Parapanteles rooibos Valerio, Whitfield and Kole

Valerio, A. A., Whitfield, J. B. & Janzen, D. H., 2009, Review of world Parapanteles Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), with description of fourteen new Neotropical species and the first description of the final instar larvae, Zootaxa 2084 (1), pp. 1-49 : 15

Parapanteles rooibos Valerio, Whitfield and Kole

Figs. 3A , 6E , 11D

Parapanteles rooibos, Valerio, Whitfield & Kole, 2005 , Zootaxa, 855, 1–8.

Female. Body length = 2.05–2.40 mm.

Body color: Palpi yellowish (except basal segment) as fore femur distal 1/2, fore tibia and tarsomeres, mid leg distal tip of femur and basal 1/5 of mid tibia, hind tibia basal tip, distal half of mandibles and ovipositor; tarsal claws dark brown; composed eyes silver; ocelli dark orange; spurs of hind tibia whitish yellow as very basal pleura of metasoma; remainder of body black as ovipositor sheaths. Wings hyaline; forewing with veins translucent except pterostigma, 2RS, 2M, r and C+SC+R (except basal 1/4 whitish yellow); hind wing veins translucent except basal area of C+SC+R and distal tip of R1 brownish yellow.

For a more extensive description of the species see Valerio et al. (2005).

Rearing records and biology. Parapanteles rooibos was reared from Isturgia exerraria (Prout) ( Geometridae : Ennominae) feeding on the legume Aspalathus linearis (commonly known as the rooibos tea plant) in South Africa.

Material examined. Holotype, female, “ South Africa, Cederberg region , October 2003, Col. M. Kole. ” Paratypes six females and one male with same data as holotype . Holotype deposited in South African National Collection of Insects ( SANC), Pretoria; paratypes in South African National Collection and in U. S. National Museum ( USNM) .

Comments. This is the only known Parapanteles species from the African continent.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Propodeum of Parapanteles rooibos Valerio et al. (A); P. nephos n. sp. first metasomal tergum in dorsal view (B), and P. tlinea n. sp. transversal lineate sculpture on mesopleuron (arrow points at it) (C).

FIGURE 6. Parapanteles scotti n. sp. propodeum (A); P.aletiae (Riley) female genitalia (B) and first metasomal tergum in dorsal view (D); P. nephos n. sp. propodeum (C) and wings (F), and P. rooibos Valerioet al. female genitalia (E).

FIGURE 11. First metasomal tergum in dorsal view for Parapanteles sicpolus n. sp. (A), P.em n. sp. (B), P. paradoxus (Muesebeck) (C), P. rooibos Valerioet al., P. tlinea n. sp. (E), and P. continua n. sp. (F).