Biroia hirsutus, Tang, Pu, Liu, Zhen & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2012

Tang, Pu, Liu, Zhen & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2012, The genus Biroia Szépligeti, 1900 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) in China, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 3519, pp. 69-76 : 72-73

Biroia hirsutus sp. n.

( Figs 8–15 )

Description. Holotype, Ƥ, length of body 8.9 mm, of fore wing 8.0 mm, ovipositor sheath 6.9 mm.

Head. Antennal segments 48, length of third segment 1.3 times fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 2.3, 1.8 and 2.0 times their width, respectively; apical antennal segment 1.2 times as long as penultimate segment; length of maxillary palp 0.5 times height of head; in dorsal view length of eye 2.0 times temple; temple gradually narrowed posteriorly; POL:OD:OOL = 7:6:17; vertex with a distinct longitudinal furrow posteriorly; face elongate, with dense and fine punctation laterally, shiny and sparsely punctate medially; frons smooth, two strong lateral carinae extending up near rim of antennal sockets; vertex and temple with sparse fine punctures.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.7 times its height; pronotal trough smooth medially, with sparse fine punctures dorsally and crenulate posteriorly; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum smooth anteriorly, crenulate posteriorly; mesoscutum shiny with very sparse minute punctures; notauli completely absent; precoxal sulcus wide, largely crenulate, three long carinae connected with prepectal carina anteriorly; mesopleuron above precoxal sulcus shiny and nearly smooth with very sparse fine punctures; mesopleuron below precoxal sulcus with sparse distinct punctures; metapleuron with velvety and silvery setae; propodeum with a large areola and costulae developed, area of areola with 3 transverse carinae; propodeal spiracle large medium-sided, 2.0 times as long as wide.

Wings. Fore wing: second submarginal cell wide rectangular; vein SR1 weakly curved; r:3-SR:SR1 = 5:10:47; r:2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 5:11:10:11. Hind wing: vein M+CU 0.6 times as long as vein 1-M.

Legs. Hind coxa with velvety and silvery setae; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 3.0, 5.5 and 9.4 times their width, respectively; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with strong setae; length of outer and inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 and 0.6 times middle basitarsus, respectively; length of outer and inner spur of hind tibia 0.3 and 0.4 times hind basitarsus; fore and middle tarsi slender.

Metasoma. Shiny smooth; first tergite distinctly widened subposteriorly and then narrowed apically; length of first tergite 1.4 times as long as its apical width; dorsal carinae absent; first tergite with long erect setae laterally, apical third of first tergite; second tergite with large basal round area bordered by a groove; latero-posterior corners of third tergite with a dense cluster of setae; ovipositor sheath 0.9 times as long as fore wing.

Colour. Black; galea, palpi, mandible, fore tarsus yellow; spurs of middle and hind tibiae pale yellow; wing membrane black.

Material examined. Holotype: Ƥ, Fujian Prov., Shaowu Chengguan, 6.IX.1980, Fujian forestry department ( ZJUH). Paratype: 13, China, Fujian Prov., Changting, 17.VIII.1981, Fujian forestry department ( ZJUH).

Distribution. China (Fujian)

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From Latin “ hirsutus ” for “hairy” because of the velvety and silvery setae on the metapleuron and hind coxa.

Diagnosis. This new species is very similar to B. fuscicornis ( Cameron) from Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam (van Achterberg and Long, 2010; Sharkey and Clutts, 2011), but differs in having metapleuron and hind coxa with velvety and silvery setae; wing membrane black; length of hind femur shorter and wider, 3.0 times their width; vertex with a distinct longitudinal furrow posteriorly; spurs of middle and hind tibiae pale yellow; vein SR1 weakly curved and marginal cell shorter and wider.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Biroia hirsutus sp. n. female, holotype. Habitus lateral.

FIGURES 9 – 15. Biroia hirsutus sp. n. 9, mesosoma, lateral aspect; 10, fore and hind wings; 11, head, dorsal aspect; 12, metasoma, dorsal aspect; 13, head, lateral aspect; 14, head, front aspect; 15, hind femur and tibia, lateral aspect.