Megalommum simulatum Long, 2022

Dzuong, Nguyen Van, Long, Khuat Dang, Mai, Pham Quynh, Hoa, Dang Thi, Oanh, Nguyen Thi & Nghiep, Hoang Thi, 2022, Four new species of the subfamily Braconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 5116 (4), pp. 563-578 : 568-571

Megalommum simulatum Long , sp. nov.

Figs 12–23

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, “Bracn. 1232 ” ( IEBR), NW Vietnam: Hoa Binh, Bao Hieu , litchi+sugarcane orchard, MT, 20°23’N 105°34’E, 80 m, 01–10.viii.2003, KD Long.

Diagnosis. In frontal view, head 1.3 × as wide as long; in dorsal view, head 1.5 × as long as wide; eye length 4.3 × temple; ocelli in high triangle, POL: OD: OOL= 3: 5: 4; vein 1-M of fore wing thin, 1.6 × vein 1-CU1 ( Fig. 20 ); vein 1-CU1 thick, 2.0 × as thick as vein 1-M; m-cu rather thick, slightly curved inwards, and as long as vein 1-M; basal length of second submarginal cell 3.6 × apical width; hind wing vein 1-M distinctly curved basally ( Fig. 19 ); hind femur slender, 4.75 × as long as wide ( Fig. 17 ); in lateral view, mesosoma 1.6 × its height; first metasomal tergite length 1.3 × its apical width; second tergite and midbasal triangular area smooth, with wide crenulated lateral convergent grooves ( Fig. 23 ); antero-lateral depression convergent, rather deep, smooth; second metasomal suture finely crenulate; third tergite smooth, with fine sparse punctures; ovipositor slightly curved; sheath obliquely setose, 0.2 × as long as fore wing.

Description. Holotype, female, length of body 9.4 mm, fore wing 11.1 mm, ovipositor sheath 2.5 mm ( Fig. 12 ).

Head. Antenna with 31 flagellomeres remaining; in lateral view, scapus 1.7 × as long as wide; length of first flagellomere 1.3 × second (9: 7); first flagellomere 1.3 × its maximum width; second flagellomere as long as wide; head 1.3 and 1.5 × as wide as long in anterior (frontal) and dorsal view respectively; face narrowed medially, rugopunctate and setose, 0.7 × as wide as long ( Fig. 14 ); in frontal view, eye length 2.1 × as long as its transverse width (53: 25); clypeus separated from face with a transverse carina; height of clypeus: inter tentorial distance: tentorial ocular distance = 5: 12: 4; distance between tentorial pits 3.0 × as long as distance from tentorial pit to eye margin ( Fig. 14 ); malar space 0.5 × basal width of mandible; in lateral view, transverse width of eye 5.3 × as long as temple (48: 9) ( Fig. 15 ); in dorsal view, length of eye 1.7 × as long as width (39: 23), and 4.3 × temple (39: 9); ocelli in high triangle, distance between anterior and posterior ocelli 0.8 × as long as OOL; POL: OD: OOL= 3: 5: 4 ( Fig. 13 ); frons flat, smooth, with fine midlongitudinal carina; vertex and temple smooth.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.6 × its height (72: 44); pronotum smooth laterally, setose; mesoscutum smooth, setose, finely sparsely punctate; notauli slightly depressed anteriorly, shallow; scutellar sulcus shallow, punctate ( Fig. 18 ); scutellum almost smooth, with sparse punctures; mesopleuron and metapleuron smooth, setose; medial area of metanotum without midlongitudinal carina anteriorly; propodeum smooth, setose.

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 20 ): length of pterostigma 3.8 × its width; vein 1-SR+M curved subbasally; vein 1-M thin, 1.6 × vein 1-CU1 (21: 13); vein 1-CU1 rather thick, 2.0 × as thick as vein 1-M; vein 2-M almost straight; m-cu slightly curved inwards, and as long as vein 1-M ( Fig. 20 ); subdiscal cell as broad as discal cell, with median dense setose area and narrow glabrous sclerome, and upper and posterior parts of this area glabrous ( Fig. 20 ); veins SR1 curved subbasally; ratio of length of veins r: 3-RS: SR1 = 16: 41: 81; 2-RS: 3-RS: r-m = 32: 41: 19; second submarginal cell slightly narrowed apically, basal length of second submarginal cell 3.6 × apical width (75: 21); vein CU1b triangular, strongly widened basally ( Fig. 20 ). Hind wing ( Fig. 19 ): vein 1-M thick and strongly curved basally; vein SR slightly curved subbasally, parallel-sided apically; vein 2-SC+R vertical; subbasal cell setose; vein 1r-m almost straight; M+CU: 1-M: 1r-m = 12: 74: 28; apex of vein SC+R1 with three curved hamuli.

Legs. Fore tibia 0.8 × fore tarsus (55: 71); ratio of lengths of fore femur: tibia: basitarsus: tarsus = 47: 55: 25: 71; hind femur rather slender, 4.75 × its maximum width ( Fig. 17 ); hind femur, tibia, basitarsus 4.75, 11.3 and 7.8 × their maximum width; outer and inner hind tibial spurs 0.4 × and 0.5 × as long as hind basitarsus, respectively; tarsal claw simple and with bristly ventrally.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.3 × as long as wide apically (48: 36), with a midlongitudinal carina and a pair of lateral smooth groove ( Fig. 22 ); median area of first tergite striate-rugulose baso-medially, smooth coriaceous apically; second metasomal tergite 1.4 × as long as third tergite medially (28: 20), 1.4 × as wide (basally) as long (38: 28), length of midbasal triangular of second tergite in basal 0.7 × of tergite (20: 28), smooth; lateral sides of midbasal triangular area surrounded by convergent crenulate grooves ( Fig. 23 ); antero-lateral depression of second tergite convergent, deep; second metasomal suture deep, crenulate; third tergite with fine dense punctures; remainder smooth; ovipositor slightly curved, needle-shaped apically, without dorsal notch or nodus and ventral serrations ( Fig. 16 ); ovipositor sheath covered with dense oblique setae, 0.2 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Body yellow; eyes dark brown; scapus and pedicellus yellow; flagellum dark brown in more than basal half, brownish yellow apically; vein and membrane of fore wing yellow, except parastigma and area between parastigma and base of vein 1-SR+M brown; all legs yellow; ovipositor sheath brown; ovipositor yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. NW Vietnam (Hoa Binh).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. Named from “simulo” (Latin for “imitate, copy”), because this species is similar to M. hoabinhense , sp. nov.

Notes. Megalommum simulatum Long , sp. nov. is closely related to Megalommum hoabinhense Long , sp. nov., but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: 1) Vein 1-M 1.6 × vein 1-CU1 (vs 0.9 × in M. hoabinhense ); 2) Second submarginal cell broader, parallel-sided, basal length 3.6 × its apical width ( Fig. 20 ) (vs longer and slightly narrowed apically in M. hoabinhense , 4.3 × its apical width); 3) Lateral convergent grooves of midbasal triangular area of second tergite rather wide and crenulate (vs narrow and punctate in M. hoabinhense ).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Habitus of Megalommum simulatum Long, sp. nov., holotype, female (lateral).

FIGURES 13–23. Megalommum simulatum Long, sp. nov., holotype, female. 13 Head, dorsal view 14 Head, frontal view 15 Head, lateral view 16 Ovipositor 17 Hind femur 18 Mesonotum 19 Hind wing 20 Fore wing 21 Fore wing discal and subdiscal cells 22 First metasomal tergite 23 Second-third metasomal tergites.