Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg, 2022

Gupta, Ankita, Van Achterberg, Cornelis & Fernandez-Triana, Jose L., 2022, Two new species of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from the foothills of western Himalayas, India, with a key to Oriental species of Pambolus Haliday and an update to the key to world species of Paroplitis Mason, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 90, pp. 59-73 : 59

Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type material.

Holotype. India. ♀; Himachal Pradesh, Chamba District, Khajjiar, 32.555795°N, 76.0655834°E, 24 Sept. 2014; Ankita Gupta leg; (NIM). code-NBAIR/Brac/Pamb/Pamb/24914A (NIM).

Etymology.

The species epithet " Pambolus infuscatus " is derived from the character of the wing which is largely infuscated.

Diagnosis.

Antenna of ♀ 1.3 × longer than body, without ivory or white apical segments and in total with about 24 segments; eye about 1.6 times longer than temple in dorsal view and temple gradually narrowed behind eyes (Fig. 1C ); propodeal spine distinctly protruding, longer than wide basally (Fig. 1A, G ); vein 1-SR+M of fore wing distinctly bent; vein SR1 of fore wing 2.2 × longer than vein 3-SR; pterostigma 4.1 × longer than wide (Fig. 2A ); hind femur about 3.8 × longer than wide; length of first tergite about equal to its apical width (Fig. 2B ); second tergite smooth; setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.3 × as long as hind tibia (Fig. 2C ); pterostigma largely dark brown; fore wing membrane (except apex of wing) largely dark brown (Fig. 2A ); hind femur and tibia largely dark brown, hind tarsus ivory.

Description.

Female. Body length 3.0 mm; fore wing length 2.5 mm.

Head. Antenna 24 segmented, 1.3 × as long as body; scape 1.5 × as long as wide, F1 3.2 × as long as wide and as long as F2; head transverse, ca. 1.1 × as wide as long in dorsal view, temple smooth, distinctly widening ventrally, widest distance from eyes 2.0 × as long as eye dorsally; eye length 1.6 × temple in dorsal view (Fig. 1C ); POL: OOL: OD = 7: 13: 5; malar space 3.8 × basal width of mandible; face transversely rugulose and setose, clypeus smooth, distinctly separated from face, vertex finely granulate around ocelli with shallow rugae, vertex and occiput rather transversely rugulo-rugose.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.7 × as long as wide in dorsal view, median and lateral lobes of mesoscutum granulate-reticulate, sparsely setose; notauli indistinct anteriorly surrounded by strong crenulae, rather prominent posteriorly; scutellar sulcus deep and broad with six crenulae, mesoscutum median length 2 × as long as scutellum, propodeal spine triangular-shaped (Fig. 1A ), shorter than second and third tarsomeres of hind tarsus.

Wings. Fore wing 3.1 × as long as wide, 2.4 × as long as hind tibia; pterostigma 4.1 × as long as wide, 0.7 × length of R1, r arising slightly behind middle of pterostigma; r almost subequal width of pterostigma; 3-SR 1.6 × as long as r, 1.2 × 2-SR, 0.5 × SR1; r-m 0.6 × 3-SR; marginal cell 2.5 × as wide as high, SR1 bent at an angle; 1-SR+M bent (Fig. 2A ); hind wing 5.5 × as long as wide.

Legs. Hind leg setose, hind femur 3.8 × as long as wide, hind tarsus almost as long as hind tibia, hind basitarsus 0.7 × as long as tarsal segment 2-4 combined.

Metasoma. Metasoma 0.7 × as long as head and mesosoma combined in lateral view; T1 longitudinally striated, strongly broadening posteriorly; T1 0.9 × as long as broad apically, spiracles almost near middle; remaining tergites smooth; ovipositor sheath 0.8 × as long as tarsomere 2-4 combined; setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.3 × as long as hind tibia; ovipositor short, straight and pointed.

Colour. Head yellowish brown with dark brown patches; eyes grey, stemmaticum, propleuron, mesopleuron, propodeum black on edges; mesonotum dark brown except yellowish notaulic region (middle and posterior), legs in general brownish except pale trochantellus, yellowish tarsi and dark brown hind femur and tibia (but bases of femur and tibia pale); metasoma reddish brown; T1 yellowish brown with darker edges, ovipositor sheath dark brown; mandibles yellowish brown; tip of mandibles and tarsal claws dark brown, antennal segment F1-F10 yellowish brown; F11-F22 dark brown; ocelli transparent; wings infuscate except apical one fourth, pterostigma dark brown, veins brown, but veins SR1 (except base) and apical half of vein 1-R1 yellow and veins r and r-m subhyaline (Fig. 2A ).

Male. Unknown.

Host.

Unknown.

Distribution.

India (Himachal Pradesh).

Remarks.

This new species comes near to Pambolus (Ph.) topali Papp, 1996, however differs in the following characters: Eyes about 1.6 × as long as temple in dorsal view; hind femur 3.8 times longer than broad medially and antenna with 24 segments (vs eyes about 2.0 × as long as temple in dorsal view; hind femur 4.6-5.0 × as long as broad medially; antenna with 27-30 segments).

Figures

Figure 1. Female holotype of Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov. A habitus B head (in frontal aspect) C vertex D mesosoma and metasoma (in dorsal aspect) E mesoscutum and scutellum (in dorsal aspect) F fore wing and hind wing G mesopleuron and propodeum (in lateral aspect).

Figure 2. Female holotype of Pambolus (Phaenodus) infuscatus Gupta & van Achterberg sp. nov. A fore wing B propodeum and T 1 C metasoma with hind femur and tibia.