Aphaereta vondelparkensis van Achterberg et al. 2020

Gupta, Ankita, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Pattar, Rohit & Minz, Kriti Arpana, 2022, On the occurrence of a Palaearctic species of the genus Aphaereta Foerster (Braconidae, Alysiinae) and description of a new species of the genus Leiophron Nees (Braconidae, Euphorinae) from central India, Zootaxa 5209 (4), pp. 455-462 : 456-457

Aphaereta vondelparkensis van Achterberg et al. 2020

Figs 1 & 2

Female, length of body 3.3 mm, of fore wing 3.4 mm.

Colour. Black or dark brown ( Fig. 1A ); scapus yellow and pedicellus of antenna brown; palpi, tegulum, coxae, trochanters, trochantelli pale yellowish; and remainder of legs (but telotarsi infuscate) brownish-yellow; mandibles (margins darkened) and first tergite of metasoma reddish brown; wing membrane slightly infuscate. Propleuron and pronotal side ventrally orange ( Fig. 1B ).

Head. Antenna with 24 antennomeres, length of third, fourth and penultimate antennomeres 3.7, 6.1 and 2.5 × their maximum width, respectively; OOL:diameter of posterior ocellus:POL = 5.0:1.9:2.0; frons glabrous and smooth ( Fig. 2A ), nearly flat; length of eye in dorsal view 2.4 × temple; eyes glabrous except for a few setae; temples slightly curved behind eyes; median groove of vertex present ( Fig. 2B ); head 1.5–1.7 × wider than high medially, smooth; clypeus sparsely finely punctate, rather convex medially, long setose; mandible partially rugulose, its medial length 1.6 × maximum width, second tooth longer than lateral teeth ( Fig. 1B ).

Mesosoma. Mesoscutum glabrous, smooth, strongly shiny and with complete lateral carina ( Fig. 2D ); scutellar sulcus transverse and deep with one median carina; scutellum slightly convex; metanotum with two diverging sub median carinae; surface of propodeum mainly rugulose, with two sub medio-longitudinal carinae forming an areola in apical half ( Fig. 2F ).

Wings. ( Fig. 2E ) Fore wing: 2-SR oblique; r:3-SR:SR1(relative) = 11.5:40.6:115.2; r about 1.3 × as long as width of pterostigma, pterostigma narrow elliptical; SR1 straight and ending nearly at apex of wing; 2-SR:3-SR: r-m (relative) = 23.8:40.6:13.1; r-m and 2-SR (apical third) interstitial. Hind wing: narrow apically; no trace of cu-a. Ratio of m-cu: 2-SR 37.7: 23.8. Second submarginal cell 2.2 × as long as its maximum width.

Legs. Length of femur about 5.0 × as long as its maximum width. Ratio of ovipositor: hind femur and first tergite 13.9: 75.6: 47.8.

Metasoma. Length of first tergite about 0.9 × as long as apical width, its surface distinctly convex medially and rugose, longitudinal sub median carinae distinct in basal 0.5 and tergite widened behind spiracles; dorsope rather large ( Fig. 2G ). Length of setose part of ovipositor sheath ( Fig. 2H ) 0.4 × fore wing length, sub equal to metasoma, 1.7 × hind femur length and 1.1 × hind tibia length, with very long setae.

Material examined. 4♀; India, Chhattisgarh, Kanker , 20°14′48.416′′N, 81°30′28.873′′E, yellow pan trap, 8– 14.ii.2022; leg Kriti A. Minz. code— NBAIR / Brac / Aly / Aphae /08222A–D (NIM) .

Remarks. The species has a wide distribution as it is encountered in inhabited areas. So far known from Europe and the East Palaearctic region (pers. comm. CvA). The Indian specimens resemble A. vondelparkensis in almost all the characters and also possess the pale pronotum (ventrally) and propleuron, however, slight variations are observed which are shown in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Aphaereta vondelparkensis van Achterberg et al. A—Habitus in dorsal aspect; B—Head and mesopleuron in lateral aspect.

FIGURE 2. Aphaereta vondelparkensis van Achterberg et al. A—Head in frontal aspect; B—Vertex; C—Head showing mandibles; D—Mesosoma; E—Fore wing; F—Propodeum; G—T1 and T2; H—Metasoma.