Bracon hidalguensis, Rosa & Martínez & Benites & Hernández-Cumplido & Zaldívar-Riverón, 2023

Rosa, Jaime Solis-De La, Martínez, Juan José, Benites, Pilar, Hernández-Cumplido, Johnattan & Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro, 2023, A new species of Bracon (Braconidae: Braconinae) from central Mexico, probable parasitoid of a weevil that feeds on roots of Argemone ochroleuca Sweet (Papaveraceae), Zootaxa 5336 (4), pp. 590-596 : 593-594

Bracon hidalguensis sp. nov.

Figs 2 & 3

Material examined. Holotype ( CNIN IBUNAM): Female. México: Hidalgo, Tasquillo , 19°50´135´´ N, 99°16´326´´ W, 28-IX-2018, reared from roots of Argemone ochroleuca, J. Solis de la Rosa col . Paratypes ( CNIN-IBUNAM): 9 specimens 3 females, 6 males. Same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. This new species belongs to the nominal subgenus ( Bracon ). Currently, 19 species of this genus have been recorded from México, with three of them being associated with weevil larvae: Bracon compressitarsus Wharton , B. mellitor Say , and B. nuperus Cresson. The new species can be distinguished from the described species from Mexico by the following combination of characters: head, pronotum and mesonotal lobes largely dark brown to black (entire body piceous yellow in B. mellitor ; Figs 2A–D ; 3A,B ); propodeum rugose-coriaceous (largely smooth in B. compressitarsus and B. nuperus ); and second metasomal tegum rugulose-coriaceous medially (largely smooth with a median anterior carina in B. compressitarsus ) ( Fig. 2F ). One North American species, B. tortriciae Ashmead is known to attack the weevil species Conotrachelus nenuphar ( Yu et al. 2016) ; however, B. hidalguensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by the latter species by its sculptured propodeum (smooth in B. tortriciae ) and colour pattern (metasoma with extensive dark patterns in B. tortriciae ).

Description. Holotype female. Body length 3.0 mm ( Fig. 2B ); fore wing 3.2 mm ( Fig. 2H ). Ovipositor 0.9 × longer than metasoma. Colour: head, pronotum and mesoscutal lobes dark brown to black; propleuron, scutellum, propodeum and mesopleuron dark brown to honey yellow; median area of mesoscutum, scutellar disc, metasoma and legs honey yellow, last tarsal segment and claws black; eyes silverish black, anterior and posterior area surrounding eye honey yellow; mandibles honey yellow, black at tip; clypeus, malar space and maxillary and labial palpi honey; antennae dark brown. Wings hyaline, veins and pterostigma brown. Ovipositor sheaths dark brown to black, ovipositor honey yellow.

Head: Width 1.6 × its median length (dorsal view). Transverse diameter of eye 1.6 × wider than temple (dorsal view), 1.4 × as high as broad (lateral view). Vertex and temple smooth and polished, frons smooth-slightly coriaceous; face slightly rugose-coriaceous, sparsely setose medially, densely setose laterally. Clypeus granulated, with long dense hairs at the base. Malar space 0.3 × height of eye. Antenna with 25 flagellomeres (one antenna broken); scape and pedicel smooth and sparsely setose; segments broad, cylindrical, terminal flagellomere acuminate.

Mesosoma: Length 1.5 × its maximum height, mostly smooth and polished. Propleuron coriaceous. Lateral mesoscutal lobes slightly coriaceous near notauli. Notauli distinct, narrow and smooth, not joining. Median area of mesoscutum smooth. Scutellar disc smooth, with long, dense setae. Scutellar sulcus deep and narrow, with seven transversal carinae. Propodeum strongly rugose-coriaceous, longitudinal median carina short, about one fourth length of propodeum. Metapleuron slightly rugose-coriaceous, with long, sparse setae.

Wings: Fore wing length 3.0 × its maximum width. Pterostigma 2.8 × longer than width. Vein R1 1.7 × longer than pterostigma. Vein 3RSa 2.1 × longer than vein r, 0.8 × as long as vein 3RSb, 1.8 × longer than vein 2RS. First submarginal cell 1.3 × longer than wide, as long as first discal cell. Hind wing about 6.3 × longer than wide. Vein M+CU 0.5 × as long as vein 1M.

Legs: Coxae, femora and tibiae smooth-acinose, with sparse setae. Tarsal claws with basal lobe. Basitarsus of hind tarsus as long as second to fifth tarsomeres combined. Hind coxa 1.8 × longer than its maximum width.

Metasoma: Metasoma as long as head and mesosoma combined. First tergite short, 0.6 × as long as its maximum width, with a pentagonal-like shaped area surrounded by two lateral carinae. Second tergite coriaceous to rugulose coriaceous medially, striate in “V-like” shape medio-basally, suture between second and third terga slightly sinuous, remaining terga coriaceous. Ovipositor 0.9 × longer than metasoma; dorsal valve with a single nodus, ventral valves apically with three serrations.

Variation. Body length 2.7–3.0 mm; fore wing 2.7–3.2 mm. Median area of mesoscutum honey yellow top black dorsally; metasoma, tibiae and tarsi honey yellow to brown. Ovipositor, 0.7–0.9 x longer than metasoma. Scutellar disc honey yellow to brown

Males. Body length 2.2–2.4 mm ( Fig. 3A ); forewing 2.0– 2.2 mm.Antennae with 23–24 flagellomeres.Anterior and posterior area surrounding eye brown and less distinctive. Scutellar disc and metasoma honey yellow to brown.

Type locality. Tasquillo , Hidalgo, central Mexico .

Etymology. The new species was named after the state where it was collected, Hidalgo.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bracon hidalguensis sp. nov., holotype female, except G paratype male. A) mesoscutum, dorsal view; B) head, frontal view; C) head and mesosoma, lateral view; D) head and mesosoma, dorsal view; E) first metasomal tergite, dorsal view; F) second and third metasomal tergites, dorsal view; G) mesosoma, lateral view; H) fore and hind wings.

FIGURE 3. Habitus of B. hidalguensis sp. nov. A) paratype male, lateral view; B) holotype female, dorsal view.