Notiospathius venezuelae 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 : 51-53

Notiospathius venezuelae Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron sp. n. Figs 7A-E

Diagnosis.

This species runs to Notiospathius leucacrocera (Enderlein) in the extension ( Zaldívar-Riverón and De Jesús-Bonilla 2010, 2011) to Marsh’s (2002) key to Costa Rican species. However, it differs from the latter species by having the mesosoma and first metasomal tergite mostly black (mesosoma and first metasomal tergite dark brown in Notiospathius leucacrocera ); fore and middle coxae white, femora pale yellow on basal third, brown on apical two thirds; (fore and middle legs completely yellow in Notiospathius leucacrocera ), pronotum and propleuron coriaceous and striate, respectively (pronotum and propleuron costate in Notiospathius leucacrocera ). Notiospathius venezuelae can be distinguished from the remaining described species of the genus by having the following combination of features: hind coxa black, pale yellow apically; pronotum coriaceous; mesoscutal lobes coriaceous; notauli not joining, obscuring in a large costate area; mesopleuron porcate-coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous medially and ventrally.

Description.

Female. Colour: Head dark brown to black; orbit surrounding eyes yellow; scape light brown, with a brown stripe; flagellomeres dark brown, last 11 white; palpi white. Mesosoma and first metasomal tergite black except pronotum wich is brown; second metasomal tergite dark brown; third, fourth and fifth metasomal tergites brown with a light brown band at the middle; sixth metasomal tergite dark brown, pale yellow in apex; remaining metasomal tergites pale yellow; ovipositor brown; sheaths pale yellow turning dark brown. Fore and middle coxae and trochanter white, trochantellus brown, femora pale yellow on basal third, brown on apical two thirds, pale yellow apically, tibiae light brown, tarsi brown; hind coxa black, pale yellow apically; trochanter pale yellow; trochantellus brown; femur white to pale yellow on basal third, brown on apical two thirds, pale yellow at extreme apex; tibia pale yellow basally, turning light brown apically; tarsi brown. Wings dusky; veins and stigma brown; tegula light brown. Body length: 4.1 mm (lateral view), ovipositor 1.6 mm. Head: Clypeus rugose; face, frons and vertex striate; temple slightly striate; gena smooth; eye about 1.1 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.2 times eye height (lateral view); temple 0.2 times eye width (dorsal view); hypoclypeal depression elliptic; ocular-ocellar distance three times diameter of lateral ocellus; length of scape twice its width (frontal view); antenna with 28 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 2.1 times its maximum height; pronotum coriaceous; pronotal groove wide and coriaceous; propleuron striate; mesoscutal lobes coriaceous; notauli narrow, scrobiculate and with coriaceous microsculpture, not joining, obscuring in a large costate area; scutellar disc coriaceous; mesopleural and subalar sulcus continuous, both scrobiculate; mesopleuron porcate-coriaceous dorsally, coriaceous medially and ventrally; precoxal sulcus narrow, deep and scrobiculated, as long as mesopleuron; venter of mesosoma coriaceous; metapleuron and propodeum costate with rugose microsculpture; apical lateral corners with distinct tubercles; spines over hind coxa distinct. Wings: Fore wing length 5.1 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 3.3 times its maximum width; vein r 0.3 length of vein 3RSa; vein m-cu antefurcal to vein 2RS; vein 1cu-a distinctly antefurcal to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU about 0.5 times length of vein 1M. Legs: hind coxa rugose at the base, striate posteriorly, indistinct tubercule at the base; middle and hind femora coriaceous. Metasoma: First metasomal tergite strongly costate with rugose microsculpture, length 3.2 its apical width (dorsal view); basal sternal plate (acrosternite) about 0.7 times length of tergum; second metasomal tergite slightly costate; suture between second and third metasomal tergites distinct and sinuate; third metasomal tergite smooth; remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor about 0.7 times length of metasoma.

Male. Essentially as female; pronotum light brown; third and fourth metasomal tergites light brown with a honey yellow band at the middle; antenna with 24 flagellomeres dark brown, only last three white.

Variation.

Females: Body length: 2.8-4.1 mm (lateral view), ovipositor 1.0-1.6 mm. Head: Eye 1.1-1.2 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 3.3-4.5 mm Wings: Fore wing length 4.2-5.1 times its maximum width, length of pterostigma 2.8-3.6 times its maximum width. Metasoma: length of first metasomal tergite 3.2-3.6 times its apical width (dorsal view).

Holotype.

Female (IB-UNAM CNIN). Venezuela, Carabobo, Palmichal, 10.28590, -68.23993, 93m, 30-3.viii.07, YTP/68 plates, shade coffee, orange grove, H. Clebsch, L. García col., DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC208-11; GenBank accession no. JN266963.

Paratypes.

Four specimens, three males, one female (IB-UNAM CNIN, UCOB). One female and two male, same data as holotype, DNA voucher nos (BOLD system) DORYC206-11, DORYC213-11, GenBank accession nos JN266961, JN266968; one male, Venezuela Yaracuy Mpio. San Felipe, Est. Biol. Guáquira, 107 m, 10°17.84'N, 68°39.32'W, sweep, 11:00 am, selva tropical, DNA voucher no. IB-CNIN-396, GenBank accession no. JN870300; one male, Costa Rica, Heredia, 11 km ESE La Virgen, 10°21'N, 84°03'W, 20-II-2004, INBIO-OET transect, 250-350 m, DNA voucher no. IB-CNIN537, GenBank accession no. JN870400.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

We have named this species after the country where most of the specimens of this new species were collected.

Figures

Figure 7. Notiospathius venezuelae sp. n. Female. Holotype: A habitus, lateral view B head, dorsal view C first and second metasomal tergites, dorsal view D mesosoma, dorsal view E mesosoma, lateral view.