Ascogaster kibalensis Braet

Braet, Yves, Rousse, Pascal & Sharkey, Michael, 2012, New data on African Cheloninae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) show a strong biogeographic signal for taxa with spined propodea, Zootaxa 3385, pp. 1-32 : 4-6

Ascogaster kibalensis Braet , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–8 )

FEMALE (Holotype). Body length 4.8 mm, fore wing length 4 mm.

Head ( Figs 6, 8 ). Head 0.75x as length as height (in lateral view). Antennal socket inserted close to top of eye. Antenna with 42 flagellomeres. Scapus 4x as long as wide, longer than first flagellomere, without apical lobe. First flagellomere 5x as long as wide, longer than second flagellomere. Penultimate flagellomere as long as wide, 0.04x as long as first segment, 0.60x as long as apical segment. Flagellomeres 1–8 with placodes on all sides, following flagellomeres without placodes on half of their dorsal surface; surface without placodes smooth. Eye length 2.50x length of temple (in dorsal view), 1.50x as high as broad, glabrous. Maxillary palpus of normal length (ending between fore and middle coxae). Clypeus flattened in lateral view, with slightly convex lower margin, without apical teeth (apically blunt and smooth medially), weakly punctate. Malar suture absent. Malar space 1x basal width of mandible, 0.30 x eye height. Face flat in lateral view, densely punctate, with short, sparse setae. Temple not swollen in dorsal view, coarsely punctate, with short, sparse setae. Frons transversely costate/striate, concave (sometimes only weakly), with carina between antennal socket and without lateral carina. POL 2.50x ocellar diameter, 2x OOL. Vertex striate, with strong transverse striaterugulose sculpture, with short, sparse setae. Occipital carina complete, joining hypostomal carina at mandible.

Mesosoma ( Figs 4–6 ). Pronotum mostly punctate but longitudinally striate ventro-laterally, dorsally without modifications. Pronotal furrow absent. Mesosoma 1.43x as long as wide (in lateral view), 1.43x as long as wide (in dorsal view). Mesoscutum sharply raised anteriorly, at right angle to pronotum, medio-anteriorly punctate-areolate, median lobe anteriorly without median groove. Mesoscutum with sparse, short setae. Surface of mesoscutum medially, near scutellar sulcus, entirely punctate to areolate. Notaulus absent. Scutellar sulcus 7.50x as wide as long, 1.40x as long as scutellum, smooth. Scutellar sulcus with 6 complete carina. Scutellum rounded laterally, flattened in lateral view, rugose and punctate. Subalar groove areolate-punctate. Mesopleuron areolate, mostly with short, dense setae but with a median glabrous area anterad mid coxa. Precoxal sulcus absent. Surface of mesosternum weakly punctate. Propodeum 0.46x as long as mesosoma (in dorsal view), rugulose-areolate, carinate areas completely absent. Propodeum vertical posteriorly, with short, sparse setae. Propodeal transverse carina higher than sculpture, with four pointed rounded angles/tubercles (laterally more developed than medially). Median angles present and short (as high as large) equally spaced with lateral ones. Lateral tubercles 0.80x their transverse width, straight with rounded apex. Surface of metapleuron punctate, with short, sparse setae. Metapleural flange absent. Wings: Pterostigma 4x as long as wide. Marginal cell of fore wing closed distally. Vein r 0.83x as long as vein 3- SR, 0.20x as long as vein SR1, 0.45x as long as vein 2-SR. Vein 2-SR of fore wing present. Vein 1-SR+M straight. First discal cell of fore wing 2.18x as long as wide (measured perpendicular to vein 1-CU1+2-CU1). Vein r-m of fore wing with wide bulla. Vein m-cu postfurcal. Vein cu-a of fore wing postfurcal. Vein CU1a (relative to cubital vein (2-CU1) of fore wing) not interstitial, arising behind middle of distal vein of subdiscal cell. Vein CU1b postfurcal with m-cu. First subdiscal cell of fore wing closed distally (vein 2cu-a present). Vein 2–1A long. Hind wing vein 1-SC+R present. Subbasal cell of hind wing medium sized. Hind wing vein M+CU as long as vein 1-M. Hind wing vein r absent, m-cu absent. Basal cell of hind wing closed. Hind wing vein cu-a present. Legs: Femora not swollen. Hind coxa large, dorsally striate/rugose, ventrally smooth. Hind femur 3.75x as long as wide. Hind femur with sparse setae, dorsally and ventrally punctate. Hind tibia 4.50x as long as wide, 2.52x as long as hind basitarsus, with dense stout and rather short setae, apically without specialized patch of setae on its inner side. Hind basitarsus 4.17x as long as wide. Length of hind basitarsomere equal to length of remaining tarsomeres.

Metasoma ( Figs 2–3, 7 ). Carapace anteriorly areolate, posteriorly rugulose. Ventral opening of carapace 0.60x as long as its full length. Ovipositor sheath 0.05x as long as metasoma. Ovipositor sheath apically straight, apically with short, thin setae.

Color. Scapus, pedicel and first flagellomere yellowish. Head blackish, mandible medially yellowish, maxillary and labial palpus light yellowish. Mesosoma entirely blackish. Fore wing lightly infuscate, veins brownish, full wing weakly infuscate. Leg entirely yellowish. Carapace yellowish but darkened/infuscated on its basal 0.10 and apical 0.20 parts. Ovipositor brownish.

Hosts records. None.

Morphological variation. Length of fore wing 4.1 mm. Antenna with 40-43 flagellomeres. Flagellomeres 1–10 with placodes on all sides, following flagellomeres without placodes on dorsal side and smooth; scape, pedicel and first flagellomere yellowish.

Comments. Ascogaster kibalensis sp. nov. does not have spine-like apophyses on the propodeum but we describe it here because its overall similarity with Chelonus (C.) mayi sp. nov. Ascogaster kibalensis sp. nov. is closely related to A. mayamotensis De Saeger, 1948 as indicated by the presence of an obvious transverse ridge on propodeum with four strong and rounded angles. But it differs clearly by the color of the carapace (yellowish rather than blackish). The yellow color also occurs in C. (C.) mayi sp. nov., but the species can be distinguished by the presence of fore wing vein 1-SR+M and the fewer number of flagellomeres in C. (C.) mayi sp. nov. (all characters separating Ascogaster from the Chelonus ).

Etymology. From the name of the locality.

Distribution record. Ethiopian ( Uganda).

Type material. Holotype: Ψ (MRAC), " Uganda, Kibale, Kanyawara Biol Stat, alt 1509m, leg. S. Katusale & Co, Malaise 3, 00°33'54.4''N 30°21'29.8''E, 3–7.III.2010 ". Paratypes: Ψ (Coll. YB), " Uganda, Kibale, Kanyawara Biol Stat, alt 1509m, leg. S. Katusale & Co, Malaise 3, 00°33'54.4''N 30°21'29.8''E, 3–7.III.2010 "; Ψ (Coll. YB), " Uganda, Kibale, Kanyawara Biol Stat, alt 1509m, leg. S. Katusale & Co, Malaise 3, 00°33'54.4''N 30°21'29.8''E, 16–23.V.2010 "; Ψ (MNHN), " Uganda, Kibale, Kanyawara Biol Stat, alt 1509m, leg. S. Katusale & Co, Malaise 3, 00°33'54.4''N 30°21'29.8''E, 21–28.III.2010 "; ɗ (MNHN), " Uganda, Kibale, Kanyawara Biol Stat, alt 1509m, leg. S. Katusale & Co, Malaise 3, 00°33'54.4''N 30°21'29.8''E, 18–25.IV.2010 ".

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Ascogaster kibalensis Braet sp. nov., Holotype female. 1. full imago; 2. metasoma, dorsal; 3. metasoma, lateral; 4. medio transversal carina of propodeum; 5. anterior part of mesosoma, dorsal; 6. head and mesosoma lateral; 7. apex of metasoma; 8. head, face.