Pholetesor longicoxis, Whitfield, 2006

Whitfield, James B., 2006, Revision of the Nearctic species of the genus Pholetesor Mason (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Zootaxa 1144 (1), pp. 1-94 : 45-47

Pholetesor longicoxis , new species

( figs. 48 , 68 )

Holotype female. Body length 1.8 mm, forewing length 2.4 mm.

Head. Frons 1.4x broader at midheight than long down midline, finely punctate, somewhat more densely and strongly so near clypeus, separated from clypeus by more distinct groove than in other species. Inner margins of eyes weakly, evenly converging towards clypeus. Antennae medium yellow­brown over proximal 0.7–0.8, becoming darker brown at tips, apparently slightly shorter than forewing (curled apically); all but distal 5 flagellomeres with 2 ranks of placodes; flagellomere 2 3.7x longer than broad; flagellomere 14 approximately 2.0x lkonger than broad (collapsed in specimen). Palpi light yellow brown throughout. Head in dorsal view twice broader than medially long.

Mesosoma . Mesoscutum finely, shallowly punctate, more sparsely so posteriorly to nearly smooth and impunctate near scutellum; surface somewhat dull, weakly satiny; mesoscutal width just anterior to tegulae just slightly less than that of head. Scutoscutellar scrobe nearly straight medially, narrow, composed of irregular, sometimes confluent sharp, fine pits, preceded anteriorly by weakly declivous portion of mesoscutum. Scutellar disc sparsely, very indistinctly punctate, appearing smooth between punctures, slightly longer than anteriorly broad with weakly concave lateral margins. Metanotum sunken well below level of scutellum, anteriorly virtually appressed to posterior edge of scutellum, weakly excavated mesad sublateral setiferous lobes; lacking well­defined transverse carinae on sides; depressions on either side anterior to broad raised posterior border crossed by irregular short longitudinal to oblique ridges. Propodeum anteriorly finely rugulose with small polished area medially along anterior edge; posteriorly more coarsely and irregularly rugose with hints of posterior arms of areolar carinae (but areolar region not depressed); posterolateral corners not noticeably sunken; propodeal width 2.1x greatest length.

Legs. Forelegs entirely light yellow­brown except slightly darker pretarsal area; middle legs similar except coxae basally infuscate; hind legs entirely light yellow­brown except dark brown basal half of coxae; hind coxae enlarged, reaching nearly to end of third tergum of metasoma; spines on outer faces of hind tibiae regularly scattered, about 25 in number; inner apical spurs of hind tibiae slightly longer than outer, about 0.4 as long as hind basitarsi, pale yellowish.

Wings. Tegulae pale translucent yellowish. Forewings slender, tinged brownish; venation translucent medium brown; R1 1.3x as long as stigma, about 3.5x as long as distance from its distal end to end of 3Rs fold along wing edge; stigma 2.8x as long as broad; 2r exiting beyond middle of stig,a, much shorter than 1Rs and meeting it at a sharp 120­degree angle. Hindwing with Cu+cu­a weakly arched, strongly reclivous; vannal lobe weakly flattened with short, slightly sparser fringe at midlength.

Metasoma. Tergite I strongly humped, coarsely rugose, about 1.2x broader anteriorly than posteriorly, with lateral margins sharp, raised above laterotergites and weakly converging over most of length, then more strongly rounded apically; mediobasal excavation shallow, broad, reaching over anterior 0.3 of tergite and surrounded by irregular concentric sculpturing. Tergite II subquadrate, 2.8x as broad posteriorly as medially long, with rounded anterolateral corners, coarsely rugose throughout and marked posteriorly by straight, indistinctly crenulate furrow. Tergum III slightly longer than tergite II, anteromedially roughened but mostly unculptured. Laterotergites and extreme anterolateral edges of tergum III pale yellow­brown. Succeeding terga of usual unsculptured, overlapping form, strongly telescoped under anterior 3. Hypopygium slightly longer than hind basitarsi, submedially weakly creased, setting off narrow medial, more translucent fold; apex apparently sharply acuminate (stretched by ovipositor in type). Ovipositor sheaths overall slightly shorter than hind basitarsi, expanded hairy portions slender, nearly parallel­sided, straight, with blunt tips and about 2/3 length of hind basitarsi. Ovipositor weakly decurved apically.

Males. The single male is similar to the female except all but the distal 4 flagellomeres have 2 ranks of placodes; flagellomere 14 2.0x as long as broad. Labrum more conspicuously yellow than in female, antennae light yellow­brown, becoming darker distally. Tegulae pale yellow­brown. Stigma broader, less angular than in female, 2.5x as long as broad. Junction of 2r and 1Rs marked with conspicuous stub of 2Rs. Hind coxae not so conspicuously enlarged as in female, reaching only to just beyond posterior margin of tergite II. Metasomal tergites very similar to female except tergite I slightly narrower (1.5x as long as maximum width). Body length 2.1mm, forewing length 2.3 mm.

Final instar larva & cocoon. Unknown

Material examined. Holotype female: QUEBEC Old Chelsea, Summit King Mt. 1150', 8­VII­1961 (J. R. Vockeroth) . Paratype male: MICHIGAN. Ann Arbor, Trap , 20–21­VI­ 1960 (H.& M. Townes) .

Holotype deposited in CNC collection; paratype in AEI collection.

Hosts. Unknown.

Comments. No other member of the bedelliae ­group has pale tegulae, very short parallel­sided ovipositor sheaths and long hind coxae (relative to the small metasoma). The superficial appearance is quite different from the other species, despite sharing most features with the rest of the bedelliae ­group. It appears to be a rare species, since the general area in which it was collected has been well­surveyed.

Figures

FIGURES 39–59. Anterior metasomal tergites, dorsal view, of: 39, Pholetesor masneri (Mason); 40, P. bucculatricis (Muesebeck); 41, P. zelleriae Whitfield; 42, P. masoni Whitfield; 43, P. dixianus Whitfield; 44, P. pinifoliellae Whitfield; 45, Pholetesor rhygoplitoides Whitfield; 46, P. bedelliae (Viereck); 47, P. chiricahuensis Whitfield; 48, P. longicoxis Whitfield; 49, P. powelli Whitfield; 50, P. thuiellae Whitfield; 51, P. rohweri (Muesebeck); 52, P. variabilis Whitfield; 53, P. viminetorum (Wesmael); 54, P. caloptiliae Whitfield; 55, Pholetesor ornigis (Weed); 56, P. salalicus (Mason); 57, P. salicifoliellae (Mason); 58, Pholetesor circumscriptus (Nees); 59, P. pedias (Nixon).

FIGURES 60–71. 60–62, Ovipositor apparati, lateral view, of: 60, Pholetesor bucculatricis (Muesebeck); 61, P. zelleriae Whitfield; 62, P. masoni Whitfield. 63–65: Apex of female metasoma, lateral view, of: 63, P. dixianus Whitfield; 64, P. pinifoliellae Whitfield; 65, P. rhygoplitoides Whitfield. 66: Ovipositor apparatus, lateral view, of P. bedelliae (Viereck). 67, 68: Apex of female metasoma, lateral view, of: 67, P. chiricahuensis Whitfield; 68, P. longicoxis Whitfield. 69: Ovipositor apparatus, lateral view, of P. powelli Whitfield. 70, 71: Apex of female metasoma, lateral view, of: 70, P. thuiellae Whitfield; 71, P. rohweri (Muesebeck).