Vipio paraguayensis Szepligeti , 1906

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 paraguayensis Szepligeti, 1906 Figures 17 , 18 , 19

Vipio paraguayensis Szépligeti, 1906: 157; Shenefelt, 1978: 1857.

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Vipio paraguayensis Szépligeti 1906, Paraguay, Villa Encarnacion, 7.xii.1904 (Schrottky) (HNHM type No. 832).

Additional material examined.

Argentina: 1 ♀, Buenos Aires, 1.i.1950 (J. Foerster) (USNM); 1 ♀, Buenos Aires, San Clement del Tuyu, xi.1950 (J. Foerster) (CNCI); 1 female, Pronunciamiento Entre Rios, ii.1965 (CNCI); 1 ♀, Tucuman, Va. Padro Monte-R. Nio, 25.iv.1966 (C.C. Porter) (USNM); 1 ♀, La Plata, Fac., Agronomia, 22.xii.1968 (C.C. Porter) (USNM). Bolivia: 3 ♀♀, Corolco (HNHM); 1 ♂, Corolco, 1800 m, 3-8.xii.1955 (L.E. Pena) (CNCI). Brazil: 3 ♀♀, Nova Teutonia 27°11'S, 52°23'W 300-500 m, vii-xi.1968 (F. Plaumann) (CNCI). Chile: 1 ♀, Conesa, Rio Negro, i.1954 (F.H. Waltz) (USNM). Colombia: 1 ♀, Cundinamarca Monterredondo, 10.xii.1958 (J. Foerster) (USNM). Trinidad: 1 ♂, Port of Spain (W.S. Brooks); 1 ♀, “1-9” Maracas, xii.1977, malaise trap (CNCI); 3 ♀, Curepe, 10.iii.1978, 28.iii.1978, 6.xii.1967; 1 ♀, San Andrew, nr. Valencia 23.iii.1985 (G.F. & J.F. Hevel) (CNCI); 1 ♀, Cocos Bay, 28-29.vi.1982 (J.M. Carpenter & J.S. Edgerly) (USNM); 1 ♀, Caranege, 14.x.1918 (Harold & Morrison) (USNM); 1 ♀, St. Augustine, 2.iii.1953 (F.J. Simmonds) (USNM); 1 ♂, Aripo Savana, 26.x.1918 (Harold & Morrison) (USNM); 2 ♂, Aripo Cumuto (R. Thaxter) (USNM). Venezuela: 1 ♂, El Tucuco, 200 m 19.iv.1981 (L. Masner) (USNM).

Diagnosis.

May be distinguished from other Neotropical Vipio species by the combination of long ovipositor (1.5-1.9 × body length), presence of an acutely pointed basal lobe to claw and a short mid-anterior, rather wide, carina on the propodeum.

Description.

Females, length of body 5.6-8.4 mm, of fore wing 4.6-6.8 mm, of ovipositor (part exserted beyond apex of abdomen) 6.4-10.2 mm and of antenna 4.5-7.0 mm.

Head. Antenna robust, 0.85-0.87 × body length, with 42-48 flagellomeres; first flagellomere 1.5-1.6 × longer than second, 2.0 × longer than wide; second flagellomere 1.6 × longer than wide; median flagellomeres quadrate; distal flagellomeres wider than long, except terminal flagellomere longer than wide, with apex bluntly rounded; head sub-transverse; face uniformly punctate, rarely rugulose laterally, remainder of head smooth and shiny; clypeus higher in profile, slightly rugulose, clypeal guard setae typical; HL 0.8-0.87 × HH; HW/HH 0.87-0.9; FH/FW 0.47-0.49; EH/HH 0.67-0.70; EH/FW 0.70-0.94; EW/EH 0.78-0.8; ITD 1.7 × TOD; MS 0.3-0.35 × EH; LMC 0.3 × HH; third segment of maxillary palpus 4.0 × longer than wide.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.78-1.8 × height; pronotum smooth and shiny, except at furrow, punctate dorso-laterally; notauli smooth; propodeum smooth and punctate laterally with a shallow median furrow, having a basally smooth median longitudinal carina.

Wings. Fore wing: length of fore wing 0.75-0.80 × body length; PL/LRC 0.92-0.94, PW/PL 0.24-0.27; length of vein 3RSb 0.91-0.95 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; length of vein 1M 0.62-0.64 × length of (RS+M)a; 3RSa reaching anterior wing margin between apex of pterostigma and wing apex at distance 0.53-0.57. Hind wing: uniformly setose or with sparse setosity basally; apex of C+SC+R with one basal hamule.

Legs. Claw with pointed basal lobe.

Metasoma. T I 1.34-1.38 × longer than wide, raised median area oval, anterior smooth area narrowing posteriorly, becoming a median longitudinal carina with short transverse carinae posteriorly; carinate at lateral margin; surrounding area with short transverse striae; dorso-lateral carina present, area below crenulate; T II 1.35-1.50 × wider than long, baso-lateral areas smooth and triangular; baso-medial area becoming a median longitudinal carina posteriorly and reaching a small raised smooth area at the apex of tergum; remainder of the tergum longitudinally striate, oblique furrows impressed, striate; T III 1.3-1.7 × wider than medially long longitudinally striate, baso-lateral areas distinct; T IV longitudinally striate with small baso-lateral area; T V-VII smooth and shiny; hypopygium extending 0.4-0.7 mm beyond apex of metasoma; ovipositor 1.1-1.4 × body length.

Colour. Black and reddish yellow; face black or reddish black; base of mandible, and a narrow strip around eyes yellow; remainder of head black; pronotum dorsally (sometimes), propleuron (sometimes), mesopleuron, scutellum (except edges), propodeum, metapleuron, legs, metasomal T V-VII, ovipositor sheath black; remainder of body reddish yellow. Wings smoky, pterostigma yellowish brown.

Male. As in female, except length of body 4.3-6.4 mm, of fore wing 0.89-0.94 × body length; antenna with 36-46 flagellomeres, all flagellomeres longer than wide, except distal 5 or 6 which gradually become clavate (Fig. 19 ); HL 0.83-0.87 × HH; EH/HH 0.88-0.90; EH/FW 0.85-0.87; FH/FW 0.56-0.59; ITD 3.0 × TOD; MS 0.14-0.16 × EH; EW/EH 0.61; face smooth and shiny, yellowish white with a black spot above clypeus; segments 2 and 3 of maxillary palp distinctly expanded.

Remarks.

Vipio paraguayensis can be easily recognised by the combination of the presence of a pointed basal lobe on the claw, the presence of a median longitudinal carina on the propodeum, the densely striate T II-IV, and the long ovipositor. Based on the presence of the median longitudinal carina on propodeum, this species may be closely related to V. boliviensis sp. nov. However, the presence of a pointed basal lobe on the claw, longitudinal striations on the metasoma, and longer hypopygium in paraguayensis separate it from boliviensis sp. nov. (in which the basal lobe of the claw is rounded, T III and IV are transversely striated, and the hypopygium is short). Males of this species can be confused with males of V. belfragei because of the expanded third and fourth maxillary segments, but the clavate antenna in paraguayensis (as opposed to a filiform antenna in belfragei ) readily separate these two species. Another useful character is the presence of a median longitudinal carina on the propodeum in this species, as opposed to several short carinae posteriorly in belfragei .

Figures

Figure 17. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio paraguayensis. A Female habitus, lateral view B face C head and anterior mesosoma, dorso-lateral view D head, dorsal view E mesosoma, lateral view F mesoscutum and scutellum, dorsal view.

Figure 18. Montaged light and scanning electron micrographs of Vipio paraguayensis. A Wings B propodeum C metasomal tergites I and II, dorsal view D metasomal tergites II-IV, dorsal view E apex of metasoma and hypopygium, lateral view F SEM of claw.

Figure 19. Vipio paraguayensis male, lateral habitus.