Notiospathius dantei Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron, 2012

Lopez-Estrada, E. Karen, Briceno, G. Rosa, Smith, M. Alex, Juliano Fiorelini Nunes,, Penteado-Dias, Angelica M., Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara, Clebsch, Hans & Zaldivar-Riveron, Alejandro, 2012, Seven new species of Notiospathius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) from Northwest Venezuela, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 29, pp. 37-62 : 44-46

Notiospathius dantei Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron sp. n. Figs 4A-D

Diagnosis.

This new species is morphologically and genetically similar to one of the species described below, Notiospathius larensis sp. n., though it differs from the latter species by having the mesonotum reddish brown (brown to dark brown in Notiospathius larensis sp. n.); first metasomal tergite reddish brown at extreme base, black medially, turning reddish brown to apex (completely black in Notiospathius larensis sp. n.); and mesopleural and subalar sulcus continuous, joining at middle of mesopleuron (not joining in Notiospathius larensis sp. n.). Notiospathius dantei differs from the remaining described species of the genus with basoventral tubercle on hind coxa by having the following combination of features: first two metasomal tergites sculptured, remaining ones smooth; apical 10 flagellomeres lighter than remaining ones; mesopleuron porcate-sligthly coriacoeus dorsally and medially, coriaceous ventrally; lateral mesoscutal lobes coriaceous medially, striate-rugose laterally; median mesoscutal lobes coriaceous anteromedially.

Description.

Female. Colour: Head dark brown; area near mandible and orbit surrounding eye honey-yellow; pedicel honey yellow, brown dorsally; flagellomeres brown, turning light brown to apex, apical 10 white (one antenna broken); palpi white. Mesonotum reddish brown to dark brown, first metasomal tergite reddish brown at extreme base, black medially and turning reddish brown to apex; second metasomal tergite dark brown with a semicircular basal area light brown; third and fourth metasomal tergites light brown basally and medially, dark brown apically; remaining metasomal tergites dark brown; ovipositor and sheaths reddish brown, ovipositor apex strongly sclerotized, black. Fore and middle coxae, trochanter and trochantellus white, femora brown at the base, following by white and turning brown to light brown to apex, tibiae and tarsi light brown; hind coxa light brown to brown, trochanter and trochantellus white, femur white at basal third, apical two thirds brown, tibia and tarsi brown. Wings dusky; veins dark brown; stigma pale yellow at extreme base, remaining area dark brown; tegula honey-yellow. Body length: 4.1 mm (lateral view), ovipositor 3.7 mm. Head: Clypeus striate-rugose; face straite; frons striate-rugose; vertex striate-slightly rugose; temple slightly striate; gena smooth; eye 1.4 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.4 times eye height (lateral view); temple 0.5 times eye width (dorsal view); hypoclypeal depression elliptic; ocular-ocellar distance 6 times diameter of lateral ocellus; length of scape less than 1.2 times its width (frontal view); antenna with 29 flagellomeres (one antenna broken). Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 1.9 times its maximum height; pronotum striate; pronotal groove wide and scrobiculate; propleuron laterally striate, remaining area slightly coriaceous; lateral mesoscutal lobes coriaceous medially, striate-rugose laterally; median mesoscutal lobes coriaceous anteromedially, remaining area transversally striate-rugose; notauli wide, deep and scrobiculate, not joining, obscuring at middle of mesoscutum in a longitudinally striate-rugose area; scutellar disc slightly coriaceous; mesopleural and subalar sulcus continuous, joining at middle of mesopleuron, the first one deep, narrow and scrobiculate, the second one wide, deep and including the porcate sculpture of mesopleuron; mesopleuron porcate-sligthly coriacoeus dorsally and medially, coriaceous ventrally; precoxal sulcus wide, deep and scrobiculate, as long as mesopleuron; venter of mesosoma slightly coriaceous; metapleuron longitudinally costate with rugose microsculpture; propodeum longitudinally costate-rugose; apical lateral corners with tubercles; spines over hind coxa absent. Wings: Fore wing length 4.1 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 3.2 times its maximum width; vein r 0.3 length of vein 3RSa; vein m-cu distinctly antefurcal to vein 2RS; vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU 0.4 times length of vein 1M. Legs: hind coxa striate, with an almost indistinct basoventral tubercle; middle and hind femora slightly coriaceous. Metasoma: First metasomal tergite costate with rugose microsculpture; length 2.3 times its apical width (dorsal view); basal sternal plate (acrosternite) about 0.7 times length of tergum; second tergite striate with rugose microsculpture; suture between second and third metasomal tergites distinct and slightly sinuate; remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor about 1.7 times length of metasoma.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Northwest Venezuela, state of Yaracuy.

Holotype.

Female (IB-UNAM CNIN). Venezuela, Yaracuy, Est. Biol. Guáquira, 10°17.84'N, 68°39.32'W, 107 m, sweep, selva trop., DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC278-11, GenBank accession no. JN267024.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of the first author’s father.

Figures

Figure 4. Notiospathius dantei sp. n. Female. Holotype: A habitus, lateral view B metasoma, dorsolateral view C mesosoma, lateral view D head, dorsal view.