Percnobracon witru Martinez

Martinez, Juan José, 2006, Three new species of Percnobracon Kieffer & Jörgensen (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Argentina, reared from cecidomyiid (Diptera) and eurytomid (Hymenoptera) galls, Zootaxa 1282, pp. 49-58 : 55-56

Percnobracon witru Martinez , sp. nov.

( Figs. 10–13 )

Diagnosis: Head 0.65 to 0.70 times as long as high; mesoscutum stronlgy angled in lateral view, 0.60 to 0.70 times as long as wide, mostly coriaceous; notauli very weakly indicated posteriorly; propodeum mostly smooth medially with some carienae; forewing vein 2RS at most 0.25 times as long as vein (RS+M)b.

Female. Body length: 1.9–2.7 mm.

Colour: Dark reddish brown, base of antenna, face, mouthparts and tarsomeres I to IV lighter, telotarsus darker. Forewing infuscated with hyaline patterns as in figure 10, hind wing hyaline. In some specimens metasomal tergum I and base of tergum II are lighter than remainder of metasoma.

Head: 15 to 18 antennomeres; head 0.65 to 0.70 times as long as high; face rugulose; vertex and temple strigate, orbit scrobiculate, oral opening small, its maximum diameter 0.80 to 1 times the lenght of malar space, malar space 0.40 to 0.50 times eye height.

Mesosoma: Mostly coriareous, 0.60 to 0.70 times as high as long. Pronotum with a transverse scrobiculate groove. Anterior margin of mesoscutum strongly angled, completely covering pronotum dorsally. Mesoscutum 0.60 to 0.70 times as long as wide ( Fig. 11 ), with a posteromedian carina, notaulus scrobiculate anteriorly and poorly indicated posteriorly. Scutellum strongly convex. Propodeum mostly smooth except for lateral areas and very weak carinae between basal and apical faces ( Fig. 12 ). Forewing with vein 2RS at most 0.25 times as long as (RS+M)b ( Fig. 10 ), ussually much shorter.

Metasoma: Tergum I with a smooth anterior area about half as long as the segment and slightly narrowed appically ( Fig. 12 ), spiracular tubercles conspicuous. Terga II and III finely striate, remainder of metasomal terga coriaceous basally and smooth apically.

Ovipositor sheath 0.40 to 0.70 times as long as metasoma ( Fig. 13 ).

Male: Similar to female.

Biology: Unknown. Specimens examined were always collected by sweeping the branches of Prosopis caldenia but this species did not emerge from any of the five different galls collected from P. caldenia .

Etymology: The term witru is the native name of Prosopis caldenia , in reference to the strong association between both species.

Distribution: La Pampa, Argentina.

Material examined: Holotype female — ARGENTINA: La Pampa, 10 km. N of Santa Rosa, 6/IV/2004, 1 female Martinez ( MACN). Paratypes — ARGENTINA: La Pampa Reserva Prov. Parque Luro: 1 female, 1 male, 23/I/2003, Martinez (female at MACN, male at IFML); 1 male, 1/II/2003, Martinez ( MACN); 3 females, 1/III/2003, Martinez ( MACN, one female at IFML); La Pampa, Toay: 1 female, 17/IV/2004, Martinez ( MACN); La Pampa, 10 km N Santa Rosa: 2 females, 1 male, 23/XI/2004, Martinez ( MACN).

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 13. Percnobracon witru sp. nov. 10, forewing; 11, mesoscutum in dorsal view; 12, propodeum and metasomal tergum I in dorsal view; 13, habitus of female in lateral view.