Phanerotoma aspidiota sp. nov. Figs 28, 29-39

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), " Yemen (8136), Al Kowd, light trap, ix.2003, A. v. Harten & S. Al Haruri, RMNH’03” .

Diagnosis.

Third tergite flat medially, broadly truncate posteriorly in dorsal view (Fig. 31) and acute posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 32); apical antennal segments of ♀ rather slender (Fig. 39) and 3 apical segments moniliform; head directly narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 35); inner tooth of mandible ca. 0.5 × apical tooth, stout (Fig. 34); vein r of fore wing vertical (Fig. 29); vein r of fore wing ca. 0.7 × as long as vein 3-SR; mesoscutum coriaceous-like sculptured; vein 1-R1 ca. 1.2 × as long as pterostigma; vein 1-M of fore wing brown); mesosoma approx. twice longer than high in lateral view; hypopygium of ♀ with narrow and long spine-like protuberance apically (Fig. 32).

Description.

Female, holotype, length of body (excluding ovipositor) 3.4 mm; antenna 2.5 mm; fore wing 2.2 mm; visible part of ovipositor sheath 0.7 mm (0.15 mm sparsely erect setose).

Head. Width 1.6 × median length in anterior view and part of head above eye in lateral view 0.2 × height of eye (Fig. 37); antenna with 23 cylindrical segments and 1.1 × longer than fore wing, three apical segments small and moniliform (Fig. 39), with short bristle apically and apical segment without spine, third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.0, 2.8 and 1.0 × longer than wide in lateral view, respectively; area of stemmaticum granulate; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL = 12: 4: 4; length of eye 3.1 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 35); frons granulate medially, rugose laterally and without median carina; vertex rugose and with satin sheen; temple finely and densely granulate and rather dull, directly narrowed behind eyes; face transversely rugose laterally, rugulose and with obsolescent median bump and rather shiny; clypeus smooth, shiny and 0.8 × minimum width of face, intertentorial distance 2.6 × minimum width between clypeus and eye, long erect setose and with 3 indistinct blunt teeth medio-ventrally (Fig. 36); eye medium-sized, strongly convex and in lateral view 1.7 × (measured medially) wider than temple (Fig. 37), in anterior view its height equal to minimum width of face; upper condyle of mandible near lower level of eyes (Fig. 36); malar space aciculate, with satin sheen and 0.4 × as long as basal width of mandible; lower tooth of mandible half as long as apical tooth, robust (Fig. 34).

Mesosoma (Figs 28, 30). Length 2.1 × its width in lateral view; side of pronotum rugose, but anteriorly punctate and dorsally granulate; propleuron posteriorly flattened; mesosternum superficially granulate and with satin sheen; mesoscutum densely and very finely rugulose, rather dull; scutellum flat, distinctly granulate (but medially partly smooth) and rather matt; scutellar sulcus narrow, with nine carinae (Fig. 30); metanotum with short median carina medially and finely serrate posteriorly; propodeum rugose, but anteriorly rugulose, without transverse carina or median carina, and latero-posteriorly weakly tuberculate. Wings. Fore wing 2.7 × longer than its maximum width; 1-R1 1.25 × as long as pterostigma; distance between wing apex and marginal cell apex 0.2 × length of 1-R1; r issued far beyond middle of pterostigma and 0.7 × 3-SR; 2-SR slightly curved and subparallel with posterior margin of pterostigma (Fig. 29); SR1 straight; 2-SR+M short; m-cu just postfurcal; parastigma medium-sized; 1-CU1 0.4 × as long as vein 2-CU1, cu-a 0.8 × 1-CU1; r:3-SR:SR1 = 5:7:34; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 18:7:7; r-m nearly vertical; 2-M slightly curved (Fig. 29). Hind wing: M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 16:14:5. Legs. Hind femur matt, 3.1 × as long as wide and robust; middle tibia with ivory blister; inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 × its basitarsus; hind tibia wide medially (Fig. 33); hind coxa largely coriaceous but dorsally mostly smooth and shiny.

Metasoma (Figs 31, 32). Nearly parallel-sided in dorsal view, 1.9 × as long as wide and 1.4 × as long as mesosoma; first and second tergites densely and coarsely longitudinally rugose; second metasomal suture rather wide and slightly sinuate; third tergite 1.3 × longer than second tergite and straight, flat medially, broadly truncate posteriorly in dorsal view (slightly concave: Fig. 31), acute posteriorly in lateral view (Fig. 32), reticulate-rugose and with satin sheen (Fig. 31), lateral lamella narrow, wider latero-apically and medio-apically narrow; ovipositor sheath narrow, apically somewhat widened and darkened, its visible part 0.32 × as long as fore wing and 0.58 × metasomal carapace and sparsely setose part 0.07 × fore wing and with few erect setae; hypopygium of ♀ with long narrow triangular and spine-like protuberance apically (Fig. 32) and rather sparsely setose.

Colour. Yellowish brown (including most of hind femur); apex of antenna, hind tibia apically and subbasally, parastigma, vein 1-M and apex of ovipositor sheath brown; stemmaticum dark brown; clypeus, palpi, tegulae, remainder of legs first and second tergites and metasoma ventrally pale yellowish or ivory; pterostigma (but basally and apically pale yellowish) dark brown; wing membrane slightly brownish below pterostigma.

Male.

Unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

Yemen.

Etymology.

From aspidiotes (Greek for shield-bearer) because of the truncated shield-like third metasomal tergite.