Cotesia elongata Zargar & Gupta sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 79D3997B-4118-42F3-A579-2E1B75BB4FE7

Fig. 1

Diagnosis

Penultimate segment of antenna 2.2× as long as wide; mesoscutum densely evenly punctate, in lateral lobes presence of smooth area near tegula; notauli indicated by dense punctations; scutellum sparsely punctate in anterior half, punctation dense in posterior half (Fig. 1C); pterostigma 4.0× as long as wide, light brown; vein 1–R1 1.4 × as long as pterostigma, 3.0× as long as distance from end of vein 1–R1 to tip of radial cell (Fig. 1D); third tergite median length 0.7 × as long as second tergite (Fig. 1E).

Etymology

The name is derived from the Latin ‘ elongata ’, meaning ‘elongate’, and referring to the second metasomal tergite, which is longer than third tergite, while in the closely related species, Cotesia ruficrus (Haliday, 1834), it is shorter than the third tergite.

Material examined

Holotype IRAN • ♀; Khuzestan Province, Dezful, Shahrak-e Shahid Mohammad Montazeri; 32°26′83.16″ N, 48°37′67.79″ E; 97 m a.s.l.; 22 May 2017; M. Zargar leg.; Malaise trap; citrus orchards; ICAR-NBAIR/ NIM/MICROG/COT/22517H.

Paratypes IRAN • 4 ♀♀; Khuzestan Province, Dezful, Qaleh-ye Rob-e Bandbal; 32°17ʹ27.94″ N, 48°25′46.98″ E; 97 m a.s.l.; 20 Mar. –3 Apr. 2016, 7–21 Jun. 2017; TMUC-HBMC0001-0004 • 3 ♀♀; Shamsabad; 32°29ʹ64.65″ N, 48°42′57.45″ E; 94 m a.s.l.; 8–22 May 2017, 5–19 Jun. 2017;TMUC-HBMC0005-0007 • 9 ♀♀; Zoviyeh; 31°46ʹ20.56″ N, 48°48′01.17″ E; 30 m a.s.l.; 5–19 Jun. 2017;TMUC-HBMC0008-0016 • 10 ♀♀; Lali, Taraz; 32°20ʹ49.70″ N, 49°05′11.31″ E; 390 m a.s.l.; 3–17 Mar. 2016, 4–18 May 2016, 5–19 Mar. 2017, 5–19 May 2017, 22 Jun.–6 Jul. 2017; TMUC-HBMC00017-0026, ICAR-NBAIR/NIM/ MICROG/COT/4516 • 5 ♀♀; Andika, Chezi; 32°08ʹ02.78″ N, 49°38′30.56″ E; 650 m a.s.l.; 20 Apr. –4 May 2016, 4–18 Jun. 2016, 22 May–6 Jun. 2017, 22 Jun.–6 Jul. 2017; TMUC-HBMC00027-0031 • 1 ♀; Doorab; 32°12ʹ23.00″ N, 49°26′37.00″ E; 760 m a.s.l.; 20 Apr.–4 May 2016; TMUC-HBMC0032 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 4–18 Jun. 2016; ICAR-NBAIR/ NIM /MICROG/COT/4616 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 4–18 Apr. 2017; NBAIR / NIM /MICROG/COT/4417 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 5–19 Jun 2017; NBAIR / NIM /MICROG/COT/5617 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 22 Jun.–6 Jul. 2017; NBAIR / NIM /MICROG/COT/22617 • 6 ♀♀; Baghmalek, Ghaletol; 31°37ʹ49.70″ N, 49°52′53.35″ E; 880 m a.s.l.; 3–17 Apr. 2016, 4–18 May 2016, 21 May–5 Jun. 2016, 22 Jun.–6 Jul. 2017; TMUC-HBMC0033-0038 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 21 May–5 Jun. 2016; ICAR-NBAIR/ NIM /MICROG/COT/21516 • 4 ♀♀; Shang; 31°31ʹ46.00″ N, 49°53′14.61″ E; 716 m a.s.l.; 20 Mar.–4 Apr. 2016, 4–18 May 2016, 5–19 May 2017, 4–18 Jul. 2017; TMUC-HBMC0039-0042 • 2 ♀♀; Dobagh; 31°31ʹ16.14″ N, 49°52′53.00″ E; 688 m a.s.l.; 3–17 Apr. 2016, 4–18 Jun. 2016; Malaise trap; citrus orchards; M. Zargar leg.; TMUCHBMC 0043-0044 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; 3–17 Apr. 2016; ICAR-NBAIR/ NIM / MICROG/COT/3416 .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 3 mm, fore wing length 2.9 mm.

HEAD (Fig. 1 A–B). Smooth except shallowly punctate on face; width of head in dorsal view 1.8× as long as height; width of face 1.4× as long as height; POL:MOD:OOL 4.1: 2:4.5; gena 0.7 × as long as width of eyes; malar space 1.5× as long as width of mandibular base; antenna as long as body; flagellomeres finely setose. FL1 l/w: 3.5, FL12 l/w: 2.4, FL13 l/w: 2.3, FL14 l/w:2.2, FL15 l/w: 2.2.

MESOSOMA (Fig. 1C). Mesoscutum densely evenly punctate, in lateral lobes presence of smooth area near tegula; notauli indicated by dense punctation; scutellum weakly punctate in anterior half, densely punctate in posterior half; scutellar sulcus crenulate; postscutellum crenulate and shiny; prepectal carina absent; propodeum coarsely rugose to scabrous.

WINGS (Fig. 1D). Areolet absent, vein r arising little after middle of pterostigma; vein 1–R1 1.4× as long as pterostigma, 2.8 × as long as distance from end of vein 1–R1 to tip of radial cell, 4.0 × as long as vein r; pterostigma 4.0× as long as wide; vein r as long as 2–SR; vein 1–cu1 as long as vein 2–cu1; width of discoidal cell 1.1× as long as height.

LEGS (Fig. 1F). Metacoxa 1.3× as long as first tergite; metafemur length 4.0× as long as median width; inner and outer spur of metatibia equal, 0.4× as long as basitarsus.

METASOMA (Fig. 1E). TI slightly widening toward apex, 1.1× longer than apical width; apical width 1.7× as long as basal width, rugose. TII apical width 1.9 × longer than median length. TIII median length 0.7× as long as TII; tergites posterior to TII smooth and shiny with single row of setae near hind margin; ovipositor sheath 0.5× as long as metabasitarsus; hypopygium 0.7 × as long as metatibia, truncated apically.

COLOUR. Antenna, head, mesosoma black; metasoma yellowish brown except first and second tergite; labial palp and maxillary palp testaceous; tegula yellowish brown; profemur, mesofemur reddish brown; metafemur reddish brown except black spot at apex; tibiae reddish brown; protarsus and mesotarsus reddish brown, metatarsus dark brown; pterostigma light brown.

Male

Unknown.

Host

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown.

Comment

In the keys provided by Nixon (1974), Papp (1986) and van Achterberg & Polaszek (1996), Cotesia elongata sp. nov. runs close to Cotesia ruficrus (Haliday, 1834); it can, however, be separated from the latter by the following characters: (1) penultimate segment of antenna 2–2.2 (–2.3) × as long as wide vs 1.5 and 1.7 × in Nixon (1974) and van Achterberg & Polaszek (1996), respectively, (2) third tergite 0.7–0.8 × as long as second tergite (Fig. 1E) vs 1.2–1.4 in Papp (1986).

The new species can be included in the identification key of Cotesia compiled by Nixon (1974), which is modified below:

14. Antenna short, rather thick, preapical segment about one-and-a-quarter× as long as wide; legs dark brownish or obscurely brownish yellow throughout; mesopleuron anterior to and ventral to sternaulus, very shiny and with sharp discrete punctation ..................... C. amabilis (Nixon, 1974)

– Antenna longer and decidedly thin.................................................................................................A

A. Preapical segment of antenna fully one-and-a-half× as long as wide; mesopleuron anterior to and ventral to sternaulus, tending to be dull and evenly rugose................... C. ruficrus (Haliday, 1834)

– Preapical segment of antenna 2–2.2 (–2.3) × as long as wide; mesopleuron anterior to and ventral to sternaulus, tending to be punctate ...................................... C. elongata Zargar & Gupta sp. nov.

The new species can be included in the identification key of Cotesia compiled by Papp (1974), which is modified below:

10. First tergite at most as long as wide at hind, usually slightly shorter; second tergite slightly shorter than, or sometimes as long as third tergite; head in dorsal view somewhat less rounded behind eyes; hind coxa always reddish yellow................................................. C. kariyai (Watanabe,1937)

– First tergite usually slightly longer than wide at hind ....................................................................A

A. Second tergite one-fourth to one-fifth shorter than third tergite; third tergite usually more or less and fourth tergite less usually with yellow to reddish yellow pattern; tegulae yellow to vivid yellow .................................................................................................... C. ruficrus (Haliday, 1834)

– Second tergite 1.2–1.3 × as long as third tergite; third and fourth tergite yellowish brown (Fig. 1E); tegulae yellow......................................................................... C. elongata Zargar & Gupta sp. nov.