Asobara somersetensis 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 : 41-42

Asobara somersetensis Peris-Felipo , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:821BADD1-9A63-49C1-A380-DCB8C629A641

Figs 56–57

Etymology

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

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Cape Province, Somerset East; 10–22 Dec. 1930; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH 1931- 37.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 3 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; BMHN • 1 ♂; same data as for holotype; ZISP • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype but 1–26 Jan. 1931; BMNH .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 4.0 mm, fore wing 3.9 mm, hind wing 2.8 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.8 times as wide as long, 1.6 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes, with distinct longitudinal crenulate furrow in middle of vertex. Eye in lateral view 1.6 times as high as wide and 0.8 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.4 times OD; OOL 3.8 times OD. Face 1.5 times as wide as high, with sparse setae; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 2.3 times as wide as high, slightly concave ventrally. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible 1.3 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth very wide; middle tooth rather wide and short; lower tooth wide. Antennae 31-segmented, 1.2 times as long as body. Scape 1.8 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 5.3 times, 3 rd– 5 th segments 4.0 times, 7 th– 10 th segments 3.6 times, 11 th– 13 th segments 3.0 times, 14 th– 19 th segments 2.6 times, 20 th– 28 th segments 2.2 times, and 29 th (apical segment 2.0 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.3 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 1.1 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, elongate. Prescutellar depression sculptured, with only median carina, 1.3 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, smooth, reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow crenulate. Propodeum sculptured, with basolateral areas rugose. 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, 3.9 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r longer than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 5.1 times as long as vein r and 1.6 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 2.0 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 5.4 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.3 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened to apex, 10.3 times as long as its maximum subapical width, about as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 2.2 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite widened towards apex, 1.3 times as long as its apical width, mainly smooth. Visible part of ovipositor sheath 4.6 times as long as 1 st tergite, 0.9 times as long as metasoma and 1.9 times as long as hind femur.

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

Male

Length. Body 3.0– 3.2 mm, fore wing 3.2–3.4 mm, hind wing 2.1–2.4 mm. Antennae more than 30-segmented (apical segment(s) missing). First flagellar segment 3.3 times as long as its maximum width; 2 nd segment 5.6 times and 3 rd segment 4.5 times as long as their maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

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

Distribution

South Africa.

Figures

Fig. 56. Asobara somertensis Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., A, C–F: ♀, holotype (BMNH 1931-37); B: ♂ (BMHN). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, lateral view. D. Mandible. E. Antenna. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 57. Asobara somertensis Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1931-37). A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mesosoma, lateral view. C. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. D. Propodeum, dorsal view. E. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. F. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. G. Fore and hind wings.