Protadesha Quicke & Butcher, 2023

Quicke, Donald L. J., Ranjith, Avunjikkattu Parambil, Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, Nasser, Mannankadiyan, Hebert, Paul D. N. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2023, Two new genera and one new species of the tribe Adeshini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Braconinae) from India and South Africa, ZooKeys 1166, pp. 235-259 : 235

Protadesha Quicke & Butcher gen. nov.

Type species.

Protadesha intermedia Quicke & Butcher, sp. nov. by monotypy.

Diagnosis.

Differs from all other genera of Adeshini in having fore wing vein 2CU with a clearly-differentiated and sub-transverse basal abscissa (2CUa).

Description.

Head. Scapus shorter ventrally than dorsally in lateral aspect. Head transverse. Head and mesosoma largely finely coriaceous or alutaceous. Mesosoma. Mesonotum with very weak narrow mid-longitudinal groove. Notauli narrow, complete, more or less uniting shortly before scutellar sulcus. Precoxal sulcus absent. Median area of metanotum with weak, mid-longitudinal carina. Propodeum with mid-longitudinal carina. Wings. Wings narrow. Fore wing second submarginal cell approximately 1.50 × longer than wide. Fore wing vein 2CUa distinct. Hind wing vein 1r-m short, oblique. Hind wing vein R longitudinal. Posterior margin of hind wing weakly emarginate. Base of hind wing without glabrous area next to vein cu-a. Metasoma. Metasoma with five fully visible and sculptured tergites; tergites deep with steep sides. Metasomal tergites 3-5 without transverse subposterior grooves. First metasomal tergite not flattened laterally; with weak lateral depression along ventrolateral margin; with small, fenestrate dorsope. Second metasomal tergite without mid-basal or antero-lateral areas, with wide, weak lateral depression that runs along lateral margin as far as the base of third tergite. Second metasomal suture narrow, weakly curved. Fifth metasomal tergite very weakly emarginated posterolaterally. Ovipositor sharp, with a distinct pre-apical dorsal angulation (nodus).

Etymology.

From Greek proto meaning first and the genus name Adesha in reference to the potentially earlier form of modification of the fore wing venation in relation to that of other Adeshini .

Remarks.

The position of fore wing vein 2CUb half-way between the level of 2CU and the anal vein (hence with two angled abscissa of 2CU present) is intermediate between the usual condition in Braconinae and the derived state of the Adeshini , suggesting that the genus might be displaying a transitional character state.