Asobara robusta 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 : 37-38

Asobara robusta van Achterberg , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4D250103-1984-45B0-A26F-1BEF075C5D79

Figs 50–51

Etymology

Specific name after the Latin ‘robustus’, meaning ‘hard, strong, robust’, and referring to the comparatively robust hind basitarsus.

Material examined

Holotype

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO • ♀; Lubumbashi; 16–17 Dec. 1969; light trap; A.B. Stam leg.; RMNH 7597 .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 2.6 mm, fore wing 2.6 mm, hind wing 1.8 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.8 times as wide as long, 1.3 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes, with distinct longitudinal crenulate furrow in middle of vertex. Eye in lateral view 1.2 times as high as wide and 1.4 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.5 times OD; OOL 2.8 times OD. Face 1.6 times as wide as high, with sparse setae; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 1.7 times as wide as high, slightly concave ventrally. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible 1.6 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth wide; middle tooth rather narrow and long; lower tooth short. Antennae 27-segmented, 1.3 times as long as body. Scape 1.5 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 3.4 times as long as its apical width, 0.6 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 4.8 times, 3 rd segment 3.7 times, 4 th– 5 th segments 3.3 times, 6 th– 9 th segments 3.0 times, 10 th– 13 th segments 2.5 times, 14 th– 24 th segments 2.2–2.3 times and 25 th (apical segment) 3.2 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.1 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 0.8 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, elongate. Prescutellar depression smooth, with median and lateral carinae, 1.9 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, smooth, reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate. Propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured, with several smooth patches; 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, 3.7 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r as long as pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 5.3 times as long as vein r and 1.6 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 1.9 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 5.3 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.0 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened to apex, 8.7 times as long as its maximum subapical width and 1.2 times as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 1.6 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.1 times as long as its apical width, weakly striate. Visible part of ovipositor sheath as long as 1 st tergite, 0.2 times as long as metasoma and 0.4 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, mandible, antennae and pterostigma dark brown. Legs brown. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similarly coloured. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

Male

Unknown.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. somersetensis sp. nov., but differs from it in having the eye in lateral view 1.4 times as wide as temple medially (0.8 times in A. somersetensis sp. nov.), mandible 1.6 times as long as its maximum width (1.3 times in A. somersetensis sp. nov.), head in dorsal view with temple not broadened behind eyes (broadened in A. somersetensis sp. nov.), precoxal sulcus reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron (not reaching in A. somersetensis sp. nov.), and visible part of ovipositor sheath 0.2 times as long as metasoma in lateral view (equal to metasoma in A. somersetensis sp. nov.).

Distribution

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Figures

Fig. 50. Asobara robusta van Achterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (RMNH 7597). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. C. Mandible. D. Antenna. E. Head, front view. F. Head, dorsal view.

Fig. 51. Asobara robusta vanAchterberg, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (RMNH 7597). 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.