Paralipsis tibiator van Achterberg & Ortiz de Zugasti

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Carron, Nilo F. Ortiz de Zugasti, 2016, Revision of the genus Paralipsis Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with the description of two new species, ZooKeys 606, pp. 25-39 : 31-33

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Paralipsis tibiator van Achterberg & Ortiz de Zugasti sp. n. Figs 21-27

Material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "Spain: Madrid, Parque del Oeste, from Lasius grandis nest, vii.2014, c. 600 m, N. Ortiz de Zugasti Carrón, RMNH". Paratypes: 2 ♀ (RMNH), topotypic but 3.vii.2015.

Diagnosis.

Similar to Paralipsis enervis (Nees, 1834), but differs by the slenderer fore tarsus (Fig. 21), the partly widened hind tibia and femur (Fig. 24) and the scapus distinctly widened dorsally in lateral view (vase-shaped: Fig. 21). Close to Paralipsis planus sp. n., but Paralipsis tibiator has the vertex and mesoscutum with satin sheen and with dense short pubescence between sparse long setae (Fig. 26), the first tergite more convex and less shiny, its maximum width at level of spiracles of ♀ 0.9 times distance between spiracle and apex of tergite (Fig. 27), the mesopleuron with satin sheen (Fig. 23), the apical antennal segments with adpressed setae (Fig. 21), the fore basitarsus slenderer (Fig. 21), the fifth antennal segment without distinct rhinaria and the hind basitarsus elongate (Fig. 24).

Holotype, ♀, length of body 2.2 mm and of damaged fore wing 1.1 mm.

Description.

Head. Head 1.4 times wider than long medially in dorsal view and roundly narrowed behind eyes; antenna with 15 segments and as long as body, segments adpressed setose and setae rather short, third segment dull and 1.3 times as long as fourth segment, thirdfifth segments without rhinaria and widened apically, third, fourth and penultimate segments 2.2, 1.8 and 1.4 times as long as wide, respectively; maxillary and labial palp with 2 and 1 segments, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.2 times height of head; distance between anterior tentorial pits 1.2 times distance between pit and eye (Fig. 22); eye with long setae; face mainly smooth, convex ventrally and laterally rather densely moderately setose, with setae directed downwards; clypeus distinctly convex and smooth, with long erect setae (Fig. 21); frons convex, with shallow median groove, rather dull, punctulate and densely setose; vertex with dense short pubescence between sparse long setae and temple roundly narrowed posteriorly and with satin sheen; eye 0.9 times as long as temple in dorsal view; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 3:1:3; stemmaticum distinctly wider posteriorly than laterally (Fig. 26); length of malar space 1.9 times basal width of mandible, malar depression absent.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.2 times as long as high; pronotal side smooth and largely glabrous, anteriorly very short; mesopleuron mainly smooth, with satin sheen, punctulate and medially flattened; pleural sulcus mainly micro-crenulate; metapleuron with some micro-sculpture; mesoscutum with some micro-sculpture, with satin sheen and with dense short pubescence between sparse long setae, without medio-posterior groove; notauli absent on disc; scutellar sulcus very deep; scutellum strongly convex, far above level of mesoscutum (Fig. 23), largely smooth and setose; propodeum smooth and shiny, posterior face angled with dorsal face (Fig. 21), without areolation and laterally with few long setae.

Wings. Fore wing: pterostigma concave baso-posteriorly (Fig. 25); pterostigma twice as long as wide and vein 1-R1 largely absent; first subdiscal cell open posteriorly and apically (Fig. 21), vein 2-1A absent.

Legs. Hind coxa mainly smooth, punctulate and setose; tarsal claws medium-sized and very slender; fore tarsal segments slender (secondfourth segments distinctly longer than wide in dorsal view), with rather short setae and with long apical bristles (Fig. 21); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.6, 6.8 and 5.4 times as long as wide, respectively; hind femur subbasally and hind tibia medially widened (Fig. 24), both with erect setae; inner hind tibial spur 0.2 times as long as hind basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite smooth, rather convex and moderately shiny, its maximum width at level of spiracles of ♀ 0.9 times distance between spiracle and apex of tergite (Fig. 27), weakly diverging posteriorly, tergite 1.3 times as long as wide apically; second tergite smooth and setose, third and following tergites smooth and only with a subapical row of setae; length of visible (and sparsely setose) part of elliptical ovipositor sheath 0.05 times fore wing in paratype with complete wings.

Colour. Head (but clypeus brown), metasoma (but first tergite basally, narrowly apically and second tergite basally yellow) and mesoscutum (except brown notaulic courses) dark brown; antenna, palpi, mandible, tegulae, legs (but femora and tibiae brown) and propodeum brownish yellow; ovipositor sheath mainly dark brown, slightly paler than tergites; pterostigma (but basally and apically yellowish) and veins dark brown; wing membrane infuscate near veins and pterostigma.

Variation. Antenna of ♀ with 15 (3) segments; length of complete fore wing 1.8 mm and of body 2.2 mm; first tergite 1.3-1.5 times as long as wide apically; femora and tibiae brown or largely dark brown.

Biology.

Endoparasitoid of the aphid Forda formicaria (von Heyden, 1837) and a social parasite in nest of Lasius (Lasius) grandis Forel, 1909. The ant is known from the Iberian Peninsula, Maghreb, Balearic Islands, Macaronesia and SE France (http://antmaps.org/?mode=species&species=Lasius.grandis).

Distribution.

Spain.

Etymology.

Named " tibiator " ( “tibia” is Latin for “shinbone”), because of the aberrant hind tibia.