Testudobracon imitator Long, 2023

Mai, Pham Quynh, Long, Khuat Dang, Hiep, Nguyen Duc, Hoa, Dang Thi & Duong, Tran Dinh, 2023, First record of the genus Testudobracon Quicke, 1986 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) in Vietnam, with description of four new species, Zootaxa 5244 (5), pp. 485-500 : 492-495

Testudobracon imitator Long , sp. nov.

Figures 5–6

Material examined. “ Bracn. 1034 ” ( IEBR), NW Vietnam: Hoa Binh, Mai Chau, Tan Son , orchard, MT, 20°43’10.3’’N 104°59’47’’E, 950 m, 10–15.vi.2010, KD Long .

Description. Holotype, female, length 3.0 mm; antennae 2.9 mm; fore wing 2.6 mm; ovipositor sheath 1.4 mm ( Fig. 5 ).

Head. Antenna with 23 flagellomeres; length of first flagellomere 1.2 × as long as second flagellomere; first, second and penultimate flagellomeres 2.0, 2.0 and 2.0 × as long as wide; head 1.5 and 1.9 × as wide as long medially in anterior and dorsal view, respectively; OOL: OD: POL = 6: 3: 3 ( Fig. 6a ); oculo-antennal groove indistinct; length of eye 4.0 × as long as temple in dorsal view; height of eye: width of face: width of head = 15: 15: 34; height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 2: 7: 4; clypeus with distinct postero-dorsal carina ( Fig. 6b ); length of malar space 1.5 × basal width of mandible. Face, frons and vertex anteriorly finely rugose; occiput irregularly rugose; temple almost smooth.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.2 × its height ( Fig. 6g ); mesoscutum rugo-punctate, middle lobe with indistinct medial longitudinal ridge ( Fig. 6d ); notauli complete, anteriorly with depressed area, wide posteriorly, meeting scutellar sulcus scutellar sulcus rather wide, deep, with 6 carinae ( Fig. 6d ); scutellum convex, smooth; mesopleuron with a deep oval pit medially ( Fig. 6g ); mesopleuron rugo-punctate, but smooth posterior-ventrally; metapleuron rugo-punctate; groove between metapleuron and propodeum wide and deep; propodeum with a complete mid- longitudinal carina, largely smooth medio-posteriorly, rugo-striate antero-laterally.

Wings. Length of pterostigma 2.4 × its maximum width; fore wing vein 1-SR 0.3 × as long as 1-M; ration of length of fore wing veins r: 3-SR: SR1 = 6: 12: 32 and 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 10: 12: 5; second submarginal cell rather long, slightly narrowed distally ( Fig. 6h ). Hind wing vein C+SC+R with straight hamulus and vein R1 with 3 curved hamuli apically; ratio of length of hind wing veins 1r-m: SC+R1 = 6: 9.

Legs. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 19: 18: 21; hind coxa smooth, setose; length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 25: 30: 11.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite rugose, 0.8 × as long as wide apically with a longitudinally impressed area medially; second metasomal tergite basally 2.1 × wider than long with sublateral crenulate grooves, rugose, setose ( Fig. 6f ); second metasomal tergite 0.8 × as long as third tergite medially; second metasomal tergite rugulose medially, irregularly rugose laterally; third tergite confused rugulose ( Fig. 6f ); fourth–sixth tergites finely rugose medially, irregularly rugose laterally; sixth metasomal tergite with rounded postero-lateral lobes ( Fig. 6e ); medial emargination deep, touching suture between T5 and T6 ( Fig. 6c ) 1.6 × as wide as height medially; ovipositor 0.9 × metasoma in lateral view, and 0.5 × as long as fore wing.

Colour. Antenna brown; head yellow, except stemmaticum and occiput dark brown; pronotum mesonotum yellow; mesopleuron ventrally and propodeum brown; fore and middle legs yellow, except telotarsus yellowish brown; hind coxa brown; hind femur and hind tibia apically brown, except hind femur apically and basally, hind tibia basally yellow; hind trochanters and trochantellus, hind tarsus yellow, except telotarsus brown; wing veins yellowish brown; metasomal tergites 1–3 yellow, except 2nd–3rd tergites medially dark brown; 4th–6th tergites pale yellow dorsally; postero-lateral lobes of 3rd–5th tergites, 4th metasomal sutures yellowish brown; ovipositor sheath brown; ovipositor yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. NW Vietnam (Hoa Binh).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From “imitor” Latin meaning “copy, mimic”, because the new species is similar to Testudobracon descensus , sp. nov. by having ovipositor abruptly bent downward subapically.

Notes. Testudobracon imitator sp. nov. is close to T. athashi Ranjith , from India but differs from the latter by following characters: 1) Ovipositor 0.9 × metasoma (0.6 × in T. athashi ); 2) Vein 3-SR of fore wing distinctly longer vein (1.4 ×) vein 2-SR (in T. athashi vein 3-SR subequal to vein 2-SR; and 3) Propodeum, hind coxa and lateral lobes of third–fifth metasomal tergites blackish brown (propodeum, hind coxa yellow in T. athashi ); T. imitator , sp. nov. is also close to T. tatyanae Quicke & Ingram , from Australia, but differs from the latter by the following characters: 1) Second-third metasomal tergites with acute postero-lateral lobes (rounded postero-lateral lobes in T. tatyanae ); 2) Notauli deep and wide posteriorly, sparsely cranulate; and 3) Third metasomal tergite 2.8 × wider than long (2.25 × in T. tatyanae ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Habitus of Testudobracon imitator Long, sp. nov., holotype, female (lateral)

FIGURES 6a–h. Testudobracon imitator Long, sp. nov., holotype, female, a Head, dorsal b Head, frontal c Fourth-sixth metasomal tergites, dorsal d Mesonotum e Metasoma, lateral f Second-sixth metasomal tergites, dorsal g Mesopleuron h Fore wing