Odontosphaeropyx matasi Quicke & Butcher

Quicke, Donald L. J. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2018, First record of Odontosphaeropyx Cameron, 1910 from the Oriental Region with description of a new species from Thailand (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Cheloninae), ZooKeys 809, pp. 41-47 : 42-44

Odontosphaeropyx matasi Quicke & Butcher sp. n. Fig. 1

Type material.

Holotype male, THAILAND: Kamphaeng Phet Mae Wang NP, 3-10.ix.2007, 1306 m, C Puluk, A Inpuang, T2812 (QSBG). Paratype male, same data as holotype (CUMZ).

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished from all other Odontosphaeropyx species in having the combination of an orange thorax, a largely black metasoma with white-banded 2nd tergite, and fore wing vein 3RSa longer than r-rs.

Description.

Length of body 7.2 mm, of fore wing 6.0 mm and of antenna 6.2 mm. Antenna with 38 flagellomeres. Penultimate flagellomere 1.8 × longer than wide. First flagellomere 1.3 × longer than 2nd; 3.3 × longer than wide. Scapus with ‘v’ -shaped notch on outer apical margin. Antennal sockets distinctly above level of top of eye. Width of head 1.3 × length of head in lateral view. Eyes 2.0 × taller than wide in frontal view; glabrous. Width of head: height of eye: width of face = 2.6: 1.0: 1.6. Face and clypeus with dense setiferous punctation. Intertentorial distance 2.0 × tentorio-ocular distance. Clypeus produced into a strong median tooth. Length of temple 1.3 × length of eye in dorsal view. Frons demarked by a sharply-defined elevation running from front of eye straight to and around stemmaticum; with a crescent-shaped ridge in front of anterior ocellus. Occipital carina complete.

Notauli deeply impressed, foveate-crenulate, the area between them on posterior half of mesoscutum depressed (lower than lateral lobes) and evenly strongly rugose. Scutellar sulcus curved, deep and with 4-6 strong crenulae between outer pair. Mesopleuron and mesosternum with small, dense, setiferous punctures, the cuticle between the punctures shiny. Median area of metanotum with complete mid-longitudinal carina. Propodeum with distinct apophyses, a wide medial groove bordered by irregular carinae and transversed by a ladder-like set of carinae superimposed on rugose background.

Fore wing. Vein 1CUb 3.1 × longer than 1CUa. Lengths of veins r-rs: 3RSa: 3RSb = 1.0: 1.3: 4.9.

Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.0: 1.50: 1.30. Length of hind femur: tibia: tarsus = 1.0: 1.25: 1.15. Hind femur 4.4 × longer than maximally deep. Claws with a pectin of two teeth.

Metasoma 2.8 × longer than maximally wide. First tergite with strong, though somewhat irregular, dorsal carinae that almost meet the posterior margin of the tergite. Sutures between the three carapace segments well developed.

Coloration. Head, palps, propleuron, ventromedial part of mesosternum, metapleuron (mostly), propodeum, metasoma except most of second tergite, legs except fore tibia black; fore tibia cream-coloured; 2nd metasomal tergite except medio-posteriorly, white. Wings hyaline with a pale brown cross-band at level of parastigma and pale brown distally from slightly beyond base of pterostigma.

Female. Not known.

Biology.

Not known.

Variation.

Paratype. Vein 1CUb 3.3 × longer than 1CUa. Lengths of veins r-rs: 3RSa: 3RSb = 1.0: 1.25: 4.8. Otherwise almost identical to holotype.

Etymology.

Named after Mr Matas Srisabye, late friend, triathlete, Thai National Team athlete (water polo) and running coach of BAB.

Remarks.

In the key to Odontosphaeropyx species by Braet et al. (2014), which was modified after the one by Zettel (1990), this new species falters at couplet 1 because it has fore wing vein 3RSa longer than r-rs but has the metasoma more than 2.6 × longer than wide. The only described species with similar colouration (orange thorax and largely black metasoma with white-banded 2nd tergite) is O. flavifasciatus Zettel, 1990, which is known from Nigeria (type locality) and Democratic Republic of Congo. The two species may be separated using the following amended couplet:

In addition to the description and drawings of the holotype of O. flavifasciatus [as Pachychelonus flavofasciatus Zettel] given in Zettel (1990: figs 3-9), Braet et al. (2012: figs 48-51) provide photographs of a specimen from Democratic Republic of Congo, and further images of the holotype are on the WaspWeb web site housed at the Iziko institution (http://www.waspweb.org/) (accessed 30 September 2018).