Streblocera (Eutanycerus) levipleuron, Shamim & O, 2013

Shamim, Mohammad & O, Published, 2013, The genus Streblocera Westwood (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from India, with descriptions of 9 new species, Turkish Journal of Zoology 37 (4), pp. 385-405 : 396-398

4.6. Streblocera (Eutanycerus) levipleuron sp. nov. (Plate VI; Figures 45 –54)

Body length: 10.7 mm, Forewing: 6.7 mm, Antenna: 8.1 mm

Head: Width of head in dorsal view 1.5× its length and its height; antennal segments 21; scape long, incrassate, 8.8× its width and 2.1× height of head, at basal more than third with a minute spine, ventrally weakly carinate, flagellum geniculated at seventh flagellomere; first to seventh segments ventrally weakly carinate, sixth and seventh flagellomere formed into a hook-like prominence apicoventrally, prominence on sixth segments smaller than on seventh segment; first flagellomere with 1 sensillum, 1.8× as long as wide, 0.73× as long as pedicel and 1.7× as long as second flagellomere; second flagellomere with 2 sensilla, 1.3× as long as wide, as long as third flagellomere; third flagellar segments with 3 sensilla, F 3 – F 4, F 5 – F 6, F 7, F 8 – F 9, F 10 – F 13, F 14 – F 18, and F 19 1.3×, 1.6×, 1.5×, 2.4×, 1.6×, 1.5×, and 2.8× their widths, respectively; length of scape: length of pedicel to seventh flagellomere: length of antenna from eighth flagellomere to apex = 115: 85: 125; occipital carina incomplete, dorsally shortly interrupted, ventrally separated from hypostomal carina; OOL: POL: OD = 22: 8: 5; length of eye in dorsal view 1.1× its width and 1.2× temple; temple smooth, setose; temple roundly narrowed behind eyes; vertex 2.1× its width, smooth, sparsely setose; frons 2.1× as wide as long, medially smooth, remaining striate, near eye margin sparsely setose; face 2× as wide as long, somewhat rugo-punctate, densely setose; intertentorial line 1.2× tentorio-ocular line, tentorial pit deep, large, somewhat oval-shaped; clypeus 2.3× its height, flat, smooth, densely setose; length of malar space 1.4× basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma: Length of mesosoma 2.8× its width, 3.3× its height; pronotal side medially crenulate, remaining largely smooth; precoxal sulcus narrow, reticulate, setose; mesopleuron largely smooth; notauli wide, deep, anteriorly crenulate, posteriorly reticulate, with median longitudinal carina; middle lobe of mesoscutum smooth, setose, lateral lobes smooth; scutellar sulcus wide, deep, smooth, with 1 strong median longitudinal carina; scutellum almost flat, smooth, sparsely setose; side of scutellum reticulate, setose; medioposterior depression wide, oval-shaped; propodeum apically smooth, remaining reticulate, rugose.

Wings: Forewing 2.3× as long as wide; length of pterostigma 3× its width; length of vein 1 – R 1 0.71× length of pterostigma; r emitting at middle of pterostigma, its length 0.36× width of pterostigma; vein SR1 + 3-SR curved; m – cu interstitial; r: 2 – SR: SR1 + 3 – SR = 8: 25: 70; 1 – CU1: 2 – CU1: 3 – CU1 = 3: 25: 10; hindwing 4.2× as long as wide; 1 – M: 1 – r-m: 2 – SC + R = 8: 15: 15.

Legs: Hind coxa smooth, setose; lengths of hind femur, tibia, and basitarsus 6.5×, 13.3×, and 11.7× their widths, respectively; lengths of hind tibial spurs 0.17× hind basitarsus.

Metasoma: Length of metasoma 2.7× its width and 3.8× its height; first metasomal tergite 2× its apical width, its surface basally more than half smooth, remaining longitudinally striate; dorsope present; distance across spiracles 0.48× distance from spiracles to apex of first metasomal tergite; ovipositor sheath slender, setose, its length 0.16× forewing and 0.9× hind basitarsus, hypopygium sparsely setose; ovipositor long, strongly curved downward, apically pointed.

Color: Yellowish brown except stemmaticum, ovipositor, propodeum, brownish yellow; first metasomal tergite, ovipositor sheath brown; maxillary palps, labial palps, metasoma except first metasomal tergite, legs yellow; eyes grayish; ocelli transparent.

Variation: Length of body 10.5 – 10.8 mm, of forewing 6.4 – 6.8 mm, of antenna 8 – 8.4 mm; scape 8.5 – 8.8× its width; first flagellomere 1.7 – 1.8× its width; third flagellomere 1.3 – 1.4× its width; clypeus 2.1 – 2.2× its height; r: 2 – SR: SR1 + 3 – SR = 9: 24: 68; ovipositor sheath 0.89 – 92× hind basitarsus.

Type material: Holotype, female, INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Bhind, 26°36′N, 78°46′E, 15. vi. 2007, Coll. M. Sharif & M. Shamim ( ZDAMU). Deposited in Insect Collection, Department of Zoology , AMU, Aligarh ( ZDAMU).

Paratypes, 4 females, same as holotypes. INDIA: Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior, 26°14′N, 78°10′E, 22. v. 2010. Coll. M. Shamim ( ZDAMU). Deposited in Insect Collection, Department of Zoology , AMU, Aligarh ( ZDAMU) .

Etymology: The species is named for its smooth mesopleuron.

Discussion: The new species Streblocera (Eutanycerus) levipleuron sp. nov. resembles Streblocera (Eutanycerus) aurrayyus sp. nov. However, it differs by having (1) middle lobe of mesoscutum smooth, setose (middle lobe of mesoscutum sparsely punctate in aurrayyus ); (2) mesopleuron largely smooth (mesopleuron anterodorsally finely crenulate, setose, remaining largely smooth in aurrayyus ); (3) hind tibial spurs 0.17× hind basitarsus (hind tibial spurs 0.20× hind basitarsus in aurrayyus ); (4) hind coxa smooth (hind coxa sparsely punctate in aurrayyus ).

The new species Streblocera (Eutanycerus) levipleuron sp. nov. also resembles Streblocera (Eutanycerus) obtusa Chen and Achterberg, 1997 . However, it differs by having (1) antennal segments 21 (antennal segments 22 in obtusa ); (2) length of scape 8.8× its width (length of scape 5× its width in obtusa ); (3) propodeum apically smooth, remaining reticulate, rugose (propodeum areolate with rugae between carinae in obtusa ); (4) surface of first metasomal tergite basally more than half smooth, remaining longitudinally striate (surface of first metasomal tergite weakly longitudinally rugose in obtusa ).

Figures

Figure 45. Head dorsal view. Figure 46. Head ventral view. Figure 47. Mesoscutum showing notauli. Figure 48. Mesoscutum showing mesopleuron. Figure 49. Ovipositor and ovipositor sheath.