Trigastrotheca braeti Quicke & Butcher, 2024

Quicke, Donald L. J., Van Noort, Simon, Ranjith, Avunjikkattu Parambil, Friedman, Ariel L. L., Mejlon, Hans & Butcher, Buntika A., 2024, Revision of Trigastrotheca Cameron (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) with descriptions of 13 new species, ZooKeys 1205, pp. 115-167 : 115-167

Trigastrotheca braeti Quicke & Butcher sp. nov.

Figs 3 , 4

Type material.

Holotype ♀, The Republic of the Congo, Pool, Abio Lesio-Louna N. P. , 1. vi – 18. vii. 2008, 3.099125 ° S, 15.27157 ° W, 330 m, Malaise trap in forest-savanna transition zone, coll. Yves Braet, DNA voucher P. I. D. BBTH 4962-22 ( CUMZ) . Paratypes: 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 23. x. 2008, coll. Y. Braet & M. J. Sharkey, DNA voucher P. I. D. BBTH 1561-18 (failed) ; 1 ♂, same data as holotype except 3 ° 16.1965 ' S, 15 ° 28.267 ' E, 23. x. 2008, coll. coll. Y. Braet & M. J. Sharkey, DNA voucher P. I. D. BBTH 1557-18 (failed) ( CUMZ) .

Diagnosis.

Similar to T. carinata sp. nov. from India, in having the body including stemmaticum entirely ochreous yellow, but differs in the shape of the head with the eye 2.5 × as long as temple in dorsal view. In addition, fore wing vein C + SC + R black, fore wing veins r-rs and rs-m wavy, and the T 5 is relatively more elongate but with the posterior emarginations being shallower and medio-posterior projection being less acute.

Description.

Holotype female. Length of body 5.0 mm, fore wing 4.3 mm. Head. Antenna with 41 flagellomeres. Terminal flagellomere, short, sub-triangular, acuminate. First flagellomere 1.0 × longer than 2 nd and 3 rd, the latter 1.4 × longer than wide. Width of head: width of face: height of eye = 2.5: 1.5: 1.0. Face granulate rugose, transversely striate antero-medially with weak mid-longitudinal ridge. Inter-tentorial distance 1.3 × longer than tentorio-ocular distance. Malar suture impressed. Malar space 1.7 × as long as basal width of mandible. Antennal sockets strongly produced. Frons rugose with a mid-longitudinal groove, strongly moderately behind antennal socket. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 1.3: 1.0: 2.8. Mesosoma 1.3 × longer than high. Mesoscutum rugose; notauli not impressed except very short anterior part with few weak crenulations. Scutellar sulcus shallow, narrow, finely crenulate. Scutellum granulate with a small pit medially behind sulcus. Median area of metanotum with complete mid-longitudinal carina. Propodeum rugose; mid-longitudinal carina complete, lamelliform, bordered narrowly by fine crenulations; posteriorly propodeum with short longitudinal carinae associated with longitudinal wrinkles. Wings. Fore wing. Lengths of fore wing veins r-rs: 3 RSa: 3 RSb = 1.0: 1.2: 4.7. Lengths of vein 2 RS: 3 RSa: rs-m = 1.1: 1.0: 1.1. Base of hind wing with short glabrous area. Legs. Lengths of fore femur: fore tibia: fore tarsus = 1.0: 1.0: 1.1. Lengths of hind femur: hind tibia: hind tarsus = 1.0: 1.3: 1.2. Claws with basal lobe rather small, distally angulate but hardly protruding. Metasoma. T 1 1.5 × wider than long. T 2 0.9 × as long as T 3. T 1 coriaceous. TT 1–5 with coarse reticulate sculpture Second metasomal suture and basal grooves of TT 4 and 5 deep, strigose. T 5 with postero-lateral margin of convex, indistinctly denticulate; medial protuberance broadly rounded. Coloration. Body yellow except scape, pedicel, pterostigma, tarsi brown, flagellomere yellowish brown.

Variation. Body length 4.6 mm paratype female, 4.4 mm paratype male. Posterior margin of male T 5 virtually straight with a weak medial emargination.

Male. Same as female.

Distribution.

Afrotropical ( Republic of Congo).

Host.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after Dr Yves Braet, collector and friend of the senior author.

Figures

Figure 3. Trigastrotheca braeti sp. nov. ♀, holotype A habitus, dorsal view B head, anterior view C head, dorsal view D head and mesosoma, lateral view E mesosoma, dorsal view F metasoma, dorsal view.

Figure 4. Trigastrotheca braeti sp. nov. ♀, holotype A TT 4 and 5, lateral view B TT 4 and 5, dorsal view C wings D base of hind wing, detail E apex of hind tarsus and claw; Paratype ♂ F habitus, lateral view.