Trigastrotheca christianhenrichi 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 christianhenrichi Quicke & Butcher sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 9

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Madagascar, Fianarantsoa Province, Parc National Ranomafana , Malaise trap in mixed tropical forest, radio tower at forest edge, 21 ° 15.05 ' S, 47 ° 24.43 ' E, 1130 m, 21–28. i. 2002, col. R. Harin’Hala, ( CALACAD).

Diagnosis.

This is the only species with bicolorous antennal flagellum, mostly orange-yellow but with approximately apical 10 black (Fig. 7 A ). Otherwise with a largely similar color pattern to T. formosa sp. nov. though darker red-brown (chestnut), both having a largely red mesoscutum. Unlike in the latter, the back of the head has a wide black mark and the mesoscutum is uniformly red-brown.

Description.

Length of body 5.0 mm, fore wing 5.3 mm. Head. Antenna with 50 flagellomeres. Terminal flagellomere, short, sub-triangular, acuminate. First flagellomere 1.1 × longer than 2 nd and 3 rd, the latter 1.2 × longer than wide. Width of head: width of face: height of eye = 2.1: 1.1: 1.0. Face granulate; with weak mid-longitudinal ridge. Inter-tentorial distance 1.7 × longer than tentorio-ocular distance. Malar suture impressed. Malar space 1.5 × as long as basal width of mandible. Antennal sockets strongly produced, laterally, lamelliform, giving rise posteriorly to a longitudinal carina that divides the anterior frons into four depressed pits, two laterally and two on the sides of carina; lateral to these carinae frons strongly impressed, pit like. Frons, vertex, and occiput granulate. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 1.5: 1.0: 3.0. Mesosoma 1.5 × longer than high. Mesoscutum smooth, sparsely punctate; notauli not impressed except very short anterior part with few weak crenulations, very shallow posteriorly. Scutellar sulcus shallow, narrow, finely crenulate. Scutellum smooth, sparsely setose with a small pit medially behind sulcus. Median area of metanotum with complete mid-longitudinal carina. Propodeum largely smooth and shiny, faintly granulate near mid-longitudinal carina; 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: 1.1: 4.3. Lengths of vein 2 RS: 3 RSa: rs-m = 1.3: 1.5: 1.0. Base of hind wing with large glabrous area distal to vein 1 CU. Legs. Lengths of fore femur: fore tibia: fore tarsus = 1.3: 1.0: 1.2. Lengths of hind femur: hind tibia: hind tarsus = 1.0: 1.1: 1.2. Claws with small acutely pointed basal lobe. Metasoma. T 1 coriaceous, 3.3 × wider than long with a pair of posteriorly narrowing dorsal carina. T 2 1.1 × as long as T 3. 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, not denticulate; medial protuberance rounded posteriorly; postero-lateral emarginations not defined. Coloration. Antenna largely reddish brown, scape and pedicel, terminal 10 flagellomeres black. Head ochraceous yellow except for large black, T-shaped mark around stemmaticum and back of head. Mesoscutum reddish brown except blackish anteriorly, pronotum dorsally, propleuron black, pronotum laterally, scutellum antero-laterally and posteriorly, mesopleuron except a pair of black patches, metapleuron, posterior 1 / 2 of propodeum, fore, mid, and distal 1 / 2 of hind coxa, metasoma laterally, posterior margin of T 5 ivory white, propodeum anterior 1 / 2, metasoma except laterally reddish brown.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Afrotropical ( Madagascar).

Host.

Unknown.

Etymology.

Named after the senior author’s friend Christian Henrich.

Figures

Figure 7. Trigastrotheca christianhenrichi sp. nov. ♀ holotype A habitus, lateral view B head, anterior view C head, dorsal view.

Figure 8. Trigastrotheca christianhenrichi sp. nov. ♀ holotype A habitus, except posterior metasoma, lateral view B mesosoma, dorsal view C metanotum and propodeum, dorsal view D metasoma, lateral view E mesosoma, dorsal view.

Figure 9. Trigastrotheca christianhenrichi sp. nov. ♀ holotype A TT 3–5, dorsal view B wings.