Sesioctonus susanai Sharkey and Briceño, 2005

Briceño, Michael J. Sharkey Rosa A., 2005, Review of Sesioctonus Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae) from Colombia with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 1002 (1002), pp. 45-58 : 55-56

Sesioctonus susanai Sharkey and Briceño sp. n.

FIG. 1d

Diagnosis. Distinguished from all other known species of Sesioctonus by the following suite of characters: epicnemial carina absent; 2 nd submarginal cell of fore wing sessile; coloration unique Fig. 1d.

Description.

♀. Length. Length of body, excluding ovipositor, 6.6 mm.

Head. Antenna with 30 flagellomeres. Interantennal space lacking longitudinal keel. Antennal sockets not excavated. Face without median longitudinal carina. Gena not expanded posteroventrally. Occipital tubercles absent. Occiput not excavated. Mandible concave. Outer tooth of mandible longer than inner tooth. Maxillary palpus with 5 palpomeres. Third and fourth labial palpomeres not fused. Mesosoma . Subpronope small, tear ­shaped. Longitudinal carinae of scutellar depression weakly indicated. Scutellum convex. Median areola of metanotum smooth, without median longitudinal carina, and without lateral carinae. Propodeum convex, median longitudinal carina absent. Epicnemial carina absent. Fore tibial spines absent. Mid tibia with 2 spines. Hind tibia with 6 spines. Hind femur 3.7 times as long as wide. (RS+M)a vein of fore wing incomplete. 3RSa vein of fore wing absent. 2 nd submarginal cell sessile. 2­1A vein of hind wing tubular. CUb vein of hind wing absent. Hind wing with 3 hamuli. Metasoma. Median tergite of first metasomal segment lacking pair of lateral longitudinal carinae. First metasomal median tergite without depression posterad spiracle. Length: width ratio of first metasomal median tergite 1.7. Ovipositor length 6.9 mm.

Color. Head orange. Scape orange, remainder of antenna melanic. Maxillary and labial palpomeres orange. Mesosoma orange except scutellum, metanotum, metapleuron, and propodeum melanic. Fore leg orange, except tarsus partly melanic. Mid leg melanic except apex of femur, base of tibia and base or tarsus all orange. Hind leg melanic. Fore wing infuscate, stigma melanic. Hind wing infuscate. Metasomal median tergites 1 and 2, laterotergites and sterna 1–6 chalk­white; remainder of metasoma melanic. Ovipositor sheath melanic. (The specimen collected at 1930 m. has the mesopleuron mostly black with an orange tinge ventrally.)

♂. Unknown.

Etymology. Named after Susana Roibas, wife of the senior author.

Material examined. Holotype. COLOMBIA: ♀, Nariño, R.N. La Planada, Vía Hondón , 1º15'N 78º15'W 1930m, Malaise 16.viii.2000 – 2.ix.2000, G. Oliva Leg, M.917 (IAvH) . Paratypes. COLOMBIA: ♀, Nariño, R.N. La Planada Parcela Permanente, 1º15'N 78º15'W, 1885m, Malaise, 16.viii–2.ix.2000. G. Oliva Leg. M.918 ( HIC) . ♀, Nariño, R.N. La Planada Vía Hondón, 1º15'N 78º15'W, 1930m, Malaise, 2.xi.–16.xi.2000, G. Oliva Leg. M.1411 (IAvH) .

Distribution. Known only from R.N. La Planada, Colombia.