Notiospathius vallensis Rodríguez-Jiménez, 2016

Rodriguez-Jimenez, Andrea & Sarmiento, Carlos E., 2016, Taxonomic synopsis of Notiospathius Matthews & Marsh, 1973 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Colombia, Zootaxa 4132 (2), pp. 151-206 : 201-203

Notiospathius vallensis Rodríguez-Jiménez sp. nov.

( Figs 124–128 )

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others by the following combination of characters. Frons with costate v-shaped pattern or weakly costate v-shaped pattern-smooth. Clypeus smooth-weakly rugose. Lateral mesoscutal lobes honey turning brown or honey-dark brown. Mesoscutum medially rugose or rugose with a media carina.

Description female. Body length: 5.28 mm.

Color. Head mainly honey yellow-brown. Eye orbits pale yellow-light brown. Malar space pale yellow. Palpi pale yellow. Periocellar area dark brown-brown. Scape honey yellow with a longitudinal brown stripe. Pedicel honey yellow with a longitudinal brown stripe. Flagellum with apically yellow annulus composed of 10 flagellomeres. Flagellomeres before annuli dark brown. Mesosoma mainly dark brown. Lateral mesoscutal lobes honey turning brown. Median mesoscutal lobe yellow. Venter of mesosoma dark brown. Pronotum dark brown. Propodeum dark brown. First tergum brown-dark brown. Second tergum brown. Fourth tergum basal half brown apical half yellow. Fifth tergum brown to yellow. Sixth tergum yellow to light brown. Remaining terga yellow. Fore and middle femur pale yellow at apex and base with light brown apically. Fore and middle tibia yellow. Hind coxa honey turning pale yellow apically. Hind trochanter pale yellow. Hind trochantellus pale yellow, honey at apex. Hind femur pale yellow basally, brown apically. Hind tibia pale yellow basally, light brown apically. Hind tarsi honey yellow. Wings dusky. Veins mainly brown. Tegula yellow. Stigma white-brown.

Head. Clypeus smooth-weakly rugose. Head 0.80 x higher than wide. Face transversely costate. Face minimum width/maximum width ratio 0.84. Frons weakly costate v-shaped pattern-smooth. Vertex transversely striate. Eye 1.17 x higher than wide. Ocell-ocular distance twice diameter of lateral ocellus. Malar space 0.39 x eye height in lateral view. Temple/eye length ratio in dorsal view 0.52. Temple narrow. Supraclypeal area 0.40 x head height in frontal view. Gena-temple area smooth. Scape 0.60 x first flagellomere length. Flagellomeres 31.

Mesosoma. Pronotum costate-granulate laterally and rugose ventrally. Pronotal groove distinct. Pronotal groove laterally scrobiculate-smooth. Propleuron rugose-weakly coriaceous-smooth. Mesoscutal lobes coriaceous. Notauli scrobiculate, not reaching the end of mesoscutum. Mesoscutum medially rugose. Scutellum (scutellar disc) weakly coriaceous. Subalar groove distinct and scrobiculate. Precoxal sulcus broad, deep and scrobiculate; length 0.83 mesopleuron length. Mesopleuron weakly costate dorsally, coriaceous-weakly coriaceous-with one carina medially and coriaceous ventrally. Venter of mesosoma coriaceous-weakly coriaceous. Metapleuron costaterugose-areolate. Propodeum weakly rugose-areolate-rugose. Propodeum with a median and two lateral longitudinal and complete carinae. Propodeal apico-lateral corners absent. Propodeal spine or tooth over hind coxa absent.

Wings: fore wing. 2RS/2M ratio 0.46. Vein m-cu meeting vein RS+Ma before vein 2RS. Vein (RS+M)b distinct. Vein (RS+M)b/2RS ratio 0.11. Vein r 0.30 length of vein 3 RSa. Vein 1cu-a interstitial to vein 1M. Hind wing. Vein M+CU/1M ratio 0.66. Vein m-cu nebulous. Vein cu-a 0.24 length of 1M. Vein r-m/1M ratio 0.44. Vein SC+R complete.

Legs. Hind coxa dorsally costate. Ventral part of hind coxa weakly costate-weakly rugose. Hind coxa without basoventral tubercle. Hind coxa 0.60 length of hind femur. Femora without a rounded protrusion in dorso-medial view. Hind femur in dorsal view smooth.

Metasoma. Basal sternal plate length/first tergum length ratio 0.77. First tergum 2.70 x longer than apical width. First tergum rugose on basal three fourths, costate-smooth on apical fourth. Second tergum weakly costate at extreme base, remainder of terga smooth and polished. Third tergum smooth and polished. Suture between second and third tergum absent. Fourth tergum and remainder of terga smooth and polished. Ovipositor 2.45 mm long. Ovipositor 0.80 x length of metasoma. Ovipositor 2.45 x length of first tergum.

Variation with respect to holotype. Female. Body length: 4.35–5.35 mm. Color. Head mainly honey yellowdark brown. Eye orbits yellow or honey yellow. Malar space yellow. Periocellar area brown, or dark brown. Scape yellow with a weakly longitudinal brown stripe. Pedicel yellow with a wide longitudinal brown stripe.

Flagellomeres before annuli brown, or brown to dark brown. Mesosoma mainly dark brown-honey. Lateral mesoscutal lobes honey-dark brown. Median mesoscutal lobe honey yellow. Venter of mesosoma brown, or dark brown. First tergum brown. Second tergum light brown. Third tergum brown with apical margin yellow, or brownyellow, or light brown, apically yellow. Fourth tergum basally brown apical honey yellow, or basally light brown apical yellow. Fifth tergum yellow to light brown. Sixth tergum yellow. Fore and middle femur yellow. Fore and middle tibia honey yellow. Hind coxa yellow, or honey yellow turning pale yellow apically, or honey turning yellow apically. Hind trochantellus yellow-light brown. Hind tibia pale yellow basally, and the remaining honey, or brown, yellow basally. Hind tarsi light brown, or honey turning yellow, or honey. Wings lightly dusky. Veins mainly light brown, or brown. Stigma light brown, or brown.

Head. Head 0.80–0.90 x higher than wide. Face weakly transversely costate. Face minimum width/maximum width ratio 0.84–0.91. Frons costate v-shaped pattern, or weakly costate v-shaped pattern-smooth. Vertex transversely costate. Eye 0.86–1.21 x higher than wide. Ocell-ocular distance twice diameter of lateral ocellus, or three diameter of lateral ocellus. Malar space 0.35–0.45 x eye height in lateral view. Temple/eye length ratio in dorsal view 0.52–0.58. Supraclypeal area 0.40–0.60 x head height in frontal view. Scape 0.40–0.65 x first flagellomere length. Flagellomeres 27–33.

Mesosoma. Pronotum costate laterally and rugose ventrally, or weakly costate-weakly granulate laterally and rugose ventrally, or weakly costate laterally and rugose ventrally. Pronotal groove laterally smooth-weakly scrobiculate. Propleuron with scrobiculate area, weakly coriaceous-weakly rugose, smooth, or weakly rugoseweakly coriaceous-smooth at apex. Notauli reaching the end of mesoscutum. Mesoscutum medially rugose with a media carina. Scutellum (scutellar disc) weakly coriaceous-coriaceous. Subalar groove weakly scrobiculate. Precoxal sulcus length 0.75–0.83 mesopleuron length. Mesopleuron carinate-smooth dorsally, weakly coriaceoussmooth-rugose medially and coriaceous ventrally, or weakly costate dorsally, coriaceous-weakly coriaceous-with one carina medially and coriaceous-weakly rugose ventrally. Venter of mesosoma weakly coriaceous. Metapleuron rugose-areolate, or weakly costate-weakly rugose-areolate. Propodeum weakly rugose-areolate, or ruguloserugose, or rugose, without two sublateral, longitudinal and complete carinae.

Wings: fore wing. 2RS/2M ratio 0.43–0.51. Vein (RS+M)b/2RS ratio 0.06–0.19. Vein r 0.30–0.40 length of vein 3 RSa. Vein 1cu-a slightly postfurcal to vein 1M. Hind wing. Vein M+CU/1M ratio 0.57–0.79. Vein cu-a 0.17– 0.20 length of 1M. Vein r-m/1M ratio 0.30–0.44.

Legs. Ventral part of hind coxa weakly costate. Hind coxa 0.50–0.60 length of hind femur. Hind femur in dorsal view smooth-weakly striate, or smooth-weakly coriaceous.

Metasoma. Basal sternal plate length/first tergum length ratio 0.69–0.80. First tergum 1.91–3.25 x longer than apical width. Second tergum smooth and polished. Ovipositor 2.25–2.70 mm long. Ovipositor 0.82–0.92 x length of metasoma. Ovipositor 2.27–2.53 x length of first tergum.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. Colombia.

Biology. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype female (IAvH). Colombia, Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali, Anchicaya, 3º26'N 76º48'W, 900m, Malaise, 24.iv.08.v.2001, S. Sarria Leg. M.1896, IAvH-E 114174.

Paratypes. Females (IAvH): two females, Colombia, Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali, Anchicaya, 3º26'N 76º48'W, 900m, Malaise, 27.ii.27.iii.2001, S. Sarria Leg. M.1532, IAvH-E 114170 and IAvH-E 114178; one female, Colombia, Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali, Anchicaya, 3º26'N 76º48'W, 900m, Malaise, 19.vi.– 03.vii.2001, S. Sarria Leg. M.1891, IAvH-E 114160; one female, Colombia, Valle del Cauca, PNN Farallones de Cali, Anchicaya, 3º26'N 76º48'W, 900m, Malaise, 19.xii.–02.i.2001, S. Sarria Leg. M.1539, IAvH-E 114179.

Etymology. The name of this species refers to Valle del Cauca, the department in Colombia where this new species was collected.

Figures

FIGURES 124 – 128. Notiospathius vallensis sp. nov.: 124) habitus, 125) head and mesoscutum in dorsal view, 126) metasoma in dorsal view, 127) mesosoma in lateral view, and 128) frons. Scale bar: 1 mm.