Bracon (Sculptobracon) obsoletus, Li, Yang, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016

Li, Yang, He, Jun-Hua & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2016, Four subgenera of Bracon Fabricius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) newly recorded from China, with description of five new species, Zootaxa 4208 (5), pp. 459-473 : 471

Bracon (Sculptobracon) obsoletus sp. nov.

( Figs 5 a–j)

Holotype: Length of body 2.8 mm, fore wing 3.0 mm, ovipositor 0.5 mm.

Head. Antennae damaged, left antenna with 10 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 2.1 × longer than wide, 1.3 and 1.4 × longer than second and third respectively, the latter 1.5 × longer than maximal width. Clypeus height: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 3: 8: 5. Clypeus sparsely and shortly setose. Eyes glabrous, not excavated. Face finely sculptured, with short setae ( Fig. 5 f). Eye height: shortest distance between eyes: width of head = 13: 18: 28. Frons weakly sculptured, impressed behind antennal sockets, without mid-longitudinal sulcus. Vertex punctate. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: narrower diameter of elliptical posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 2: 2: 7. Head subparallel immediately behind eyes ( Fig. 5 e).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma with dense short setae, 1.3 × longer than deep ( Fig. 5 b). Notaulus moderately shallow, setose along the entire length of mesoscutum. Scutellum punctate medially, with dense short setae apically ( Fig. 5 g). Prescutellar furrow deep, with short longitudinal ridges. Metanotum with complete median longitudinal carinae. Propodeum smooth, with dense long setae laterally and short median longitudinal carinae posteriorly ( Fig. 5 i).

Wing. Length of fore wing veins SR1: 3-SR: r = 26: 15: 9. Fore wing vein 1-SR+M obsolete, weakly arched ( Fig. 5 c), and 1.14 × longer than length of 1-M. Fore wing vein m-cu straight, 1.2 × longer than 2-SR+M. Length of fore wing veins 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 11: 15: 7. Fore wing veins C+SC+R and 1-SR forming an angle of approximately 80°. Fore wing vein cu-a weakly postfurcal. Length of hind wing veins SC+R1: 2-SC+R: 1r-m = 11: 2: 5.

Leg. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 18: 21: 22. Length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 22: 33: 12. Hind basitarsus 4.0 × longer than wide.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite mainly smooth, parallel-sided, 0.8 × longer than posterior width; posterior part of 1st tergite distinctly elevated medially, sculptured laterally ( Fig. 5 j). Second metasomal tergite 0.4 × longer than wide, entire tergite strongly rugose, with complete glabrous median longitudinal area and converging lateral groove ( Fig. 5 h). Second and third metasomal tergites separated by a deep, carinate suture, which is straight medially. Third metasomal tergite 0.28 × longer than wide; weakly elevated antero-laterally. Tergites 2–7 entirely with reticulate sculptures. Ovipositor 0.17 × length of fore wing.

Colour. Head and body yellow, but apex of mandibles dark brown, antenna black brown, median areas of tergites 2–5 black brown, ovipositor sheath black. Wings infumated.

Male. Similar to females except as follows: length of body 2.9 mm, fore wing 2.7 mm.

Specimens examined. Holotype, ♀, Xi’an, Shanxi, 1988. VII. 10, Hui Yanwen , No. 889025 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1 6, Xi’an, Shanxi, 1988. VII. 10, Hui Yanwen , No. 889025 ( ZJUH) .

Biology. According to the collecting data, host is Odites issikii (Takahashi, 1961) ( Lepidoptera : Lecithoceridae ).

Distribution. China (Shanxi) (Fig. 6).

Etymology. From Latin “ obsoletus ” meaning for obsolete, referring to fore wing vein 1-SR+M obsolete.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Bracon (Sculptobracon) yakui Watanabe, 1937 , but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: body mainly yellow, median areas of tergites 2–5 black brown ( Fig. 5 h) ( B. (S.) yakui with body mainly black); fore wing vein 1-SR+M obsolete, weakly arched ( Fig. 5 c) ( B. (S.) yakui obvious and straight); and first metasomal tergite mainly smooth ( Fig. 5 j) ( B. (S.) yakui strongly reticulate-rugose).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Bracon (Sculptobracon) obsoletus sp. nov.: a. body, lateral view; b. mesosoma, lateral view; c. fore wing; d. hind wing; e. head, dorsal view; f. head, frontal view; g. mesosoma, dorsal view; h. 2 – 7 metasomal tergites, dorsal view; i. propodeum, dorsal view; j. first metasomal tergite, dorsal view. Scar bar 200 µm.