Notiospathius estradae 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 : 46-48

Notiospathius estradae Lopez-Estrada & Zaldivar-Riveron sp. n. Figs 5A-D

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Notiospathius shawi Marsh, though it can be distinguished from the latter species by having the mesopleuron coriaceous-slightly rugose dorsally, coriaceous medially and ventrally (costate dorsally and coriaceous ventrally in Notiospathius shawi ), and notauli obscuring before scutellum in a large porcate-rugose area (meeting before scutellum in a narrow rugose area in Notiospathius shawi ).

Description.

Female. Colour: Head light brown to honey yellow; scape honey yellow; flagellomeres honey yellow turning dark brown to apex; palpi pale yellow. Mesosoma and first metasomal tergite black, pronotum light brown on half basal half, black on apical half; second metasomal tergite dark brown; third metasomal tergite and remaining metasomal tergites brown to dark brown; last one pale yellow; ovipositor brown; sheaths honey yellow. Fore and middle coxae light brown to honey yellow; trochanter and trochantellus pale yellow; femora brown; tibiae pale yellow basally, honey yellow medially and apically; tarsi honey yellow; hind coxa black; trochanter and trochantellus pale yellow; femur dark brown; tibia pale yellow basally turning light to apex; tarsi light brown. Wings dusky, veins and stigma dark brown, tegula dark brown to black. Body length: 4.4 mm (lateral view); ovipositor 3.8 mm. Head: Clypeus rugose; face, frons and vertex striate; temple and gena smooth; eye about 0.9 times higher than wide (lateral view); malar space 0.6 times eye height (lateral view); temple 0.2 times eye width (dorsal view); hypoclypeal depression elliptic; ocular-ocellar distance 1.5 times diameter of lateral ocellus; length of scape twice its width (frontal view); antenna with 29 flagellomeres. Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 1.9 times its maximum height; pronotum coriaceous; pronotal groove narrow and slightly scrobiculate; propleuron slightly striate; mesoscutal lobes coriaceous; notauli wide and scrobiculate, not joining, obscuring in a large porcate-rugose area; scutellar disc coriaceous; mesopleural and subalar sulcus continuous, both deep and scrobiculate; mesopleuron coriaceous-slightly rugose dorsally, coriaceous medially and ventrally; precoxal sulcus wide, deep and scrobiculate, as long as mesopleuron; venter of mesosoma coriaceous; metapleuron and propodeum strongly rugose with coriaceous microsculpture; apical lateral corners without distinct tubercles; spines over hind coxa indistinct. Wings: Fore wing length 4.3 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 3.6 times its maximum width; vein r 0.3 length of vein 3RSa; vein m-cu intersticial to vein 2RS; vein 1cu-a distinctly postfurcal to vein 1M; hind wing vein M+CU about 0.5 times length of vein 1M. Legs: hind coxa coriaceous, with a distinct basoventral tubercle; middle and hind femora smooth. Metasoma: First metasomal tergite strongly costate with rugose microsculpture, length twice its apical width (dorsal view); basal sternal plate (acrosternite) about 0.5 times length of tergum; second metasomal tergite costate with rugose microsculpture; suture between second and third metasomal tergites distinct and sinuate; third metasomal tergite costate on basal half, smooth on apical half; remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished; ovipositor about 1.8 times length of metasoma.

Male. Unknown.

Variation.

Females: Colour: head dark brown; orbit surrounding eyes yellow. Body length: 4.4-5.4 mm (lateral view); ovipositor 3.6-4.2 mm. Head: Eye 0.9-1.3 times higher than wide (lateral view). Wings: Fore wing length 4.2-4.6 times its maximum width; length of pterostigma 2.8-3.6 times its maximum width. Metasoma: length of first metasomal tergite 1.3-2.0 times its apical width (dorsal view); ovipositor 1.5-1.8 times length of metasoma.

Holotype.

Female (UCOB). Venezuela, Lara, Parque Nacional Cerro Saroche, sector Batatal # 4, 10°09.15'N, 69°30.205'W, 809 m, 7-11.x.08, DNA voucher no. (BOLD system) DORYC286-11; GenBank accession no. JN267031.

Paratypes.

Three females (IB-UNAM CNIN). Same data as holotype, DNA voucher nos (BOLD system) DORYC285-11, DORYC 287-11, IB-CNIN569, GenBank accession nos JN267030, JN267032, JN870425.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

We named this species in honour to the first author’s mother, Margarita Estrada.

Figures

Figure 5. Notiospathius estradae sp. n. Female. Paratype: A habitus, lateral view B mesosoma, dorsal view C mesosoma, lateral view D metasoma, dorsal view.