Notiospathius araguae Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron, 2012

Lopez-Estrada, E. Karen, Briceno, G. Rosa, Smith, M. Alex, Juliano Fiorelini Nunes,, Penteado-Dias, Angelica M., Ceccarelli, Fadia Sara, Clebsch, Hans & Zaldivar-Riveron, Alejandro, 2012, Seven new species of Notiospathius (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) from Northwest Venezuela, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 29, pp. 37-62 : 40-41

Notiospathius araguae Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron sp. n. Figs 1A-E

Diagnosis.

This species runs to Notiospathius platycorsus Marsh in Marsh´s (2002) key to Costa Rican species and its Zaldívar-Riverón and De Jesús-Bonilla’s (2010, 2011) extension; however it differs from the latter species by having the propodeum, metapleuron and first metasomal tergite black (mesosoma dark brown, metasoma honey yellow or light brown in Notiospathius platycorsus ); and frons striate (rugose to rugose-costate in Notiospathius platycorsus ).

Description.

Female. Colour: Head light brown; scape light brown to honey yellow; flagellomeres brown turning dark brown, the last 10 white; palpi pale yellow to white. Mesonotum brown; propodeum, metapleuron and first metasomal tergite black; second and third metasomal tergites brown; remaining metasomal tergites dark brown except two last metasomal tergite, which are honey yellow; ovipositor and sheaths brown. Fore and middle coxae, trochanter and trochantellus pale yellow; femora and tibiae light brown; tarsi dark brown; hind coxa black; trochanter and trochantellus pale yellow; femur, tibia and tarsi ligth brown to brown. Wings dusky; veins and stigma brown; tegula pale yellow. Body length: 3.2 mm (lateral view); ovipositor 1.5 mm. Head: Clypeus rugose; face, frons and vertex striate, temple and gena smooth; eye about 1.6 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.1 times eye height (lateral view); temple 0.4 times eye width (dorsal view); hypoclypeal depression elliptic; ocular-ocellar distance four times diameter of lateral ocellus; length of scape twice its width (frontal view); antenna with 26 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma two times its maximum height; pronotum rugose, lateral area of pronotum coriaceous; pronotal groove wide and scrobiculate; propleuron slightly striate; mesoscutal lobes coriaceous; notauli wide and scrobiculate, meeting in scutellum in a costate area; scutellar disc coriaceous; mesopleural and subalar sulcus continuous, both wide, deep and scrobiculate; mesopleuron porcate dorsally, coriaceous medially and ventrally; precoxal sulcus wide, deep and scrobiculated, as long as mesopleuron; venter of mesosoma slightly coriaceous; metapleuron and propodeum strongly rugose; apical lateral corners without distinct tubercles; spines over hind coxa indistinct. Wings: Fore wing length 4.4 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 3.3 times its maximum width; vein r 0.4 length of vein 3RSa; vein m-cu antefurcal to vein 2RS; vein 1cu-a interstitial to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU about 0.3 times length of vein 1M. Legs: hind coxa rugose, without basoventral tubercle; middle and hind femora smooth. Metasoma: First metasomal tergite rugose, length five times its apical width (dorsal view); basal sternal plate (acrosternite) about 0.7 times length of tergum; second metasomal tergite mostly smooth, only indistinctly costate near basal suture; suture between second and third metasomal tergites indistinct; third metasomal tergite and remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor about 0.9 times length of metasoma.

Male. Smaller than female; body length 3 mm; head brown, orbit surrounding eyes yellow; antenna with 23 flagellomeres; second and third metasomal tergites light brown.

Holotype.

Female (IB-UNAM CNIN). Venezuela, Aragua, Henri Pittier National Park, 10.37428, -67.59279, 1070m, montane cloud forest/riparian, H. Clebsch, 7-11.x.08. DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC207-11, GenBank accession no. JN266962.

Paratypes.

One specimen, male (DCBU). Same data as holotype, DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC210-11; GenBank accession no. JN266965.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

The name of this species refers to the Venezuelan state where both type specimens were collected.

Figures

Figure 1. Notiospathius araguae sp. n. Female. Holotype: A habitus, lateral view B head, dorsal view C mesosoma, lateral view D mesosoma, dorsal view E first and second metasomal tergites, dorsal view.