Asobara taylori Peris-Felipo, 2019

Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical Asobara Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae), with the descriptions of twenty five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 557, pp. 1-146 : 45-46

Asobara taylori Peris-Felipo , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E4E7CF2E-F1CF-4C1D-9D4C-D3DF2D7C0CDB

Figs 62–63

Etymology

Named in honour of T.H.C. Taylor, British entomologist, who collected most of the type specimens.

Material examined

Holotype

UGANDA • ♀; Kawanda; Jun. 1943; T.H.C. Taylor leg.; BMNH.

Paratypes

UGANDA • 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype but Jun. 1943 and Jul. 1943; BMNH • 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; ZISP • 1 ♀; Misigo, Ruwenzori Range; 8550 ft a.s.l.; 2–3 Aug. 1952; D.S. Fletcher leg.; BMNH 1952-566 .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 1.8 mm, fore wing 2.1 mm, hind wing 1.5 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.8 times as wide as long, 1.4 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes. Eye in lateral view 1.2 times as high as wide and 1.7 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.2 times OD; OOL 3.3 times OD. Face 1.5 times as wide as high; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 2.0 times as wide as high, slightly concave ventrally. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible 1.9 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth very wide; middle tooth rather narrow and long; lower tooth shorter than upper tooth. Antennae 23-segmented, 1.2 times as long as body. Scape 1.7 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 3.3 times as long as its apical width, 0.5 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 4.9 times, 3 rd segment 4.3 times, 4 th segment 3.6 times, 5 th segment 3.1 times, 6 th– 7 th segments 2.9 times, 8 th– 9 th segments 2.6 times, 10 th– 20 th segments 2.1–2.2 times, 21 st (apical segment) 3.5 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.3 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 0.9 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, round. Prescutellar depression smooth, with only median carina, 1.1 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow almost smooth. Propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured, with several smooth patches, with large, wide and mainly smooth pentagonal areola; basolateral areas smooth, sparsely rugose along carinae. Propodeal spiracle small, its diameter 0.2 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Length of fore wing 2.7 times its maximum width. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 3.3 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r longer than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 5.5 times as long as vein r and 1.5 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 2.6 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 6.1 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.2 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened to apex, 10.0 times as long as its maximum subapical width and 1.1 times as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 2.0 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.3 times as long as its apical width, weakly striate. Visible part of ovipositor sheath about as long as 1 st tergite, 0.4 times as long as metasoma and 0.7 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, mandible, antennae and pterostigma brown. Legs light brown. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similarly coloured. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

VARIATION. Body 1.9–2.1 mm, fore wing 2.1–2.2 mm. Antennae 21–23-segmented. Hind femur 5.0–5.2 times as long as its maximum width.

Male

Length. Body 1.6 mm, fore wing 2.2 mm, hind wing 1.2 mm. First flagellar segment 3.2 times as long as its maximum width; 2 nd segment 6.6 times and 3 rd segment 4.3 times as long as their maximum width. Hind femur 5.4 times as long as its maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. caboverdensis sp. nov.; the differences between both species are described under the latter species.

Distribution

Uganda.

Figures

Fig. 62. Asobara taylori Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., A, C–F: ♀, holotype (BMNH); B: ♂ (BMNH). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. D. Mandible. E. Antenna. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 63. Asobara taylori Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH). A. Head, dorsal view. B. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. C. Propodeum. D. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. E. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. F. Fore wing.