Hecabolus transversalis, Castañeda-Osorio & Belokobylskij & Zaldívar-Riverón, 2022

Castañeda-Osorio, Rubén, Belokobylskij, Sergey A. & Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro, 2022, Four new species of Hecabolus Curtis, 1834 (Braconidae, Doryctinae) from south and southwestern Brazil, with notes on the morphological variation and geographic distribution of H. mexicanus ZaldívarRiverón & Belokobylskij, 2009, European Journal of Taxonomy 846, pp. 126-151 : 141-144

Hecabolus transversalis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1A7DFE27-FA2B-42D6-B15D-EBF92BC3C35D

Fig. 5

Diagnosis

Hecabolus transversalis sp. nov. is morphologically similar to H. costaricensis and H. gavinbroadi as they have a wide pterostigma; and to H. mexicanus and H shimborii by the coriaceous lateral mesoscutal lobes. In addition, it is morphologically similar to H. assis , H. robustus , H. semiaridus , and H. sulmatogrossensis by the presence of a median and lateral longitudinal carinae on the propodeum. However, it can be morphologically distinguished from the remaining species of Hecabolus by having a transversely striate anterior area on the second metasomal tergite (smooth or not transversely striate in the remaining species), middle mesoscutal lobe strongly coriaceous to rugose (coriaceous or smooth in the remaining species); and vein 2M almost spectral (well defined in the remaining species).

Etymology

The specific epithet of this species comes from the Latin word ‘ transversalis ’, in reference to the distinctive transverse anterior striation on the second metasomal tergite.

Material examined

Holotype BRAZIL • ♀; Santa Catarina, Nova Teutonia ; 27°11′ S, 52°23′ W; 17 Jun. 1937; Fritz Plaumann leg; B.M. 1937–656; NHMUK.

Paratype BRAZIL • 1 ♀; Mato Grosso, Rio Caraguata ; 4 Apr. 1953; F. Plaumann leg; B.M. 1957–341; CNINIBUNAM .

Description

Female

MEASUREMENTS. Body length 2.9–3.1 mm; fore wing length 2.1–2.3 mm; ovipositor and sheaths length 1.7–2.0 mm.

HEAD ( Fig. 5B ). Width 0.8–0.9 × median length (dorsal view), 0.8–0.9 × width of mesoscutum. Head behind eyes (dorsal view) convex in anterior half, and weakly, roundly narrowed in posterior half. Transverse diameter of eye 0.5–0.7 × length of temple. Ocelli rather small, arranged in an equilateral triangle; POL 1.0–1.3 × Od, 1.0–1.6 × OOL. Eyes glabrous, height 1.2–1.4 × its maximum width. Malar space 2.0 × height of eye, 0.3–0.5 × basal width of mandible. Face convex, its width 0.3 × height of eye and 0.5 × height of face and clypeus combined. Malar suture absent. Clypeus high, with a distinct lower flange. Hypoclypeal depression small and nearly round, as long as its width. Occipital carina wide, complete, not joined with hypostomal carina. Hypostomal flange wide. Antenna with at least 9 flagellomeres (antennae incomplete). Scapus 1.5 × as long as its maximum width. First flagellomere straight, not widened medially, 3.5 × as long as its maximum width; 1.0 × as long as second flagellomere.

MESOSOMA ( Fig. 5C–D ). Length of mesosoma 2.0–2.2 × its height. Pronotum short, dorsally convex, without submedian pronotal carina. Mesoscutum (lateral view) highly and roundly elevated above pronotum; its length (dorsal view) 0.4–0.5 × maximum width. Median lobe of mesoscutum protruding forward, without anterolateral corners. Notauli wide, more or less deep, scrobiculate anteriorly and slightly striate posteriorly. Prescutellar depression moderately shallow, long, with 6–7 carinae, 0.7 × as long as scutellum. Scutellum weakly convex and without lateral carinae. Precoxal sulcus distinct (lateral view), more or less deep, distinctly crenulate anteriorly and slightly striate posteriorly, complete along lower length of mesopleuron. Metanotal tooth absent. Metapleural lobe relatively short but wide, rounded apically. Propodeum without lateral tubercles or projections.

WINGS ( Fig. 5E–F ). Fore wing 3.3–3.5 × as long as its maximum width. Pterostigma 2.9–3.3 × as long as wide. Vein r arising in middle of pterostigma. Marginal cell long, its length 2.9–3.0 × maximum width. Vein R1 1.2–1.5 × as long as pterostigma. Vein r 0.7–0.8 × maximum width of pterostigma. Vein 3RSa slightly curved towards apical margin of wing, 6.0–7.0 × as long as vein r, 2.8–3.0 × as long as vein 2RS. Vein 2RS 2.0–2.5 × as long as vein r, and 2.0–2.5 × as long as vein m-cu. Vein m-cu interstitial to vein 2RS. Vein (RS+M)a slightly sinuate. First discal cell considerably long, 1.5 × as long as wide. Veins 1M and m-cu slightly divergent posteriorly. Vein cu-a interstitial to vein 1M. Vein 1M 1.0–1.1 × as long as vein 1RS, 1.8–2.0 × as long as vein m-cu. Vein cu-a short and straight, vein 1M 3.6–4.0 × as long as vein cu-a. Vein M+CU slightly sinuate. Vein 2CU interstitial to vein 1CU. Hind wing 4.8–6.0 × as long as its maximum width. Vein C+Sc+R 1.0–1.5 × as long as vein SC+R. Basal cell greatly narrow and long, its length 8.8–11.4 × its maximum width, 0.3–0.4 × length of wing. Vein M+CU short, 0.7–0.8 × the length of vein 1M. Vein cu-a absent. Vein r-m short, 0.5 × length of vein R. Vein m-cu unsclerotized, poorly defined, almost straight, weakly oblique toward base of wing. Vein RS absent. Vein 2M unsclerotized, poorly defined, very slightly curved anteriorly, almost reaching margin of wing.

LEGS ( Fig. 5A, G ). Fore tibia with a narrow row of few slender spines. Hind coxa protruding forwards in ventro-anterior corner, 1.2–1.3 × as long as maximum width. Hind femur moderately wide, 2.0–2.5 × as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia slightly wide. Hind tarsus 0.9 × as long as hind tibia. Basitarsus about 0.7 × as long as second–fifth segments combined. Second segment of hind tarsus 2.3 × length of basitarsus, 0.2 × the length of fifth segment (without pretarsus).

METASOMA ( Fig. 5G ). 1.0–1.1 × as long as head and mesosoma combined. First segment with basal sternal plate moderately long, 0.5–0.6 × as long as first tergite; without distinct dorsope, with small spiracle in anterior half. Maximum width of first tergite 2.7–3.0 × its minimum width; length of first tergite 1.3–1.5 × its apical width, 1.5–1.7 × length of propodeum. Second tergite without depressions (furrows) nor carinae. Median length of second tergite 0.8–1.3 × its basal width, 1.8–2.0 × length of third tergite. Combined length of second and third tergites 0.7–0.8 × their maximum width. Ovipositor sheaths slender, 1.1–1.3 × as long as metasoma, 1.6–1.8 × as long as mesosoma, 0.7–0.8 × length of body, 0.8–0.9 × length of fore wing.

SCULPTURE AND PUBESCENCE. Vertex entirely striate; frons striate below ocelli with shallow rugose emargination opposite antennal sockets. Face distinctly and densely rugose near antennal sockets, densely striate above clypeus; malar space smooth; temple entirely smooth and polished. Sides of pronotum slightly striate longitudinally in upper half and transversely striate in lower half; propleuron distinctly striate. Mesoscutum densely and strongly coriaceous, almost rugose, lateral lobes densely coriaceous. Scutellum smooth. Metanotum transversely striate. Mesopleuron smooth, longitudinally striate in upper anterior third; precoxal sulcus scrobiculate anteriorly, striate posteriorly. Metapleuron entirely and coarsely reticulate to rugose. Propodeum entirely and densely rugose with dense rugulose microsculpture, with central and lateral incomplete carinae. Hind coxa distinctly striate dorsally, smooth laterally. Hind femur smooth. First metasomal tergite densely and longitudinally striate with rugose microsculptureanteriorly; second metasomal tergite with a transversely striate area in anterior half, remaining area smooth and polished; remaining metasomal tergites smooth and polished. Vertex and frons with very sparse short setae; face with dense setae. Pronotum and mesoscutum with sparse, long, and pale setae, with narrow median glabrous areas on lateral lobes. Mesopleuron, metapleuron and propodeum with sparse setae laterally. Wings with dense short to medium setae, especially on wing margins. Hind coxa with sparse semi-erect setae. Hind femur with sparse setae. Hind tibia dorsally and laterally with dense short setae; tarsus with short and very fine setae. Metasoma with very sparse pale setae.

COLOUR. Body brown to dark brown, anterior half of metasoma dark reddish brown. Head brown. Antenna light brown. Palpi light brown to almost honey yellow. Legs brown; hind coxa reddish brown; trochanter and trochantellus light brown; hind femur brown; hind tibia brown, light brown in basal third; tarsus light brown, tarsal claw brown. Fore wing hyaline, slightly infuscate below pterostigma; pterostigma dark brown. Hind wing entirely hyaline.

Male

Unknown.

Distribution

Specimens of this species were collected in Rio Caraguata in the state of Mato Grosso, and Nova Teutonia in state of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Host

Unknown.

Figures

Fig. 5. Hecabolus transversalis sp. nov., ♀, holotype (NHMUK). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head, frontal view. C. Mesosoma, lateral view. D. Mesosoma, dorsal view. E. Fore wing. F. Hind wing. G. Metasoma, dorsal view, showing the transverse anterior striation of the second metasomal tergite.