Notiospathius bolivari 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 : 41-42

Notiospathius bolivari Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron sp. n. Figs 2A-E

Diagnosis.

This new species is morphologically similar to Notiospathius janzeni Marsh; however, it differs from the latter species by having a basoventral tubercle in the hind coxa (absent in Notiospathius janzeni ) and mesopleuron porcate-coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous ventrally (porcate-rugose dorsally, weakly coriaceous to smooth ventrally in Notiospathius janzeni ). Notiospathius bolivari is genetically similar to two species described below, Notiospathius larensis sp. n. and Notiospathius dantei sp. n., though it differs from them by having the third metasomal tergite finely striate; and fourth and fifth metasomal tergites finely granulose (third, fourth and remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished in Notiospathius dantei sp. n.and Notiospathius larensis sp. n.).

Description.

Female. Colour: Head brown; orbit surrounding eye honey yellow; pedicel and scape honey yellow; flagellomeres brown, apical 9 white (one antenna broken); palpi white. Mesonotum brown, venter of mesopleuron and propodeum black; first metasomal tergite black turning brown apically; second metasomal tergite dark brown with two sublateral light brown stripes; third metasomal tergite dark brown; fourth and fifth metasomal tergites dark brown with a semicircular basal area light brown; remaining metasomal tergites dark brown; ovipositor brown, apex strongly sclerotised; sheaths brown, turning dark brown to apex. Fore and middle coxae, trochanter and trochantellus white; femora brown on basal edge, remaining area white with a longitudinal dark brown stripe; tibiae dark brown dorsally, white ventrally; tarsi light brown; hind coxa brown dorsally, dark brown to black ventrally, apical edge white; trochanter and trochantellus white, femur brown on basal edge, basal third white, apical two thirds dark brown with a white irregular area medially; tibia dark brown dorsally, white ventrally; tarsi dark brown. Wings dusky; veins dark brown; stigma dark brown to black, white laterally; tegula honey yellow. Body length: 4.2 mm (lateral view), ovipositor 3 mm. Head: Clypeus rugose; face, frons and vertex striate-rugose; temple slightly striate; gena smooth; eye 0.8 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.5 times eye height (lateral view); temple 0.25 time s eye width (dorsal view); ocular-ocellar distance 4 times diameter of lateral ocellus; length of scape 2 times its width (frontal view); antenna with 29 flagellomeres (one antenna broken). Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 1.8 times its maximum height; pronotum slightly striate-rugose; pronotal groove wide and scrobiculate; propleuron slightly striate; median mesoscutal lobe striate rugose; lateral mesoscutal lobes striate-rugose, coriaceous medially; notauli wide, deep and scrobiculate, not joining and obscured at middle of mesoscutum in a longitudinally striate-rugose area; scutellar disc coriaceous; subalar and mesopleural sulcus continuous, joining at middle of mesopleuron, the first one wide, deep and scrobiculate, the second one narrow, deep and slightly scrobiculate; mesopleuron porcate-coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous ventrally; precoxal sulcus wide, anterior half shallow and slightly scrobiculated, posterior half deep and scrobiculate, 0.85 as long as mesopleuron; venter of mesosoma coriaceous; metapleuron rugose- areolate, slightly coriaceous anteriorly; propodeum rugose-areolate; apical lateral corners without tubercles; spines over hind coxa absent. Wings: Fore wing length 3.3 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 postfurcal to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU 0.7 times length of vein 1M. Legs: hind coxa striate dorsally, coriaceous ventrally, with a distinct basoventral tubercle; middle and hind femora coriaceous. Metasoma: First metasomal tergite costate with carinate microsculpture, with lateral spine-like projections at basal third of tergite; length 1.6 times its apical width (dorsal view); basal sternal plate (acrosternite) about 0.6 times length of tergum; second metasomal tergite striate with carinate microsculpture; suture between second and third metasomal tergites distinct and sinuate; third metasomal tergite finely striate; fourth and fifth metasomal tergites finely granulose, remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor about 1.3 times length of metasoma.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution.

Northwest Venezuela, state of Aragua.

Holotype.

Female (IB-UNAM CNIN). Venezuela, Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park, 10.37428, -67.59279, 11-12.ix.07 YPT/78 plates, 1070m Montane cloud forest/riparian, H. Clebsch, DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC212-11, GenBank accession no. JN266967.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

This species is named in honour to Simón Bolívar, the South American military and political leader who led Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia to independence.

Figures

Figure 2. Notiospathius bolivari sp. n. Female. Holotype: A habitus, lateral view B fore wing C mesosoma, lateral view D metasoma, dorsal view E metasoma, dorsal view.