeum with area superomedia 0.55x as long as wide, bounded by strong carinae; propodeal spiracle elongate, 3.0x as long as wide. Hind leg with femur 2.2x as long as wide, 0.9x length of tibia, hind basitarsus 0.3x length of tarsus, 2.3x second tarsomere, third tarsomere as long as wide; mid tibia with four subapical, three apical bristles; hind tibia with three subapical, three apical stout bristles; largest bristles on mid and hind tarsal claws widened. Fore wing with vein 2 rs-m 0.67x vein 3 rs-m; cu-a opposite Rs+M; hind wing with first abscissa of vein Cu 1 about 0.3x length of vein cu-a, of vein 1 A absent distally.

Metasoma. First tergite as long as apical width; dorsolateral carina shortly present basally, median longitudinal carina ending before shallow oblique groove; tergite 2 impunctate medially; tergite 3 onwards densely, coarsely punctate; ovipositor weakly decurved, with six small vertical ridges apically, ovipositor sheath 1.1x hind tibia.

Colour. Lemon yellow; antenna black, outer side of scape, pedicel, first two flagellomeres yellow; black ocellar area extending to frons; hind slope of head with two connected black spots; mesoscutum with lateral black mark elongate, joined posteriorly to black mark in front of scutellum; tegula brown and transparent; mesepisternum with two oblique blackish spots; propodeum with first lateral area, base of area superomedia and second lateral area black; fore femur with brown stripe posteriorly; mid trochanter marked with brown; mid femur and tibia with brown stripes posteriorly; basal 0.15 of mid tibia blackish; hind coxa with two black spots anteriorly, one small brown spot posteriorly; trochanter marked with black, hind femur and tibia with black marks on anterior and posterior faces; basal 0.2 of hind tibia and hind tarsomeres 4–5 black; wings hyaline, margins infuscate, pterostigma and veins dark brown, except basal 0.6 of costa yellowish; tergites 1–6 each with black spots, tergite 7 with black band.

Male. Unknown.

Comparision. The new species can be distinguished from X. attenuata sternata Townes & Chiu in Indonesia, to which it keys in Townes & Chiu (1970), by its shorter ovipositor sheath (1.1x hind tibia versus 1.25x), and the normally proportioned ovipositor (not distinctly slender). Moreover, the new species has small to large punctures on the mesopleuron, a long, distinct impressed sternaulus and the metaepisternum entirely yellow. Although X. chiuae sp. nov. and X. pseudosternata sp. nov. are patterned similarly to two subspecies of X. attenuata , there are numerous morphological differences, especially concerning the size and density of punctures on the metasomal tergites and the length of the ovipositor sheath.

Etymology. Named after its superficial similarity to X. attenuata sternata .

Distribution. Currently known only from Chu Yang Sin NP, Dak Lak Province, Central Highlands of Vietnam (Fig. 19).

Ecological notes. The single known specimen was collected in evergreen forest.

Material examined. Holotype: ♀ ( RMNH), Dak Lak, Chu Yang Sin NP, 550–610 m a.s.l, 21–26.x.2005, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries leg.