Minanga angelus Sharkey & Braet

Sharkey, M. J. & Braet, Y., 2012, New species of the rare genera Dentigaster Zettel, 1990 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae) and Minanga Cameron, 1906 (Sigalphinae) from French Guiana, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 25, pp. 93-102 : 97-98

Minanga angelus Sharkey & Braet sp. n.

Holotype.

Female.

Diagnosis.

This is the only species of Minanga lacking horns immediately posteriad the lateral ocelli; it is also the only species with horns on the lateral edges of the occiput. This species is also distinguished from other species of Minanga by the lack of fusion of hind wing veins RS and R (or SC depending on vein interpretation) and the presence of crossvein r joining the two longitudinal veins.

Length.

8.2 mm.

Color. Mostly black with some orange and yellow color. Black except as follows: propodeum light orange; fore tarsus yellow; basitarsomeres of mid and hind legs partly yellow; metasoma orange except apex black. Fore wing infuscate in apical half, yellow in basal half.

Head.

Antenna with 43 flagellomeres; lacking horn posteriad lateral ocellus; with long sharp horn on lateral margin of occiput; vertex bulging posterolaterally; occipital carina absent; face with transverse carinae and a median longitudinal elevation; gena forming a flange posteroventrally; antennal insertions bordered by carinae laterally and medially.

Mesosoma.

Pronope and subpronope well-developed; notauli smooth and reaching trans-scutal articulation; scutellar sulcus with 3 strong longitudinal carinae; posterior scutellar depression with a row of areolae; propodeum with median and lateral longitudinal carinae, and an anterior transverse carina, stub of posterior transverse carina present laterally; precoxal sulcus deep (less so anteriorly) and smooth; posterior margin of mesopleuron with several deep depressions; ventral transverse ridge present anteriad mid coxal insertions; tarsal claws with acute basal lobe; hind tarsus with long dense setae.

Metasoma.

Lateral longitudinal carinae of terga 1 and 2 both narrowing posteriorly; all visible terga (3) mostly rugose, 3rd tergum less rugose posterolaterally; ovipositor short (withdrawn under carapace).

Etymology.

Named “angel” for it is the only species of Minanga lacking horns posteriad lateral ocelli, though they are cleverly hidden behind the head.

Material Examined.

Holotype ♀. French Guiana, RN Nouragues (Saut Pararé), 1-30.IX.2010, Rec SEAG, N4 02.368-W52 40.429. [IRSNB].

Distribution.

Neotropical (French Guiana).

Phylogenetic Considerations.

Due to the shared derived character states of lacking an occipital carina, smooth notauli, and compressed apex of the metasoma, Minanga angelus is likely the sister-species of Minanga achterbergi ( Sharkey 2004). The latter is from Mexico and is the only other species known from the New World. The new species belongs in the subgenus Anopliminanga , which was proposed by Tan and Chen (2010) to include the Chinese species, Minanga brevicarinata Tan & Chen and the Mexican species Minanga achterbergi . The taxon was based on the following character states: "posterior margin of carapace without flange, dentation or depression; lateral carinae of metasomal tergite I weakly converging posteriorly; horns of head rather long, 2.4 –3.7× diameter of ocellus, diverging; vein 1-SR + M of fore wing strongly curved". The authors do not support Anopliminanga with cladistic arguments. Using other sigalphine genera as outgroups and Sigalphus as the sistergroup, following Quicke et al. (2008), the dentation of the metasoma and the degree of convergence of the carinae are plesiomorphic, and the other characters are either variable within both subgenera or continuous in nature. Nonetheless the proposed subgenus appears to be monophyletic based on the nature of the sculpture of the mesopleuron. All three species have a longitudinal ridge defining the ventral margin of the precoxal groove. Likewise, members of the subgenus Minanga s.s. are likely to be monophyletic based on the derived state of dentation at the apex of the metasoma.

Identification key for Minanga (modified from the key of Tan et al. 2010)