Dioxybracon maridadi

Quicke, Donald L. J., Villemant, Claire & Butcher, Buntika A., 2019, The Afrotropical braconine genus Dioxybracon Granger with descriptions of four new species and new generic synonymy, Journal of Natural History 53 (27), pp. 1673-1689 : 1680-1683

D. maridadi Quicke & Butcher sp. nov.

( Figures 4 , 5 )

Type locality

Holotype female: ‘ UGANDA: Kibale NP, Kanyawara Biol. Station , 0°33 ʹ 54.4 ’ N 30° 21 ʹ 29.8 ” W 1509m elev., Malaise trap #3, 23 – 30.05.2010 leg. S. Katusabe & Co. ”

Diagnosis. This species is the only member of the genus with extensive black markings including head and thorax ( D. koshunensis (Watanabe) comb. nov. from Taiwan has a pair of black spots on metasomal tergites 3 – 5).

Description. Female: Length of body 4.2 mm, of forewing 4.0, of antenna 4.4 mm, part of ovipositor exserted beyond metasomal apex 0.9 mm.

Head. Antenna with 37 flagellomeres; terminal flagellomere sharply pointed; median flagellomeres 1.4 × longer than wide; 1st flagellomere 1.1 × longer than both 2nd and 3rd, separately, the latter 1.6 × longer than wide; width of head: width of face: height of eye = 2.1: 1.0: 1.0; intertentorial distance 1.5 × shortest distance between tentorial pit and eye; face largely with transverse rugosity formed by confluence of setiferous punctures; medially with sharply defined narrow ridge running from dorsal margin of clypeus to between antennal sockets. Clypeus smooth and shiny with few minute setiferous punctures. Lower part of hypostomal carina (occipital flange) forming a ventrally directed lobe, just visible in anterior view; frons with extensive fine, dense transverse striation, depressed in front of anterior ocellus; shortest distance between posterior ocelli: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 1.0: 1.4: 2.5; length of head behind eye 0.3 × length of eye in dorsal view.

Mesosoma. 1.4 × longer than high; pronotum largely smooth and shiny with some crenulations posteriorly and posterodorsally, longitudinal lateral groove sharply defined ventrally; propleuron with sculptured posterior lobe; mesoscutum setose with extensive transverse sculpture and deep setiferous punctures; middle lobe of mesoscutum with pair of weak but distinct submedial grooves; scutellar sulcus with 4 strong crenulae between outer ones; scutellum with numerous deep setiferous punctures that form, laterally, longitudinal confluent rows; axillae smooth and shiny; mesopleuron anterodorsally with crenulations and deep setiferous punctures, ventrally and posteriorly with less developed punctuation; mesopleural furrow smooth; mesosternum densely with deep setiferous punctures; mesopleuron smooth; middle lobe of metanotum strongly produced; propodeum with well-developed apophyses that give rise to lamelliform carina that runs to posterior margin; median carina strong and giving rise to numerous transverse ridges; anterolaterally shiny with minute punctures forming confluent longitudinal rows.

Wings. Forewing. Lengths of veins r-rs: 3RSa: 3RSb = 1.0: 2.6: 5.5; veins 2RS: 3RSa: rs-m = 1.8: 2.9: 1.0; vein m-cu 0.35 × (RS+M)b. Base of hindwing with only small glabrous area distal to vein cu-a.

Legs. Lengths of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.0: 1.0: 1.1; lengths of hind femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.0: 1.15: 1.2. Claws with acutely pointed basal lobe.

Metasoma. Coarsely reticulate.1st tergite with dorsal carinae more or less distinct (somewhat irregular), converging to reach posterior margin; 2nd tergite 2.1 × wider posteriorly than medially long, 1.1 × longer than 3rd tergite; 4th and 5th metasomal tergites basally with deep groove, dorsal surface mediobasally projecting as lobes; apical margin of 6th metasomal tergite moderately deeply emarginated medially, the emargination with distinct lamella. Ovipositor 1.1 × longer than hind tibia.

Colour. Antennae, head, most of mesosoma except propodeum and metapleuron, apical half of 6th metasomal tergite, hind tibia and tarsus, ovipositor sheaths black; propodeum and metapleuron and remainder of metasoma, fore and mid legs except whitish coxae, hind legs honey-yellow. Wing membrane smokey with dark setae; venation dark brown to black.

Male. Unknown.

Host. Unknown.

Distribution. Afrotropical ( Uganda).

Etymology. Maridadi is the Swahili, a language fairly widely used in East Africa, word for pretty, in reference to the colour pattern of the new species.

Figures

Figure 4. Dioxybracon maridadi sp. nov.ı holotype. (a) habitusı dorsal view; (b) headı front view; (c) headı dorsal view; (d) mesosoma dorsal view; (e) head and mesosomaı lateral view.

Figure 5. Dioxybracon maridadi sp. nov.ı holotype. (a) wings; (b) posterior mesosoma and 1st metasomal tergiteı dorsal view; (c) propodeum and metasomaı dorsal view.