Asobara mediana van Achterberg, 2019

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 : 29-31

Asobara mediana van Achterberg , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F3FFF65-4263-4A0D-B50D-CB7816A271EC

Figs 39–40

Etymology

Specific name from the Latin ‘medianus’, meaning ‘middle’, and referring to the length of the ovipositor is intermediate compared to similar species.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA • ♀; Kibale Forest, Kanywara ; 20 Jul. 1995; M. Nummelin leg.; RMNH.

Paratypes

UGANDA • 5 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; same label as for holotype; RMNH • 1 ♀; same label as for holotype; FJPF • 1 ♀; same label as for holotype; ZISP • 1 ♀; same locality as for holotype but 10 Aug.–10 Sep. 1996; Malaise trap; J.J.M. van Alpen leg.; RMNH .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 1.7 mm, fore wing 2.0 mm, hind wing 1.2 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 1.2 times as high as wide and 2.6 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.1 times OD; OOL 2.9 times OD. Face 1.3 times as wide as high; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 3.0 times as wide as high. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible almost parallel-sided, 1.8 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth wide; middle tooth rather narrow and long; lower tooth short. Antennae 22-segmented, 1.5 times as long as body. Scape 1.5 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 3.2 times as long as its apical width, 0.7 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 5.0 times, 3 rd segment 3.7 times, 4 th– 9 th segments 3.3 times, 10 th– 21 st segments 2.5 times, 22 nd (apical segment) 3.7 times as long as its maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.3 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 0.9 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, round. Prescutellar depression smooth, with only median carina, 1.8 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, weakly crenulate, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow smooth. Propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured, with several smooth patches, with large, wide and mainly smooth pentagonal areola; basolateral areas smooth, sparse rugose along carinae. Propodeal spiracle small, its diameter 0.3 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Length of fore wing 2.6 times its maximum width. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 4.0 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r shorter than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 7.0 times as long as vein r and 1.5 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 3.0 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 6.2 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 4.6 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened to apex, 10.0 times as long as its maximum subapical width, about as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 2.0 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite widened towards apex, 1.1 times as long as its apical width, smooth. Visible part of ovipositor sheath 1.5 times as long as 1 st tergite, 0.4 times as long as metasoma, 0.7 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, flagellar segments of antennae (except apical ones) and pterostigma brown to dark brown. Mandible, scapus, pedicel and legs yellow. Coxae, trochanters and last seven apical segments of antennae whittish. In dorsal view, head similar colour to mesoscutum. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

VARIATION. Body1.7–2.0 mm, fore wing 1.9–2.2 mm, hind wing 1.1–1.4 mm.Antennae 20–27-segmented. First flagellar segment 3.2–3.5 times and 2 nd segment 5.0–5.5 times as long as their apical width. Hind femur 4.6–5.0 times as long as its maximum width.

Male

Length. Body 1.5–1.6 mm, fore wing 1.7–1.8 mm, hind wing 1.2–1.3 mm. First flagellar segment 6.0 times as long as its maximum width; 2 nd segment 7.5–8.0 times and 3 rd segment 7.0 times as long as their maximum width. Hind femur 5.0 times as long as its maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. citri ( Fischer, 1963) ; the differences between both species are described under the latter species.

Distribution

Uganda.

Figures

Fig. 39. Asobara mediana van Achterberg, sp. nov., A, C–F: ♀, holotype (RMNH); B: ♂ (RMNH). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. D. Mandible. E. Antenna. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 40. Asobara mediana van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (RMNH). A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. C. Propodeum. D. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. E. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. F. Fore wing.