Vipio boliviensis, Quicke & Shaw & Inayatullah & Butcher, 2020

Quicke, Donald L. J., Shaw, Scott R., Inayatullah, Mian & Butcher, Buntika A., 2020, The genus Vipio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the Neotropical Region, ZooKeys 925, pp. 89-140 : 89

Vipio boliviensis sp. nov. Figures 3 , 4

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Bolivia: Comarapa, 18 m., 14.xii.1984 (L. Pena) (EMUS). Paratype: Argentina: 1 ♀, Pronunciamiento Entre Rios, xii.1965 (CNCI); 1 ♀, E. Rios, xii.1972, Feliciano Fritz col. (EMUS).

Diagnosis.

Can be distinguished from other Neotropical Vipio species by the combination of a hypopygium ending at apex of metasoma and a long ovipositor (ovipositor length/body length 1.17). Additionally, it has claws without basal lobe, ovipositor longer than fore wing.

Description.

Female. Length of body 5.4 mm; of fore wing 5.6 mm; of ovipositor (part exserted beyond apex of abdomen) 6.4 mm.

Head. Antenna robust, with 37-41 flagellomeres; terminal flagellomere blunt and distinctly laterally compressed; median flagellomeres as long as wide, more distal flagellomeres becoming thicker; first flagellomere 1.5 × longer than second, 3.3 × longer than wide; second flagellomere 2.2 × longer than wide; head transverse; HL 0.78 × HH; clypeus rugulose; clypeal guard setae typical; face slightly punctate; remainder of head smooth and shiny; HW/HH 0.96; FH/FW 0.5; EH/HH 0.73; EH/FW 1.0; ITD 2.25 × TOD; MS 0.25 × EH; LMC slightly less than 0.5 × HH; third segment of maxillary palpus 5 × longer than wide.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.43 × height. Pronotum carinate antero-laterally. Notauli smooth. Propodeum rugulose medially, with a blunt and short median longitudinal carina not reaching posterior end, and with a pair of short, longitudinal, anteriorly diverging submedial carinae not reaching middle of propodeum; remainder of mesosoma laterally smooth and shiny.

Wings. Fore wing: length of fore wing 1.03 × body length; PL/LRC 0.75; PW/PL 0.19; length of vein 1M 0.71 × length of (RS+M)a; length of vein 3RSb 0.82 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; vein 3RSa reaching wing margin 0.55 × distance between apex of pterostigma and wing tip. Hind wing: with a glabrous area distal to cu-a; apex of C+SC+R with one basal hamule

Legs. Claw without pointed basal lobe.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.20 × longer than wide, raised median area of T I oval, rugose, with a median longitudinal carina posteriorly, surrounding area with short, transverse carinae, dorso-lateral carina present; T II 1.5 × wider than long medially, longitudinally striate, basal areas rugulose, oblique furrow strongly impressed; T III 1.45 × wider than long medially, anteriorly with longitudinal striations running postero-laterally, and with transverse striations posteriorly; T IV entirely with transverse striation but not reaching lateral margin which is smooth and shiny; T V-VII smooth and shiny; hypopygium short, ending at apex of metasoma; ovipositor sheath with sparse setae; ovipositor 1.17 × body length.

Colour. Yellowish red except head, antenna, palpi, prosternum, T IV posteriorly, and T V-VII, metasomal laterotergites and ovipositor sheath black. Wings smoky.

Male. Unknown.

Remarks.

This species appears to be closely related to V. paraguayensis Szépligeti, because of the presence of a median longitudinal carina on propodeum and similar sculpture of T1 and T2. Vipio boliviensis can be distinguished by the carinate pronotum (smooth and shiny in paraguayensis ), absence of pointed basal lobe on the claw (present in paraguayensis ), transverse striations on T III and T IV (longitudinal in paraguayensis ), and short hypopygium (long in paraguayensis ).

Etymology.

Named after the country of Bolivia, where the holotype was collected. We have retained this name despite the recent discovery of a specimen from Argentina because of its use in Inayatullah’s MS thesis (1992).

Figures

Figure 3. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio boliviensis sp. nov. A Holotype, habitus lateral view B head, front view C head, oblique view D head, dorsal view E propodeum F wings G claw.

Figure 4. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio boliviensis sp. nov. A Metasomal tergites I and II B metasomal tergites II-IV C apex of metasoma, lateroventral view D holotype specimen labels.