Silvaspinosus vespa Fernandez-Triana & Boudreault, 2018

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L & Boudreault, Caroline, 2018, Seventeen new genera of microgastrine parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from tropical areas of the world, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 64, pp. 25-140 : 95-99

Silvaspinosus vespa Fernandez-Triana & Boudreault sp. n.

Figs 34 , 35

Holotype.

Female, Madagascar, CAS.

Holotype labels.

Madagascar. Toliara/Province: Vohidava/Forest, 88.9 km N/Amboasary, 24.40556°S. Second label: 46.287778°E, 500m,/6-8.XII.2006, MT, B. L./Fisher et al, BLF15694, CNC649545.

Holotype locality.

MADAGASCAR, Toliara Province: Vohidava Forest, 88.9 km North of Amboasary, 24.40556°S, 46.287778°E, 500m.

Paratypes.

Madagascar. (1♀ CNC), Toliara Province, Beza Mahafaly Reserve, -22.840500, 44.731200, 165m, 24.xii.2002, coll. R. Harin`Hala, Voucher code: CNCH3044; (1♂ CAS), Tulear Province, Andohahela National Park, Ihazofotsy Parcelle III, -24.830833, 46.536167, 80m, dry spiny forest, Malaise trap, 23.ix-4.x.2003, coll. M. Irwin, R. Harin’Hala & F. Parker, Voucher code: CASENT8402170; (3♂ CAS, CNC), Tulear Tsimanampetsotsa National Park, Mitoho Forest, across trail at base of escarpment, -24.048500, 43.752333, 120m, Dense dry forest, Malaise trap, 23-31.i.2009, coll. M. Irwin & R. Harin’Hala, Voucher codes: CASENT8402171, CASENT8402172, CASENT8402173; (1♀ 4♂ CAS, CNC), Toliara Province, Vohidava Forest, 88.9 km N Amboasary, -24.240556 46.287778, 500m, MT, 6-8.xii.2006, coll. B. L. Fisher et al, Voucher codes: CNC649540, CNC649542, CNC649543, CNC649544, CNC649546.

Diagnosis.

This is the only known species in the genus so far, thus the generic diagnosis works as the species diagnosis as well.

Description.

Female. Head and mesosoma mostly black, mesosoma mostly dark brown, except for T1 light brown; clypeus, labrum and flagellomeres dark brown; mandibles orange; scape and pedicel yellow-brown; palpi usually mostly white (except for labial palpi 1-2 dark brown), but some specimens with darker palpi (mostly dark brown); legs mostly dark brown (except for protibial, protarsus, mesotibia and mesotarsus which are orange-yellow or yellow-white, and small white spot on anterior 0.1 or less of all tibiae); metatibial spurs yellow-white; wings slightly infumated on apical half, veins brown but parastigma yellow-white. Clypeus extremely long and thin. Malar line extremely short, almost nonexistent (0.01 mm or less long). Mandible base separate from head by a desclerotized area that looks like an opening. Mandibles relatively stout and large. Tentorial pits relatively very large. Anteromesoscutum mostly smooth, with shallow and sparse punctures. Notauli not indicated by sculpture. Scutellar disc without posteromedian band of rugosity. Propodeum mostly with rugose sculpture, with median longitudinal carina complete. Fore wing with large, quadrangular areolet (second submarginal cell). Fore tarsus with a curved, spine-like seta. Metacoxa relatively short (its length not surpassing posterior margin of T2), metatibial spurs relatively short (less than half the length of first segment of metatarsus). T1 smooth and without median longitudinal sulcus. T2 smooth and with central area slightly raised and poorly defined from lateral areas by weak sulcus. T3+ smooth and with sparse, relatively long setae. Hypopygium relatively short, not extending beyond last tergites. Ovipositor sheaths mostly smooth and very short, 0.14 × metatibia length. Body measurements (mm). F2 L: 0.24 (0.21); F3 L: 0.23 (0.21); F14 L: 0.15 (0.13); F15 L: 0.15 (0.13); Malar sulcus L: 0.01 (0.03); Mandible W: 0.21 (0.21); T1 L: 0.51 (0.38); T1 W at posterior margin: 0.10 (0.10); T1 maximum W: 0.28 (0.23); T2 W at anterior margin: 0.60 (0.49); T2 W at posterior margin: 0.75 (0.68); T2 L: 0.25 (0.23); Metafemur L: 0.83 (0.79); Metafemur W: 0.33 (0.29); Metatibia L: 1.00 (1.00); Inner spur L: 0.18 (0.15); Outer spur L: 0.18 (0.18); First segment of Metatarsus L: 0.39 (0.38); Ovipositor sheaths L: 0.14 (0.18); Body L: 3.31 (3.19); Fore wing L: 2.83 (2.58). T1 L is approximate for 1 specimen.

Male. As female.

Biology.

Host unknown.

Distribution.

Madagascar, apparently restricted to the Spiny Forest ecoregion, also known as Madagascar spiny thickets (sensu https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1311).

Molecular data.

One of the female paratypes (CNCH3044) rendered a partial barcode (427bp), which is 8.3% different from the closest Microgastrinae (several Microplitis species).

Etymology.

From Latin " Silvaspinosus vespa " (meaning “wasp”), referring to the species being a parasitoid wasp. It also intends to play with the generic name (which means "spiny forest") thus producing the combined name of "wasp of the spiny forest" for the species.

Figures

Figure 34. Silvaspinosus vespa female holotype. A Habitus B Head frontal C Fore wing D Head dorsal E Metasoma dorsal F Mesosoma dorsal F Propodeum.

Figure 35. Silvaspinosus vespa female CNC 644540 (A-E) and male CASENT 8402171 (F) paratypes. A Habitus B Head frontal C Fore wing D Metasoma dorsal E Head and mesosoma, dorsal F Head frontal, male.