Asobara natalensis Peris-Felipo, 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 : 32-33

Asobara natalensis Peris-Felipo , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F05C75C7-87E8-4EB1-BD4A-427D15CF442A

Figs 43–44

Etymology

The name is derived from the geographical area ‘Natal’, the type locality of the species.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Natal, Van Reenen Drakensberg; Dec. 1926; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH 1927-25 .

Paratype

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype but Nov. 1926; BMNH 1926-499 .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 2.1 mm, fore wing 2.3 mm, hind wing 1.7 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.4 times as wide as long, 1.4 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes, with distinct longitudinal crenulate furrow in middle of vertex. Eye in lateral view 1.1 times as high as wide and 1.5 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.6 times OD; OOL 4.3 times OD. Face 1.6 times as wide as high, with sparse setae; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 1.6 times as wide as high, slightly concave ventrally. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible almost parallel-sided, 1.5 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth wide; middle tooth rather wide and long, directed upwards; lower tooth wide. Antennae 22-segmented, 1.2 times as long as body. Scape 1.3 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 3.0 times as long as its apical width, 0.6 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 4.7 times, 3 rd segment 4.1 times, 4 th segment 3.5 times, 5 th segment 3.3 times, 6 th– 19 th segments 3.0–3.1 times and 20 th (apical segment) 3.5 times as long as its maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.4 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 0.9 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Prescutellar depression smooth, with only median carina, 1.2 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, reaching only anterior margin of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate below. 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 3.0 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 6.8 times as long as vein r and 1.9 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 1.8 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 5.7 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, 9.0 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 weakly widened towards apex, 1.4 times as long as its apical width, weakly rugose. Visible part of ovipositor sheath 4.8 times as long as 1 st tergite, about as long as metasoma, 2.1 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, antenna, mandible and pterostigma dark brown. Legs brown. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similarly coloured as 1 st– 3 rd metasomal tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

VARIATION. Body 2.0– 2.1 mm, fore wing 2.1–2.3 mm.

Male

Unknown.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. carinata sp. nov.; the differences between both species are described under the latter species.

Distribution

South Africa.

Figures

Fig. 43. Asobara natalensis Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1927-25). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, lateral view. C. Mandible. D. Antenna. E. Head, front view. F. Head, dorsal view.

Fig. 44. Asobara natalensis Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1927-25). A. Mesosoma, lateral view. B. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. C. Propodeum. D. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. E. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. F. Fore wing.