Asobara sarae Peris-Felipo, 2019

Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical Asobara Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae), with the descriptions of twenty five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 557, pp. 1-146 : 39-41

Asobara sarae Peris-Felipo , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0200BF26-171C-49F9-B51F-E10E60ADC885

Figs 54–55

Etymology

Named in honour Sara Martín González for her valuable help to the first author.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Cape Province, Mossel Bay ; Dec. 1921; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH 1922-25.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Cape Province, Sarnia ; 1 Apr. 1927; BMNH 1927-162 • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype but May 1930; BMNH 1930-266 .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 2.3 mm, fore wing 2.3 mm, hind wing 1.5 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.7 times as wide as long, 1.5 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes. Eye in lateral view 1.1 times as high as wide and 1.6 times as wide as temple medially. POL 0.2 times OD; OOL 2.5 times OD. Face 1.9 times as wide as high, with sparse setae; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 2.4 times as wide as high, slightly concave ventrally. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible 1.9 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth wider than lower tooth; middle tooth rather narrow and long; lower tooth short. Antennae more than 21-segmented (apical segments missing). Scape 1.5 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 2.5 times as long as its apical width, 0.6 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 4.0 times, 3 rd segment 3.8 times, 4 th segment 3.6 times, 5 th– 11 th segments 3.3 times, 12 th– 17 th segments 2.9 times and 18 th– 19 th segments 2.6 times as long as their maximum width, respectively.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.3 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) about as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, oval. Prescutellar depression smooth, with only median carina, 1.4 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, smooth, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow smooth. Propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured, with several smooth patches, with large, wide and mainly smooth pentagonal areola; basolateral areas smooth, sparsely rugose along carinae. Propodeal spiracle small, its diameter 0.2 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Length of fore wing 2.5 times its maximum width. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 4.1 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r shorter than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 8.2 times as long as vein r and 1.8 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 2.1 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 5.9 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 4.7 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened to apex, 8.3 times as long as its maximum subapical width, 1.1 times as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 1.8 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.3 times as long as its apical width, weakly striate. Visible part of ovipositor sheath 1.7 times as long as 1 st tergite, 0.4 times as long as metasoma and as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Head, mandible and legs light brown. Mesosoma, metasoma, antennae and pterostigma brown to dark brown. In dorsal view, head paler than mesoscutum. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

VARIATION. Body 2.1–2.3 mm, fore wing 2.1–2.3 mm, hind wing 1.4–1.5 mm. Hind femur 4.7–4.8 times as long as its maximum width.

Male

Length. Body 2.0 mm, fore wing 2.4 mm, hind wing 1.9 mm. First flagellar segment 2.8 times as long as its maximum width; 2 nd segment 4.4 times and 3 rd segment 4.0 times as long as their maximum width. Hind femur 5.0 times as long as its maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. rufimalawiana Fischer, 2007 ; the differences between both species are described under the latter species.

Distribution

South Africa.

Figures

Fig. 54. Asobara sarae Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., A, C–F: ♀, holotype (BMNH 1922-25); B: ♂ (BMNH 1930-266). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head, lateral view. D. Mandible. E. Antenna. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 55. Asobara sarae Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1922-25). A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mesosoma, lateral view. C. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. D. Propodeum and first metasomal tergite, dorsal view. E. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. F. Fore wing.