Tropobracon hayati Haider

Haider, A. A., Ahmad, Z. & Shujauddin, 2004, Taxonomic studies on Indian Tropobracon Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae), with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 663, pp. 1-8 : 3-5

Tropobracon hayati Haider sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–6 )

Female. Dark brown; head, mesoscutum, legs and ovipositor brown; first and median area of second tergite light brown; stemmaticum and tips of mandible black; eyes greyish; ocelli transparent; wings hyaline, venations brown.

Head. Antenna 54 segmented ( Fig. 6 ) (range 51–54 segmented), length of third antennal segment 1.6 times of fourth segment, third and fourth segments 3.3 and 2.0 times their widths respectively, apical segment 2.5 times their width; length of maxillary palpi as long as height of head; face smooth medio­ventrally and somewhat finely punctulate behind antennal sockets; frons finely punctulate and vertex superficially punctulate; temple smooth and roundly narrowed posteriorly ( Fig. 3 ); length of eye 2.5 times temple in dorsal view; AOL: POL: OD: OOL = 3: 3: 3: 10; length of malar space 1.25 times basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.75 times its heights; episternal scrobe linear and distinct; mesoscutum smooth, only medio­posteriorly with a short crenulate carina; scutellar sulcus wide with 8 longitudinal carina; scutellum with distinct pit medio­anteriorly; mesopleuron smooth medially and superficially coriaceous anteriorly; metapleuron granulate with long whitish setae; propodeum granulate, without median carina.

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 1 ) vein r: 3­SR: SR1 = 7: 9: 41; cu­a antefurcal; 2­SR: 3­SR: r­m = 12: 9: 9; hind wing ( Fig. 2 ) vein 1r­m straight, free from 1­SC+R and about as long as 2­SC+R; 1­SC+R distinctly narrower than 1r­m.

Legs. Hind coxae granulate; length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 2.8, 9.5 and 4.3 times their widths respectively; length of spurs of hind tibia both 0.4 times hind basitarsus ( Fig. 5 ).

Metasoma ( Fig. 4 ). Length of first tergite as long as its apical width, its surface distinctly rugose, no distinct dorsal carina, its lateral areas rather wide and crenulate; first tergite convex medio­posteriorly; pair of grooves of second tergite narrow, coarsely crenulate and meeting each other at the second metasomal suture, resulting with a large triangular area; second and third tergites reticulate coriaceous; four­six tergites finely coriaceous; length of ovipositor sheaths 0.41 times of fore wing.

Type material. Holotype, females, INDIA: Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh, 8.xi.1999, A.A. Haider ( ZDAMU); paratypes: 3 females, 1 male with same data as holotype ( ZDAMU).

Etymology. T. hayati is named after Prof. Mohammad Hayat from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh ( India).

Distribution. India (Uttar Pradesh).

Remarks. The new species Tropobracon hayati Haider sp. nov. is closely related to T. comorensis Achterberg. However , it differs from T. comorensis in having (i) vein cu­a of fore wing antefurcal (in T. comoresnsis vein cu­a of fore wing post­furcal), (ii) lateral grooves of median area of second metasomal tergite narrow, coarsely crenulate and meeting each other at the second metasomal suture, resulting in a large triangular area (in T.

comoresnsis lateral grooves of median area of second tergite wide, widely crenulate and united in basal half of tergite, resulting in a comparatively small triangular area), (iii) face smooth medio­ventrally and somewhat finely punctulate behind antennal socket (in T. comoresnsis face finely granulate), (iv) frons punctulate, vertex superficially punctulate and temple smooth (in T. comoresnsis frons finely granulate, vertex and temples superficially granulate, rather shiny), (v) mesopleuron smooth medially and superficially coriaceous anteriorly (in T. comoresnsis mesopleuron largely smooth), and (vi) second and third metasomal tergites reticulate coriaceous (in T. comoresnsis second and third tergites distinctly and rather finely rugose).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6: Tropobracon hayati Haider sp. nov., Female. 1. Fore wing; 2. Hind wing; 3. Head, dorsal aspect; 4. Metasomal tergites 1 st­ 3 rd; 5. Hind leg; 6. Antenna. Scale: 1.0 mm.