Urosigalphus metanotuminsignum Arias-Penna

Carolina, Diana & B, James, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the Colombian species of Urosigalphus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Zootaxa 3411, pp. 1-54 : 31-33

Urosigalphus metanotuminsignum Arias-Penna , n. sp.

Figs. 13 A–F

Male.— Body length 3.25 mm.

Body color ( Fig. 13 A): mainly black. Flagellomeres dark brown. Scape, pedicel and anellus light brown. Labrum, mandible, labial and maxillary palps light brown. Mandibular teeth red-brown ( Fig. 13 B). Fore and mid legs yellow-brown, hind legs light brown, but middle part of femur, two apical thirds of tibia and tarsus dark brown. Fore wing ( Fig. 13 F): basally C+Sc+R veins darker than apically; tegula black, but posteriorly dark brown; stigma light brown. Membrane of fore wings light brown and hind wings hyaline; microtrichiae of fore wings brown and hind wings hyaline.

Head ( Figs. 13 A–B). — Subtriangular. Antenna with 14 flagellomeres; first three flagellomeres longer than wide (0.18:0.07; 0.18:0.07; 0.17: 0.07 mm); last five, except the last one, longer than wide (0.10:0.06; 0.10:0.06; 0.11:0.06; 0.10:0.06; 0.11: 0.06 mm); apical flagellomere longer than penultimate segment (0.17: 0.10 mm); scape the same length as first flagellomere (0.18: 0.18 mm), and slightly wider than pedicel and first flagellomere (0.08:0.06: 0.07 mm); pedicel more than half as long as scape (0.10: 0.18 mm). Torulus located above midline of the eye. Frons with a high longitudinal median lamella that reaches the middle part of median ocellus; frons smooth although with some small punctures. Scrobes shallow, wide, not surrounded by a carina; smooth, shiny, reach the vertex. Lower face ( Fig. 13 B) convex without protuberance, with small and dense punctures distributed homogeneously; interspaces narrow, shiny and smooth. Fronto-clypeal suture strongly impressed, rounded and with sculpture. Anterior tentorial pit not embedded within a strong depression. Clypeus convex with small and irregular punctures, but apical edge smooth and shiny, interspaces smooth and shiny; apical part reflexed, narrow, smooth, and shiny with a defined edge, but without carina. Labrum with scarce and sparse punctures distributed homogeneously; interspaces wavy. Mandible long, slender, with transverse strigae; mandible set with two teeth, inferior teeth as long as superior ( Fig. 13 B); both teeth smooth, shiny, long and slender with rounded apexes. Maxillary palps longer than labial palps. Ocelli oval, not surrounded by carina; lateral ocelli close to each other, separated by the width of lateral ocellus (0.07: 0.07 mm). Stemmaticum smooth, but with some small and sparse punctures; interspaces wide, smooth and shiny; stemmaticum not on same plane as vertex, slightly elevated into a weak projection ( Fig. 13 A), but with a shallow central and circular depression; highest point of stemmaticum convex. Eyes without preorbital carina. Vertex without longitudinal median carina, scarce, small punctures, but smooth near occipital carina. Occiput concave, smooth and shiny. Occipital carina present laterally, absent dorsally. Temple and gena with small and sparse punctures; interspaces narrow, smooth and shiny.

Mesosoma ( Figs. 13 A, C–D). — Projection of propleuron sharp. Pronotum ( Fig. 13 C) anteriorly with a distinctive longitudinal groove with small and regular punctures next to the edge, remainder of pronotum with small punctures; curvature of pronotum with some large areolates; central area smooth, shiny; posteriorly with some small punctures throughout; dorso-posteriorly with irregular and small punctures. Pronotal lobe ( Fig. 13 C) sloped toward tegula, point of inflexion carinated; apex truncate. Mesoscutum ( Fig. 13 D) uneven, both lateral and medial lobe on same plane as posteriorly; lateral mesonotal lobes with small and sparse punctures; anteriorly sloped, but posteriorly convex; edge of lateral mesonotal lobes with foveae of different size throughout; anteriorly median mesonotal lobe with small and sparse punctures and with one continuous longitudinal median carina which is less than half as long as median mesonotal lobe and posteriorly ends near small fovea; area of convergence of notauli without a defined shape, only with two large elongated foveae. Notauli strongly impressed with elongated large foveae throughout and without additional row of foveae along the entire length; notauli near edge of transscutal articulation. Scutellum flat, triangular, on same plane as mesoscutum ( Fig. 13 C); anteriorly smooth and shiny, laterally with deep, irregular and carinate areolae; posteriorly on same vertical plane as posterior scutellar depression. Scutellar sulcus with four deep, uneven foveae. Posterior scutellar depression with two elongate, large foveae that fill the whole smooth area. Middle part of metanotum, below posterior scutellar depression, with a high projection that is conspicuous in lateral view ( Fig. 13 C). Propodeum antero-posteriorly short, symmetrical; MLC present in the first anterior third of propodeum, MLC high, strong, conspicuous in lateral view ( Fig. 13 C); ATC high and strong, wavy, but not aligned at the same length as MLC; AMA with irregular shape ( Fig. 13 D) and areolae with irregular and different sizes; LLC inclined; posterior wall of propodeum flat with areolae and two longitudinal and parallel carinae of different sizes. Metapleuron with irregular, large areolae; projection of metapleuron long, with rounded apex. Mesopleuron ( Fig. 13 C) with epicnemial carina, but without sternaulus; mesopleuron convex, central area shiny and smooth although the posterior half has a distinctive area of small, sparse punctures; dorsally with a deep transverse depression below tegula and a semicircular depression below transverse depression; other small depressions present; ventrally with L-shaped dent that bears irregular foveae; anteriorly with elongate, narrow, flat area that bears small, dense punctures throughout the edge; posteriorly scrobiculate. Mesosternum ( Fig. 13 E) convex, with a complete central row of foveae similar in size and shape and not surrounded by carina, with small and sparse punctures; lateral parts with carinae that fork in the first posterior third, forming a semicircular area above mid coxa; mesosternum near fore coxa forming high transverse lamella with two high semicircular points below each fore coxa.

Wings ( Figs. 13 A, F). — Fore wing ( Fig. 13 F): vein M+CU markedly curved (sinuate); vein 3RSb tubular, distant from stigma (0.48 mm); subbasal cell as long as basal (1.08: 1.08 mm); stigma rounded. Fore wing: length 2.55 mm, width 0.92 mm; hind wing: length 2.10 mm, width 0.48 mm.

Metasoma ( Figs. 13 A). — Carapace in lateral view teardrop-shaped; anteriorly with strong substrigulae that cross more than half the length of the carapace; area between the carinae lacunose. Apex of carapace smooth, shiny, without tubercles ( Fig. 13 A). Carapace length 1.52 mm.

Female.— Unknown.

Biology.— Unknown.

Material examined.— Holotype, male, Colombia: Putumayo PNN [Parque Nacional Natural] La Paya, Resguardo Cecilio Cocha, 0º11´S 74º55¨W, 190m, Malaise, 20–24.i.2003, C. Sarmiento leg., M. 3419, IAvH-E 34318. Deposited in IAvH-E.

Etymology.—From metanotum and insignis (Latin, adjective) = a distinguishing mark. The name refers to conspicuous high projection on middle part of metanotum.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Urosigalphus metanotuminsignum n. sp. (A) habitus; (B) head, frontal view; (C) mesosoma, lateral view; (D) mesosoma, dorsal view; (E) mesosternum; and (F) fore wing.