Vipio lavignei, Quicke & Shaw & Inayatullah & Butcher, 2020

Quicke, Donald L. J., Shaw, Scott R., Inayatullah, Mian & Butcher, Buntika A., 2020, The genus Vipio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the Neotropical Region, ZooKeys 925, pp. 89-140 : 89

Vipio lavignei sp. nov. Figures 13 , 14

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Peru: Tingo Maria 620, 5-12.x.1964 (C.C. Porter) (MCZC). Paratypes: Peru: 1 ♀, Tingo Maria, 20-27.i.1968 (A. Garacia and C. Porter) (USNM). Argentina: 1 ♂, Tucuman, Horco, Molle, 18-21.iii.1968 (C.C. Porter) (MCZC); 1 ♂, Tucuman, Orán Abra, Grande, 18.iv-5.v.1969, (C.C. Porter) (MCZC).

Diagnosis.

Vipio lavignei can be recognised by the black head and pronotum, rugo-punctate face, and rectangular, dorso-laterally carinate raised median area of first metasomal tergite.

Description.

Holotype and paratype ♀, length of body 9.0-9.2 mm, of fore wing 8.2-8.8 mm, of ovipositor (part exserted beyond apex of abdomen) 3.3 mm, and of antenna 8.8 mm.

Head. Antenna as long as body, with 49 flagellomeres, median flagellomeres 1.2-1.3 × longer than wide, tapering distally; first flagellomere 4.0 × longer than wide, and 1.2 × longer than second, the latter 3.0 × longer than wide; head sub-transverse; clypeus rugose, carinate dorsally; guard setae typical; face rugo-punctate with a small short ridge below antennae; frons rugulose; remainder of head smooth and shiny; HL 0.85 × HH; HW/HH 0.93; FH/FW 0.64; EH/HH 0.6; EH/FW 0.99. EW/EH 0.8; ITD 1.25 × TOD; MS 0.47-0.5 × EH; LMC 0.3 × HH; third segment of maxillary palpus 4.0 × longer than wide.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.8 × height. smooth and shiny, except pronotal furrow, crenulate dorsally; notauli smooth; propodeum smooth and shiny.

Wings. Fore wing: length of fore wing 0.96 × body length; PW/PL 0.28; PL/LRC 0.71; length of vein 3RSb 1.1 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; length of vein 1M 0.82 × length of (RS+M)a; vein 3RSa reaching anterior wing margin 0.74 × distance between apex of pterostigma and wing tip. Hind wing: uniformly setose; apex of vein C+SC+R with one basal hamule.

Legs. Claw without pointed basal lobe;

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.14 × longer than wide; raised median area rectangular with dorso-lateral carina; slightly rugulose, surrounding area with widely spaced transverse carinae, dorso-lateral carina laminate, area below smooth and shiny; T II 1.8 × wider than long, sparsely longitudinally striate; basal areas smooth and shiny; OF wide, deep, and striate; posterior of tergum smooth; second metasomal suture wide, striate; T III 1.9 × wider than medially long, smooth and shiny posteriorly, baso-lateral areas smooth and shiny for the most part with surrounding area strongly striate; T IV smooth and shiny, except for crenulate transverse basal groove; remainder of metasoma smooth and shiny; hypopygium short, ending at apex of metasoma; ovipositor 0.37 × body length.

Colour. Head, including antenna and palpi, prothorax, mesonotum and legs black; a narrow strip surrounding the eye and a small spot behind each eye yellow; metasomal T I-III red with black tinge; T IV-VII reddish black. Wings smoky;

Variation.

Paratype female as in holotype except, length of body 9.2 mm, of fore wing 8.2 mm; face strongly rugose; EH/FW 0.70; HW/HH 0.91; ITD 1.3 × TOD; mesosoma 1.64 × longer than high; length of fore wing 0.88 × body; PL/LRC 0.94; PW/PL 0.24; length of vein 1M 0.75 × length of (RS+M)a; length of vein 3RSb 1.1 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; 3RSa reaching anterior wing margin between apex of pterostigma and wing apex at distance 0.67; T I 1.23 × longer than wide; T II 2.1 × wider than long; T III 2.3 × wider than medially long; yellow spot behind antenna absent;. Paratype males (N = 2) as in female, except length of body 7.2 mm; length of fore wing 0.89 × body length; antenna 1.0-1.1 × body length; with 38 or 39 flagellomeres; HL 0.89-0.90 × HH; FH/FW 0.67; EH/HH 0.62-0.64; EW/EH 0.79; EH/FW 0.95; ITD 1.7 × TOD; MS 0.39 × EH; T II-IV uniformly longitudinally striate.

Distribution and seasonality.

Argentina and Peru. Two specimens from Argentina were collected in March and May and two from Peru in October.

Etymology.

Named after UW Professor Emeritus Robert J. Lavigne, in honour of his diverse contributions to entomological research and his role in promoting the insect systematics program at the University of Wyoming.

Remarks.

This species is apparently closely related to V. hansoni sp. nov. because of its strongly sclerotised metasoma, and wide, deep 2nd metasomal suture. V. lavignei can be separated by the rugo-punctate face (smooth and shiny in hansoni sp. nov.), the black mesonotum (yellow in hansoni ), and the rectangular T I raised median area (oval in hansoni ).

Figures

Figure 13. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio lavignei sp. nov. A Female habitus, lateral view B face C head and anterior mesosoma, lateral view D head, near dorsal view E mesosoma and metasomal tergite I, lateral view F mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal view.

Figure 14. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio lavignei sp. nov. A Wings B propodeum and metasomal tergite I, dorsal view C metasomal tergite I, near dorsal view D metasoma, dorsal view E apex of metasoma, lateral view F apex of ovipositor, lateral view.