Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bengalensis Butcher and Quicke, 2011

Areekul-Butcher, Buntika & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2011, Revision of Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) with reappraisal of subgeneric limits, descriptions of new species and phylogenetic analysis, Journal of Natural History 45 (21 - 24), pp. 1403-1476 : 1419-1422

Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bengalensis Butcher and Quicke sp. nov.

( Figures 6 , 7 )

Material examined

Holotype. Female , INDIA, “Pashok, W. Bengal 4.vii.1966; Ex. Unidentified mummified caterpillar on Toon leaf” ( BMNH). Specimen mounted on same pin as

heavily tanned, mummified geometrid larva with mid-dorsal, posterior parasitoid emergence hole.

Morphology

Length of body 7.2 mm, and of fore wing 7.25 mm.

Head. Antenna with 60 flagellomeres; terminal flagellome pointed but not acuminate; head transverse, 1.74 times wider than maximally long in dorsal view; width of head 2.67 times shortest distance between eyes; height of eye 1.6 times shortest distance between eyes; frons smooth and shiny, with sharp ridge laterally paralleling but separated from eye, with some curved ridges paralleling the antennal sockets anteriorly, with short mid-longitudinal sulcus posteriorly and with small crescent-shaped depression demarked anteriorly by a distinct but irregular ridge, in front of anterior ocellus; posterior ocellar line: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 2.7: 8.6: 1.0; occiput rugulose superimposed on aciculate sculpture; occipital carina complete, well-developed and smoothly curved.

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum coriaceous-rugulose and densely short-setose; notauli undefined; mesopleuron with a large, slightly concave area of fine dorso-ventral striation; prepectal carina complete though weak dorsally and almost confused with adjacent sculpture; scutellar sulcus with five carinae between the outer ones; (scutellum obliterated by pin); propodeum coarsely foveate-reticulate superimposed on aciculate sculpture, with well-developed mid-longitudinal carina on anterior 0.7, with relatively strongly protruding, ridge-like postero-lateral tubercles.

Claws. Without conspicuous pecten.

Fore wing. Subbasal cell largely glabrous, without sclerome but with small patch of seae just basal to vein 1-M; posterior half swollen due to vein M+CU having an angulation at approximately 0.7 distance from base; vein 1-CU1 straight, 1.2 times length of 2-CU1; vein cu-a strongly reclivous, swollen anteriorly and narrowing posteriorly; length of veins r: 3-SR: SR1 = 1.0: 2.25: 5.0; vein 2-M 2.3 times length of r-m; vein m-cu 2.0 times length of 2-SR+M, forming angle of 130 ◦ with 3-CU1.

Hind wing. Vein M+CU 0.9 times length of vein 1-M; vein 2-SC+R transverse; basal and subbasal cells and basal part of discal+subdiscal cell glabrous.

Claws. Without conspicuous pecten.

Metasoma. Tergites 1, 2 and basal half of tergite 3 longitudinally striate with irregular punctures between the striae; 2nd tergite 1.3 times wider than medially long, 1.23 times longer than 3rd; tergite 3 with well-developed mid-longitudinal carina on anterior half.

Colouration

Antennae black with flagellomeres 18–35 white. Head largely ivory-white with black clypeus, triangular mark in mid-lower face, frons, vertex and occiput. Mesosoma black with large ivory-white marks on anterior and posterior of pronotum and propleuron, mesoscutum, large triangular region at mid-posterior of mesopleuron, most of metapleuron except narrow brown band medially. Fore and mid coxa, trochanter and trochantellus, mid tarsus, hind trochanter, basal half of tibia and basal four tarsal segments ivory-white; hind coxa largely black and apex of hind femur black; rest of legs yellow-brown. Metasoma ivory-white with black transverse bands on middle of 1st tergite, near but removed from base of 2nd tergite, and broadly basally on 3rd–6th tergites. Wings hyaline with dark brown venation except middle part of fore wing vein C+SC+R and base and apex of pterostigma brown-yellow.

Etymology

Named after the region where the holotype was collected.

Figures

Figure 6. Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bengalensis sp. nov., CellD® light micrographs. (A) Lateral habitus and associated mummified geometrid host remains; (B) mesoscutum, dorsal aspect; (C) head, dorsal aspect; (D) metasoma, dorsal aspect.

Figure 7. Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) bengalensis sp. nov., CellD® light micrographs. (A) Mesosoma, lateral aspect; (B) fore wing; (C) hind wing; (D) posterior of metasoma showing (arrowed) openings of male tergal glands on tergites 4–6.