Therophilus parasper, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010, Revision of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of Vietnam, with the description of forty-two new species and three new genera, ZooKeys 54, pp. 1-184 : 101-103

Therophilus parasper sp. n. Figs 338-346

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "N.W. Vietnam: Tonkin, Hoang Lien N.P., 10 km SW Sa Pa, c. 1550 m, 22-29.x.1999, Malaise traps, C. v. Achterberg, RMNH’99”.

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to Therophilus asper (Chou & Sharkey, 1989) comb. n., but differs by having the hind femur 5 times as long as wide ( Therophilus asper : 4 times); the propodeum with a pentagonal areola (asper: without distinct areola); the first tergite 1.7 times as long as its apical width (asper: 1.3 times); the second tergite striate (asper: almost completely smooth); the outer side of the middle tibia with 3 pegs (asper: with 7 pegs) and hind tibia with a yellowish basal ring (asper: without pale basal ring).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 6.6 mm, of fore wing 6.3 mm, of ovipositor sheath 5.0 mm.

Head.

Antennal segments 37, length of third segment 1.2 times fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.1, 3.0 and 2.0 times their width, respectively; length of apical antennal segment 1.2 times as long as penultimate segment; maxillary palp 0.8 times height of head; malar space 2.5 times as long as basal width of mandible; in dorsal view length of eye 3.4 times temple; temples gradually narrowed (Fig. 345); POL:OD:OOL = 6:4:10; face distinctly punctate with short medial groove and rugose-punctate medially; frons coriaceous with fine faint rugae laterally; vertex and temple smooth with very sparse minute punctures.

Mesosoma.

Length of mesosoma 1.6 times its height; pronotum shiny smooth medially, crenulate anteriorly, pronotal trough rugose-punctate, dorsally with dense punctures; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum densely crenulate; mesoscutum ru gose-punctate, slightly flat posterior with sparse punctures; notauli complete, crenulate; scutellar sulcus 0.6 times as long as dorsal part of scutellum and with one carinae; scutellum largely rugose-punctate with transverse subposterior crest (Fig. 340); precoxal sulcus crenulate, extending 0.9 of mesopleuron (Fig. 339); mesopleuron below precoxal sulcus with sparse fine punctures; mesopleuron above precoxal sulcus shiny with very sparse minute punctures; metapleuron densely setose, rugose-punctate; propodeum with pentagonal areola basally with transverse rugae medio-apically; propodeal spiracle small, as long as wide.

Wings.

Fore wing: second submarginal cell medium-sized (Fig. 342); vein SR1 distinctly curved; r:3-SR+SR1 = 3:73. Hind wing: vein M+CU 0.8 as long as vein 1-M (25:30).

Legs.

Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 5.0, 8.1 and 10.7 times their width, respectively; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with short setae (Fig. 343); length of outer and inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 and 0.7 times middle basitarsus, respectively; outer side of middle tibia with 3 pegs; length of outer and inner spur of hind tibia 0.3 and 0.5 times hind basitarsus, respectively; tarsal claws with lobe.

Metasoma.

First tergite with short medial carina, slightly depressed laterally, its length 1.7 times its apical width (Fig. 341); first tergite sparsely striate medially, densely rugose-striate apically; second tergite with transverse groove, striate with medial striae convergent (Fig. 341); ovipositor sheath 0.8 times as long as fore wing.

Colour.

Black; palpi, fore legs, middle tibia and tarsus yellow; middle femur yellowish brown; hind tibia with a pale yellowish basal ring (Fig. 343); first-second tergites whitish ventrally; pterostigma dark brown; wing membrane infuscate apically and subhyaline basally (Fig. 342).

Distribution.

NW Vietnam: Lao Cai.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

From “para” (Greek for “near”), and the specific name “asper”, because of its similarity to that species.