Heterospilus meloi, Chiletto, Bo. & Penteado-Dias, Am., 2016

Chiletto, Bo. & Penteado-Dias, Am., 2016, Fourteen new species of Heterospilus Haliday (Hymenoptera, Braconidae: Doryctinae) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4144 (3), pp. 316-334 : 327

Heterospilus meloi sp. n.

( Figs 39–42 )

Female. Body length: 2.9 mm.

Colour: head entirely yellow or light brown, palpi yellow, flagellum dark brown with seven white flagellomeres at the apex, scape brown; mesosoma dark brown to black with lighter propodeum; first tergum light brown, terga II–V black with lighter striae at base of terga II, terga VI with black base and yellow apex, tergum VII entirely yellow; wing veins dark brown and lighter stigma; legs yellow with coxae and base of the femur pale yellow.

Head: vertex, frons and face smooth; malar space greater than ¼ eye height; temple narrow, width shorter than ½ eye width; ocell-ocular distance 2.5 times greater than diameter of lateral ocellus; 22 flagellomeres.

Mesosoma: mesopleuron smooth, precoxal sulcus smooth, shorter than width of mesopleuron ; mesoscutum lobes smooth and hairy just along notauli; notauli scrobiculate meeting before prescutellar furrow in triangular rugose area; prescutellar furrow with one cross carina; scutellum smooth; propodeum with basal median areas distinct and margined, basal median areas smooth, basal median carina present, areolar margin distinct, areolar area smooth-rugose, lateral areas smooth, mesosternum smooth. Fore wing: vein r shorter than vein 3 RSa, vein 1cu-a beyond vein 1M, stigma wider than length of vein r. Hind wing: vein SC+R present, length of vein M+CU shorter than vein 1M.

Metasoma: first tergum granulose-rugose, apical width shorter than length; second tergum costate-granulose, apical width three times greater than length; third tergum smooth; terga II+III with anterior transverse groove present and nearly sinuose; posterior transverse groove present; terga IV–VII smooth; ovipositor equal to length of first tergum of metasoma.

Material examined. Holotype (DCBU-31300); female, Brazil, SP, São Luiz do Paraitinga, Núcleo Santa Virgínia 23o19’16,9’’S 45o5’46,6’’W, semidecidous mesophilic forest, 22. III.2010, Malaise traps; N.W. Perioto col.

Comments. This species is distinguished by its coloration, with yellow head, brown antenna with white annulus at the apex, mesosoma dark brown with lighter propodeum and the first tergum of metasoma light brown and granulose.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Daniela C. de Melo who helped in the conclusion of this work.

Figures

FIGURES 39 – 42. Heterospilus meloi. Holotype, female. 40, habitus, lateral view; 41, head, mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view; 42, mesosoma, dorsal view; 43, metasoma, dorsal view.