Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) roberti 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 : 1452-1456

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

( Figures 25–27 )

Material examined

Holotype. Male , “ Thailand, Srinakarin Dam, 15–17.v.2009, B. Butcher; CNIN229 ” ( CUMZ).

Morphology

Length of body 5.9 mm, and of fore wing 5.6 mm.

Head. Antenna with 55 flagellomeres; terminal flagellomere acuminate; face punctaterugulose becoming more transversely striate dorsally and near compound eyes; head transverse, approximately 1.67 times wider than maximally long in dorsal view; width of head 2.56 times shortest distance between eyes; height of eye 1.47 times shortest distance between eyes; frons with weak rugae and with distinct carina paralleling margin of eye; posterior ocellar line: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 1: 7: 4; occiput coarsely coriaceous; occipital carina broadly effaced medially.

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum largely rugulose, notauli weakly depressed and indicated by coarser sculpture; mesopleuron shiny with some fine puncturation, precoxal sulcus not impressed, hardly discernable; mesosternum densely punctate-aciculate; prepectal carina complete though weaker dorsally; scutellar sulcus broad, with six crenulae between outer pair; scutellum rugulose, its disc margined by complete but irregular carina; median area of metanotum finely aciculate, formed into a mid-longitudinal carina anteriorly; propodeum aciculate with superimposed rugose sculpture on posterior half, with a well-developed complete mid-longitudinal carina.

Fore wing. Subbasal cell largely glabrous except along anterior margin, distal part swollen and demarked by an angulation of vein M+CU1 0.2 of distance from apex; with a well-developed sub-triangular sclerome, and a narrow, strap-like one anterior to fold line; veins 1-M and m-cu strongly diverging posteriorly; 2nd submarginal cell more or less parallel-sided; lengths of veins r: 3-SR: SR1 = 1.0: 2.9: 5.0; vein m-cu 2.5 times 2-SR+M, forming angle of 170 ◦ with vein 3-CU1; vein 2-M 2.3 times length of r-m. Subdiscal cell oval with vein 2-CU1 strongly curved, with reduced setosity basally.

Hind wing. Subbasal cell very large, vein M+CU approximately 3.5 times length of 1-M; vein 2-SR+M short longitudinal; vein m-cu absent but vein 1-M with a preapical posterior swelling; basal cell posteriorly and subbasal cell largely glabrous; discal+subdiscal cell with small area of reduced setosity adjacent to vein cu-a.

Claws. Without obvious pectenation.

Metasoma. Tergites 1, 2 and basal 0.2 of tergite 3 coarsely longitudinally striate with irregular punctures between the striae; 2nd tergite with a small but distinct mid-basal triangular area, 1.7 times wider than medially long, 1.1 times longer than 3rd; 3rd tergite largely deeply densely punctate. Male with gland opening pore near mid-posterior margin of metasomal tergites 4–6.

Colouration

Ochreous yellow. Antennae black, scapus and stemmaticum with some brown; hind tarsus slightly darker than rest of leg. Wings hyaline with largely brown-yellow venation, the fore wing parastigma, extreme base of pterostigma, vein 3-CU1 and CU1a black.

Etymology

Named after the senior author’s husband.

Notes

The new species differs from all other known Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) species in the very long hind wing vein M+CU relative to 1-M.

Figures

Figure 25. Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) roberti sp. nov., CellD® light micrographs. (A) Lateral habitus; (B) head, frontal aspect; (C) head, dorsal aspect; (D) mesoscutum, dorsal aspect; (E) head and pronotum, lateral aspect.

Figure 26. Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) roberti sp. nov., CellD® light micrographs. (A) Fore wing; (B) detail of fore wing subbasal cell; (C) hind wing.

Figure 27. Aleiodes (Hemigyroneuron) roberti sp. nov., CellD® light micrographs. (A) Metasoma, dorsal aspect; (B) metasomal tergites 4–6, detail showing pore openings (arrows) and internal glandular ducts visible through cuticle.