Asobara citri ( Fischer, 1963 )

Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical Asobara Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae), with the descriptions of twenty five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 557, pp. 1-146 : 9-10

Asobara citri ( Fischer, 1963)

Figs 9–10

Phaenocarpa citri Fischer, 1963: 210 .

Phaenocarpa citri – Papp 1966: 134 . — Shenefelt 1974: 1006.

Asobara citri Fischer, 2007: 860 .

Asobara citri – Yu et al. 2016 .

Material examined

Paratypes

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • 9 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; Eala; Jan. 1935; J. Ghesquière leg.; NHMW .

Other material

CAMEROON • 2 ♀♀; Yaounde; collected in Dec. 1998; reared in lab in May 1999; ex Drosophila melanogaster ; J. Ellers leg.; RMNH • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Nkoemvon; 25 Sep.–19 Nov. 1979 and 19–30 Nov. 1979; D. Jackson leg.; BMNH .

NIGERIA • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; 9 Sep. 1987; ex Drosophila sp.; J. v. Alphen leg.; RMNH .

TANZANIA • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; 17–28 Nov. 1990; ex Drosophila sp.; J. v. Alphen leg.; RMNH .

UGANDA • 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Kibale forest, Kanywara ; 20 Jul. 1995; M. Nummelin leg.; RMNH • 2 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂; Kibale; Aug. 1995; F 3 in lab; ex Drosophila sp.; J. v. Alphen leg.; RMNH • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; FJPF • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; ZISP • 1 ♀; Namwamba Valley ; 10100 ft a.s.l.; Dec. 1934 – Jan. 1935; T.H.E. Jackson leg.; BNHM 1935-203 • 1 ♀; Namwamba Valley, Misigo ; 8550 ft a.s.l.; 2–3 Aug. 1952; D.S. Fletcher leg.; BNHM 1952-566 .

Redescription

Female (paratype)

LENGTH. Body 2.0 mm, fore wing 2.1 mm, hind wing 1.5 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.6 times as wide as long, 1.5 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes. Eye in lateral view 2.7 times as wide as temple medially. Face 1.5 times as wide as high, with sparse setae. Clypeus 2.4 times as wide as high. Mandible 1.3 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth very wide; middle tooth rather narrow and long; lower tooth wide. Antennae 22-segmented. First flagellar segment 2.8 times as long as its apical width; 2 nd segment 5.5 times and 3 rd segment 4.0 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.2 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 1.1 times as long as its maximum width. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, small, oval. Prescutellar depression smooth, without lateral carinae. Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow smooth. Propodeum sculptured, with pentagonal areola. Propodeal spiracle small, its diameter 0.3 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 4.2 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r shorter than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 5.0 times as long as vein r, 2.3 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 3.1 times as long as vein 3-SR.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.3 times as long as its maximum width.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.2 times as long as its apical width. Visible part of ovipositor 4.0 times as long as 1 st tergite, 2.5 times as long as metasoma, 1.7 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, metasoma and pterostigma brown. Legs, head lateral view, mandible, scapus and pedicel light brown. Six apical antennal segments paler than preceding ones. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similarly coloured. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings hyaline.

VARIATION. Body 1.7–2.2 mm, fore wing 2.0– 2.3 mm, hind wing 1.4–1.6 mm.Antennae 20–23-segmented. First flagellar segment 2.7–2.8 times as long as its maximum width. Second flagellar segment 5.3–5.5 times as long as its maximum wdith. Mandible 1.1–1.3 times as long as its maximum width. Hind femur 5.1–5.3 times as long as its maximum width.

Male

Length. Body 2.0– 2.2 mm, fore wing 2.1–2.2 mm, hind wing 1.2–1.4 mm. Antennae 22–24-segmented. First flagellar segment 3.6 times as long as its maximum width; 2 nd segment 5.6 times and 3 rd segment 5.3 times as long as their maximum width. Mandible 1.3–1.4 times as long as its maximum width. Hind femur 4.7–5.1 times as long as its maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

This species is similar to A. mediana sp. nov., but differs from it in having the clypeus 2.4 times as wide as high (3.0 times in A. mediana sp. nov.), 1 st flagellar segment 2.8 times as long as its maximum width (3.2 times in A. mediana sp. nov.), hind femur 5.3 times as long as its maximum width (4.6 times in A. mediana sp. nov.), visible part of ovipositor sheath 4.0 times as long as 1 st tergite (1.5 times in A. mediana sp. nov.), 2.5 times as long as metasoma (0.4 times in A. mediana sp. nov.), and 1.7 times as long as hind femur (0.7 times in A. mediana sp. nov.). On the other hand, A. citri is similar to A. apicalis Fischer, 2003 ; the differences between both species are listed under the redescription of latter species.

Distribution

Benin, Cameroon (new record), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria (new record), Tanzania (new record) and Uganda (new record).

Figures

Fig. 9. Asobara citri (Fischer, 1963), A, C–F: ♀, holotype (NHMW); B: ♂ (NHMW). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. D. Antenna. E. Mandible. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 10. Asobara citri (Fischer, 1963), ♀, holotype (NHMW). A. Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view. B. Propodeum, dorsal view. C. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. D. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. E. Fore and hind wings.