Stephanospathius benoiti, Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2011

Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2011, Review of the genus Stephanospathius Belokobylskij, 1992 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with discussion of their tribal position, ZooKeys 118, pp. 1-17 : 9-11

Stephanospathius benoiti sp. n. Figs 13-21

Type material.

Holotype: female, Republic of Congo, “Museé du Congo, Eala, VII– 1936, J. Chesquiere", "R. dét. cc. 4917" (MRAC).

Description.

Female

Body length 13.9 mm; fore wing length 9.4 mm.

Head width 1.3 times its median length, 1.1 times its total length, 1.15 times its maximum height, 1.2 times maximum width of mesoscutum. Head behind eyes (dorsal view) roundly narrowed. Transverse diameter of eye 1.25 times longer than temple. Ocelli medium-sized, in triangle with base 1.3 times its sides, situated almost on middle of head. POL 1.4 times Od, 0.6 times OOL. Occiput with very dense and white setae (dorsal view). Eye 1.3 times as high as broad. Malar space height 0.2 times height of eye, 0.5 times basal width of mandible. Face width 0.85 times height of eye and 1.1 times height of face and clypeus combined. Clypeus distinctly convex. Width of hypoclypeal depression equal to distance from edge of depression to eye, 0.45 times width of face. Hypostomal flange very narrow.

Antennae slender, weakly setiform, more than 62-segmented (apical segments missing). Scape short and wide, apically curvedly cutting along outer side, 1.5 times longer than maximum width. First flagellar segment weakly curved basally, 4.5 times longer than apical width, almost as long as second segment. Most flagellar segments with fine median constriction. Subapical segments about 3.5 times longer than their width.

Mesosoma 2.9 times longer than its height, 2.7 times longer than its maximum width. Median lobe of mesoscutum distinctly protruding forward and convex anteriorly. Mesoscutum 1.35 times longer than maximum width. Notauli finely striate anteriorly, but mostly smooth. Prescutellar depression shallow, rather narrow medially and wider laterally, medially 0.15 times as long as scutellum, with distinct median carina, smooth. Scutellum flat, 1.1 times longer than maximum width. Subalar depression widely finely and densely punctate, with sparse short striation along upper side.

Wings. Fore wing 5.1 times longer than its maximum width. Pterostigma about 5.5 times longer than wide. Metacarp 1.5 times longer than pterostigma. First and second radial abscissae forming very obtuse angle. Second radial abscissa 3.3 times longer than first abscissa, 0.6 times as long as the almost straight third abscissa, 1.6 times longer than first radiomedial vein. Second radiomedial cell long and wide, 3.1 times longer than its maximum width, 0.7 times as long as the wide brachial cell. First medial abscissa distinctly concavely curved. Nervulus weakly postfurcal, distance from nervulus to basal vein 0.1-0.2 times nervulus length. Hind wing 7.0 times longer than wide. First costal abscissa 0.5 times as long as second abscissa. Recurrent vein short, straight, weakly postfurcal, pigmented.

Legs. Hind coxa with long and rather narrow basoventral tooth, elongate-oval, 2.4 times without tooth and 2.2 times with tooth longer than wide, tooth with dense and white pubescence apically. Hind femur 4.7 times longer than wide, 0.65 times as long as hind tibia. Hind tarsus 1.1 times longer than hind tibia. Second segment of hind tarsus 0.5 times as long as basitarsus, 3.5 times longer than fourth segment, 1.8 times longer than fifth segment (without pretarsus).

Metasoma 1.6 times longer than head and mesosoma combined. Petiole weakly, but distinctly and rather evenly widened towards apex. Maximum width of first tergum 1.1 times its width at level of spiracular tubercles, 2.1 times its minimum width; length of petiole 4.3 times its maximum width, 0.7 times length of mesosoma, 0.55 times length of head and mesosoma combined. Median length of second tergum 1.6 times its basal width, 1.1 times length of third tergum. Length of second and third terga combined 3.3 times basal width of second tergum, 0.9 times length of petiole. Ovipositor sheath 0.9 times as long as body.

Sculpture and pubescence. Vertex, frons and most part of temple smooth, temple below and posteriorly curvedly striate; face entirely coarsely and densely rugose-reticulate with granulation. Pronotum mostly smooth, its side below distinctly and curvedly striate at narrow area. Mesoscutum smooth on median lobe, but finely punctate in posterior half and with rather distinct median carina, its lateral lobes finely and densely punctate. Scutellum very finely and densely punctate. Mesopleuron mostly smooth. Propodeum with large basolateral areas weakly delineated by carinae, medial carina 0.7 times as long as propodeum medially; propodeum almost entirely distinctly and mostly transversely rugose-striate, basolateral areas medially almost smooth on narrow area. Metapleuron rugose-striate, sparsely punctate with smooth areas in anterior 0.3. Hind coxae densely transversely striate with fine granulation in dorsal half, finely striate to almost smooth in ventral half. Hind femur dorsally very finely striate and partly with punctation. First tergum coarsely rugose-striate in basal 0.4, curvedly and transversely densely striate and partly with fine granulation in apical 0.6. Second tergum mostly very finely striate-coriaceous, coarse rugose-striate in small basal area. Remaining terga smooth. Vertex in posterior 0.2-0.3 and temple with rather dense, long and semi-erect pale setae, remainder of vertex glabrous. Median lobe of mesoscutum sparsely and shortly setose, nut much dense along notauli, lateral lobes entirely with dense, semi-erect and mainly short pale setae, with a few long setae along notauli. Metapleural lobe posteriorly with short and dence pubescence. Hind tibia dorsally with numerous and dense short and sparse long semi-erect setae; length of long setae 0.4-0.8 times maximum width of hind tibia.

Colour. Head black, face light reddish brown, darkened dorsally, malar space yellowish brown. Metasoma almost black. Petiole black, second metasomal tergum dark reddish brown, remaining terga reddish brown with dark places, brownish yellow or yellow laterally and below. Palpi yellow or pale yellow. Fore leg light reddish brown, fore tibia darkened basally; middle coxa, trochanters and most part of femur dark reddish brown, apical 0.4 of femur, tibia and tarsus light reddish brown. Hind coxa, trochanters and femur black, hind tibia dark reddish brown, tarsus reddish brown. Fore wing evenly and faintly infuscate. Pterostigma entirely dark brown.

Diagnosis.

This new species resembles Stephanospathius ornatipes ; the main differences between these taxa are indicated in the key.

Etymology.

In honour of Dr. P.L.G. Benoit, who firstly recognised this new species.