Bracon (Orientobracon) laticanaliculatus, 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 : 465-467

Bracon (Orientobracon) laticanaliculatus sp. nov.

( Figs 3 a–j)

Holotype: Length of body 3.8 mm, fore wing 3.4 mm, ovipositor 0.6 mm.

Head. Antenna with 33 flagellomeres; terminal flagellomere strongly acuminate, 2.5 × longer than basally wide; penultimate flagellomere 2.1 × longer than wide; first flagellomere 1.9 × longer than wide, 1.0 and 1.05 × longer than second and third respectively, the latter being 2.0 × longer than maximal width. Clypeus height: intertentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 6: 11: 5. Clypeus with dense short setae. Eyes glabrous, slightly excavated. Face sparsely setose, faintly punctate, weakly concave medially ( Fig. 3 f). Eye height: shortest distance between eyes: head width= 19: 21: 38. Frons strongly impressed behind antennal sockets, without mid-longitudinal sulcus. Vertex and temples sparsely setose. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: narrower diameter of elliptical posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 7: 4: 18. Head subparallel immediately behind eyes ( Fig. 3 e).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma smooth and polished, with sparse setae, 1.75 × longer than deep ( Fig. 3 b). Notaulus not sculptured, deep anteriorly, evanescent posteriorly; notaulus setose along entire length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 3 g). Scutellum with dense short setae. Prescutellar furrow wide, deep, with short, longitudinal ridges. Metanotum with complete median longitudinal carinae. Propodeum with sparse setae medially, denser long setae laterally, and weak median longitudinal groove ( Fig. 3 i).

Wing. Length of fore wing veins SR1: 3-SR: r = 51: 12: 7. Fore wing vein 1-SR+M straight, and 0.9 × length of 1-M. Fore wing vein m-cu straight, 2.33 × longer than 2-SR+M. Length of fore wing veins 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 15: 12: 10. Fore wing veins C+SC+R and 1-SR forming an angle of approximately 55°. Fore wing vein cu-a interstitial. Length of hind wing veins SC+R1: 2-SC+R: 1r-m = 21: 5: 11.

Leg. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 23: 25: 37. Length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 30: 49: 13. Hind basitarsus 3.0 × longer than wide.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite strongly rugose, 1.6 × longer than posterior width; posterior part of 1st tergite distinctly elevated medially, with short longitudinal sulcus laterally ( Fig. 3 j). Second metasomal tergite 0.55 × longer than wide, weakly elevated baso-medially, with short, converging and lateral groove, entire tergite densely and strongly rugose ( Fig. 3 h). Second and third metasomal tergites separated by a deep, carinate suture, which is relatively wide medially ( Fig. 3 h). Third metasomal tergite 0.34 × longer than wide, finely rugose anteriorly and smooth posteriorly. Tergites 4–7 polished, with sparse setae. Ovipositor 0.18 × length of fore wing.

Colour. Head and body yellow, apex of mandibles dark brown. Ovipositor sheaths ferruginous. Fore and hind wings light yellow.

Variation. Female: Similar to holotype except as follows: hind basitarsus 2.5 × longer than wide, antenna yellowish brown, ocellar field black brown, metasoma and 5th tarsus of hind leg dark brown.

Specimens examined. Holotype, ♀, Mt. Mogan, Zhejiang, 1992. VI. 12, Lin Wei , No. 923087 ( ZJUH) . Paratype: 1♀, Mt. Mogan, Zhejiang, 1992. VI. 12, Chen Xuexin , No. 922719 ( ZJUH) .

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. China (Zhejiang) (Fig. 6).

Etymology. From Latin “lati” and “canaliculatus” meaning lateral and groove respectively, referring to second metasomal tergite with short, converging and lateral groove.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Bracon (Orientobracon) maculaverticalis sp. nov., but can be separated from the latter by the following characters: head yellow, without mark ( Fig. 3 e) ( B. (O.) maculaverticalis sp. nov. with a moderately large black brown mark around ocular area); third metasomal tergite finely rugose anteriorly, smooth posteriorly ( Fig. 3 h) ( B. (O.) maculaverticalis sp. nov. strongly rugose); and propodeum with weak median longitudinal groove, without median longitudinal ridge apically ( Fig. 3 i) ( B. (O.) maculaverticalis sp. nov. with very short median longitudinal ridge apically).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Bracon (Orientobracon) laticanaliculatus 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.