Psyttalia tricolorata Long, 2024

Oanh, Nguyen Thi, Long, Khuat Dang, Xuan, Trinh Thi, Tinh, Duong Van & Nghiep, Hoang Thi, 2024, The genus Psyttalia Walker (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in Vietnam: descriptions of seven new species and their host information, Zootaxa 5477 (1), pp. 1-26 : 20-22

Psyttalia tricolorata Long , sp. nov.

Figures 13 , 14

Type material. Holotype, ♀, “Opii. 328 ” ( IEBR), CH Vietnam: Lam Dong , Bi Doup-Nui Ba NP, forest, MT, 8.x.2017, PT Nhi.

Paratypes, 1 ♀, “Opii. 314” ( IEBR), the same data as holotype ; 1 ♂, “Opii. 319” ( IEBR), NC Vietnam: Ha Tinh, Huong Son , 18°22’N 106°13’ E 200m, April 13–19 1998, Malaise (trap), AMNH, K. Long .

Comparative diagnosis. Easily recognizable species, because of the contrast tri-coloured body ( Fig. 15 ); malar space wide and malar suture well defined ( Figs 14B, C ); malar space relatively wide compared with Vietnamese Psyttalia species, 0.8 × basal width of mandible; and ventral margin of clypeus nearly sinuate ( Fig. 14B ). Regarding the contrasting colouration of P. tricolorata , it is similar to P. spectabilis van Achterberg , from Japan, but distinctly differs from the latter by having: 1) clypeus narrow rectangular in shape, width of clypeus 2.0 × its maximum height ( Fig. 14B ) [vs wide triangular in shape, 4.0 × its maximum height, see Fig. 95 in Wu et al. (2016)]; 2) malar space wide and malar suture well defined ( Fig. 14B ) [vs malar space narrow and malar suture hardly defined in P. spectabilis , see Fig. 95 in Wu et al. (2016)]; 3) first metasomal tergite with dorsal carinae united in its middle ( Fig. 16E ) [vs not united dorsal carinae in the middle of the tergite in P. spectabilis , see Fig. 93 in Wu et al. (2016)]; and 4) face rugo-punctate with distinct raised carina medially ( Fig. 14B ) (vs face moderately punctate in P. spectabilis ).

Description. Holotype, ♀, length of body 4.0 mm, fore wing 4.4 mm, ovipositor 2.1 mm ( Fig. 13 ).

Head. Antenna with 49 flagellomeres, flagellomeres bristly; first flagellomere 1.1 × as long as second; length of first and second flagellomeres 2.0 and 1.75 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.9 × height of head; in dorsal view, head 2.0 × as wide as long medially; length of eye in dorsal view 3.8 × temple ( Fig. 14A ); frons, temple and vertex smooth ( Fig. 14A ); OOL: OD: POL = 7: 4: 4; in lateral view, medially eye 1.7 × as long as wide and 2.0 × as wide as temple ( Fig. 14C ); ventral margin of clypeus sinuate ( Fig. 14B ); width of clypeus 2.0 × its maximum height, and 0.75 × height and 0.5 width of face, respectively; hypoclypeal depression wide and deep ( Fig. 14B ); distance between tentorial pits 2.6 × distance from pit to eye margin; malar well defined; clypeus rugulose; face rugo-punctate with distinct raised carina medially ( Fig. 14B ); mandible twisted, with both teeth wide, enlarged basally and with narrow ventral carina ( Fig. 14B ); occipital carina remains far removed from hypostomal carina and dorsally largely absent; frons nearly flat, smooth ( Fig. 14A ); vertex and temple smooth.

Mesosoma. Laterally, length of mesosoma 1.4 × its height; pronope absent, only with groove; pronotal side largely smooth ( Fig. 14F ); propleuron flattened; epicnemial area smooth dorsally; precoxal sulcus rather wide and deep medially, moderately crenulate anteriorly ( Fig. 14F ); remainder of mesopleuron smooth and shiny; metapleuron largely smooth, except for ventral crenulate groove and foveolate-punctate area posteriorly ( Fig. 14F ); pleural sulcus smooth ventrally; mesosternal sulcus narrow and deep, finely crenulate; postpectal carina absent; mesoscutum very shiny and nearly entirely glabrous ( Fig. 14D ); notauli with pair of partly crenulate impressions only anteriorly and groove-like depression on disc posteriorly ( Fig. 14D ); mesoscutum near flat posteriorly; scutellar sulcus narrow and deep, crenulate, slightly concave medio-posteriorly, 0.3 × as long as scutellum; scutellum slightly convex and smooth, sparsely setose apically and laterally; metanotum with short longitudinal; propodeum with rather wide and deep lateral grooves above spiracle, sparsely crenulate; surface of propodeum coriaceous, except for convergent rugo-striate area near median carina posteriorly ( Fig. 14G ).

Wings. Vein 1-SR of fore wing as long as wide and not linear with 1-M; pterostigma broad triangular in shape; length of pterostigma 3.2 × as long as its width medially; vein r angled with anterior-ventral margin of pterostigma, and not linear with 3-SR ( Fig. 14I ); vein r 0.4 × as long as 2-SR; 1-R1 ending at wing apex and 1.4 × as long as pterostigma; vein M+CU1 basally unsclerotized; and r-m unpigmented; 1-SR+M sclerotized; r: 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m: SR1 = 5: 12: 18: 7: 30; vein 2-SR+M slender, 2.7 × its maximum width; 1-CU1: cu-a = 4: 5; r: 3-SR: SR1 = 5: 18: 30; 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 12: 18: 7; SR1 distinctly curved medially; 1-M slightly curved basally; m-cu far antefurcal, not linear with 2-SR+M and nearly parallel with 1-M ( Fig. 14I ); cu-a postfurcal, oblique; vein M+CU1 curved apically; cu-a: 1-CU1: 2-CU1= 4: 4: 22; subdiscal cell hardly narrowed anteriorly; hind wing with M+CU: 1-M: 1r-m = 19: 27: 14; cu-a straight; m-cu and SR absent ( Fig. 14K ).

Legs. Length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.3, 9.7 and 6.0 × as long as wide, respectively; hind basitarsus 0.4 × hind tibia, and 0.6 × second–fifth tarsus combined; inner and outer spurs 0.4 and 0.3 × as long as basitarsus, respectively; hind femur with rather dense and long setae; hind tibia and tarsus with dense and long setae.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.3 × its apical width, convex medio-posteriorly, its surface largely rugo-striate ( Fig. 14E ), dorsal carinae strong in basal half of tergite and nearly united in the middle of the tergite ( Fig. 14E ); second suture indistinctly indicated; second tergite enlarged ( Fig. 14E ); combined length of second and third metasomal tergites 0.6 × the remaining tergites posteriorly; first tergite depressed and smooth in 0.3 basal tergite and striate-rugulose in 0.7 apical tergite; second and following tergites smooth, shiny with long and sparse setae apically and laterally ( Fig. 14H ).

Colour. Reddish yellow and black; antenna darkish brown; scapus yellow but brown laterally; head reddish yellow but stemmaticum black; palpi whitish yellow; propleuron and mesopleuron reddish yellow; metapleuron reddish yellow but black extreme posteriorly; mesonotum and propodeum reddish yellow, except extreme posteriorly black; fore and middle legs yellow, except all coxa, trochanter and trochantellus ivory or white; hind coxa, trochanter, trochantellus and femur ivory or white; hind tibia and tarsus black but hind telotarsus yellow; tegula yellow; pterostigma dark brown; wing membrane subhyaline, veins dark brown; first–fifth tergites black; sixth tergite, sternites and hypopygium ivory or white; ovipositor sheath blackish brown; ovipositor yellow.

Variation. Paratype ♀, “Opii. 314 ”, antenna with 54 flagellomeres; length of body 4.4 mm, fore wing 4.9 mm, length of visible ovipositor 2.3 mm; paratype ♂. “Opii. 319 ”, antenna with 40 flagellomeres remaining; length of body 4.5 mm, fore wing 4.6 mm; and the same colour of body.

Distribution. NC Vietnam: Ha Tinh (Huong Son), SH Vietnam: Lam Dong (Bi Doup-Nui Ba NP).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From “tri” (Latin for “three”), and “coloris” (Latin for “hue, tint”), because of the tricoloured body.

Figures

FIGURE 13. Habitus of Psyttalia tricolorata Long, sp. nov., holotype, female, dorsal.

FIGURE 14. Psyttalia tricolorata Long, sp. nov. A Head, dorsal B Head, frontal C Head, lateral D Mesonotum E Metasomal tergites 1–3 F Mesopleuron G Propodeum H Metasoma I Fore wing K Hind wing.

FIGURE 15. Psyttalia incisi (Silvestri), female, “Opii.318” (IEBR) A Habitus, lateral B Head, dorsal C Head, frontal D Mesonotum E Fore wing F Hind wing G Propodeum H Metasomal tergites 1+2+3.

FIGURE 16. Psyttalia latinervis Wu & van Achterberg, female, “Opii.077” (IEBR) A Habitus, lateral B Head, frontal C Propodeum, dorsal D Metasoma, dorsal E Fore wing F Hind wing.