Cremnops nymphius, Tucker, Erika M., Chapman, Eric G. & Sharkey, Michael J., 2015

Tucker, Erika M., Chapman, Eric G. & Sharkey, Michael J., 2015, A revision of the New World species of Cremnops Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 3916 (1), pp. 1-83 : 63-64

Cremnops nymphius NEW SPECIES

[ Plate 20 , Figs A–I]

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by banded fore wings, carinate hind trochantelli, extremely narrow subpronopes partition and multi-colored antennae.

Description. Holotype: female. Body length 7 mm (6.5–7.5 mm).

Head (Figs C & F). Forty-two (40–44) flagellomeres. Lateral carina of frons weak, ending immediately anteriad lateral ocellus. Interocellar space not elevated, level with lateral ocelli. Malar space 0.6x (0.5–0.7x) eye height. Apical tooth of mandible not extending past margin of basal lobe.

Mesosoma (Figs D, E & H). Subpronopes adjacent, separated by a partition narrower than the longitudinal length of the dorsomedial portion of pronotum (varies to partition broken appearing as one large pit). Median mesonotal lobe depressed medially. Notaulus smooth. Scutellar sulcus with 1 (1–3) longitudinal carina. Hind margin of posterolateral scutal flange not prominent; rather: 90° to obtuse (to lobed). Mesoscutellar trough without (to with) longitudinal carinae laterally. Metanotal trough without extensive longitudinal carinae laterally. Sternaulus with 3 (1–5 small) pits (or absent); about 1/ 2x (1/3–1/ 2x) length of mesopleuron. Discrimen smooth. Medial propodeal areola with 4 (3–4) transverse carinae. Metapleuron rugose on ventral 1/3.

Hind leg (Fig. I). Femur length about 4x width. Trochantellar carina present. Distal tibia with 2 (or 3) spines. Inner tooth of inner and outer claws symmetrical, broad, angled quadrangular-shaped, with 5 basal pectines.

Fore wing (Fig. G). With 2 hyaline bands, one covering the basal and subbasal cell, and one below the stigma in the 1st submarginal, 2nd submarginal, apical 1st discal and 1st subdiscal, and basal 2nd discal cells; veins mostly yellow, some melanic; stigma yellow. 2nd submarginal cell slightly higher than wide (to as high as wide).

Metasoma (Figs A & B). 1st median tergite length about 2.5x apical width, apical width about 2x basal width.

Body Color Orange, except melanic as follows: distal (~10) and most basal (~4) flagellomeres, ventral 1/4 of metapleuron, metanotum, propodeum, distal part of hind tibia (varies from mesosoma mostly melanic to all orange).

Biology. Host —Unknown.

Adults Collected —July.

Geographic Range —Durango, Mexico. See map in Appendix II.

Comments. Cremnops nymphius is similar to C. desertor with the banded fore wing, however, C. nymphius can easily be separated by the carina on the hind trochantellus (absent in C. desertor ), narrow subpronopes partition (compared to wide), and banded (basal and distal flagellomeres melanic, middle yellow) instead of solid-colored antenna.

Etymology. Named for its beautiful coloration.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: Mexico, Dgo. 7 mi. W. Durango, 7000', 23 July 1964, W.R.M. Mason, ( CNC) (H10748). PARATYPE: (22) two females, twenty males, same collection data ( CNC). Non-Types: 2 ( CNC), 26 ( HIC). For holotype and additional images see Appendix VIII.

Figures

PLATE 20. Cremnops nymphius. A. lateral habitus; B. dorsal habitus; C. lateral head; D. mesopleuron; E. mesoscutum; F. face; G. wings; H. propodeum; I. hind leg with antennae insert.