Psyttalia antenervis 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 : 3-6

Psyttalia antenervis Long , sp. nov.

Figures 1 , 2

Type material. Holotype, ♀, “Opii. 322” ( IEBR). NC Vietnam: Ha Tinh, Huong Son , 18°22’N 106°13’E 450m, April 14–21 1998, Malaise (trap), AMNK, K. Long.

Comparative diagnosis. Easily recognizable species because fore wing vein cu-a is antefurcal, vein 1-SR angularly connecting with vein 1-M, and vein r emitted far before middle of ventral margin of pterostigma ( Fig. 2I ). Psyttalia antenervis sp. nov. is similar to P. sonla sp. nov. but differs from the latter by having: 1) pterostigma wide triangular in shape, 3.2 × as long as wide medially (vs 4.4 × in P. sonla ); 2) vein cu-a of fore wing antefurcal (vs postfurcal in P. sonla ); 3) hypoclypeal depression deep; and 4) propodeum with distinct reversed Y-shaped median carina (vs indistinct or absent reversed Y-shaped median carina in P. sonla ).

Description. Female, body length 2.0 mm, fore wing length 1.8 mm, length of visible ovipositor sheath 1.0 mm ( Fig. 1 ).

Head. Antenna incomplete, with 20 flagellomeres remaining, flagellomeres bristly; first flagellomere 1.25 × as long as second; length of first and second flagellomeres 3.3 and 2.7 × their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 1.2 × height of head; length of eye in dorsal view 6.7 × temple ( Fig. 2A ); temple shiny, smooth except for some punctures posteriorly and with sparse setae; OOL: OD: POL = 6: 4: 3 ( Fig. 2A ); in lateral view, medially eye 1.75 × as long as wide and 2.7 × as wide as temple ( Fig. 2C ); ventral margin of clypeus straight medially, width of clypeus 3.6 × its maximum height, 0.3 × height and 0.2 × width of face, respectively ( Fig. 2B ); hypoclypeal depression rather wide and deep ( Fig. 2B ); distance between tentorial pits 5.7 × distance from pit to eye margin; malar suture largely absent; malar space narrow, 0.3 × longer than basal width of mandible; clypeus rugulosepunctate; face roughly coriaceous, with distinct raised carina medially ( Fig. 2B ); mandible nearly not twisted, apically moderately narrowed and with both teeth wide, normal basally and with narrow ventral carina; occipital carina remains far removed from hypostomal carina and dorsally largely absent; frons nearly flat, slightly depressed anteriorly and laterally, with round pit between antennal sockets; vertex and temple smooth ( Fig. 2A ).

Mesosoma. Laterally, length of mesosoma 1.25 × its height; pronotal side largely smooth ( Fig. 2E ); propleuron flattened; epicnemial area smooth dorsally; precoxal sulcus only medially present, narrow and punctate ( Fig. 2E ); remainder of mesopleuron smooth and shiny; pleural sulcus smooth ventrally; mesosternal sulcus shallow, narrow and finely crenulate; mesoscutum very shiny and nearly entirely glabrous, more or less flat posteriorly, with long sparse setae anterior-laterally ( Fig. 2D ); notauli only anteriorly as pair of partly short impressions and absent on disc; scutellar sulcus deep, crenulate, 0.3 × as long as scutellum, its posterior margin slightly curved medially ( Fig. 2D ); scutellum slightly convex and smooth, sparsely setose apically; metanotum without median carina; surface of propodeum smooth, with reversed Y-shaped median carina and lateral sinuate carinae above spiracle ( Fig. 2G ).

Wings. Vein 1-SR of fore wing angled with 1-M; vein 1-M curved basally; pterostigma rather broad triangular in shape ( Fig. 2I ); pterostigma 4.8 × as long as width medially and 2.2 × vein r; r exiting far before middle of pterostigma, not linear with anterior-ventral margin of pterostigma and 3-SR; vein 1-SR+M thin but sclerotized; second submarginal cell elongate; subdiscal cell strongly narrowed anteriorly; cu-a short, antefurcal; 1-CU1: 2- CU1: cu-a = 2.5: 23: 2; r: 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m: SR1 = 6: 15: 30: 6: 48; vein 2-SR+M of fore wing 1.3 × as long as its maximum width; r: 3-SR: SR1 = 6: 30: 48; 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 15: 30: 6; vein 2-SR widened medially; vein m-cu narrowly antefurcal, widened apically, strongly curved and linear with vein 2-SR+M ( Fig. 2I ); 2-SR+M short and widened; vein SR1 slightly curved medially; subdiscal cell strongly narrowed anteriorly and widened posteriorly; vein M+CU1 apically and 2-CU1 basally widened ( Fig. 2I ). Hind wing: M+CU: 1-M: 1r-m = 13: 24: 14; cu-a straight; m-cu and SR absent ( Fig. 2K ).

Legs. Length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.0, 9.7 and 5.0 × as long as their width, respectively; hind basitarsus 0.3 × hind tibia, and 0.5 × second–fifth tarsus combined; inner and outer spurs 0.45 and 0.35 × as long as basitarsus, respectively; hind tibia and tarsus with long setae.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite 1.3 × its apical width, convex medio-posteriorly, its surface largely smooth ( Fig. 2F ), dorsal carinae in basal 0.7 of tergite; second suture weakly indicated; second tergite 0.9 × as long as third tergite; combined length of second and third metasomal tergites 0.3 × the remaining tergites posteriorly; first tergite superficially sculptured; second and following tergites smooth, shiny and sparsely setose.

Colour. Whitish yellow; antenna yellow; head pale yellow but stemmaticum black; palpi ivory or white; propleuron and mesopleuron whitish yellow; mesonotum and propodeum yellow; all legs pale yellow, except all coxa ivory or white; tegula yellow; pterostigma brown medially, yellow basally and apically; wing membrane subhyaline, veins brownish yellow; first tergite yellow; second-third tergites brownish yellow, remaining tergites yellow; sternites and hypopygium ivory or white; ovipositor sheath pale brown; ovipositor yellow.

Male. Unknown.

Distribution. NC Vietnam: Ha Tinh (Huong Son).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. From “ante” (Latin for “before”) and “nervus” (Latin for “nerve, vein”), in reference to vein cu-a of the fore wing anteriorly situated.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Psyttalia antenervis Long, sp. nov., holotype, female, lateral.

FIGURE 2. Psyttalia antenervis Long, sp. nov. A Head, dorsal B Head, frontal C Head, lateral D Mesonotum E Mesopleuron F Metasomal tergites 1+2+3 G Propodeum H Metasomal tergites 2–6 I Fore wing.