Yelicones samaesanensis, Butcher, Buntika Areekul, 2014

Butcher, Buntika Areekul, 2014, A new species of the Ye l i c o n e s Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Rogadinae) from Thailand, Zootaxa 3764 (2), pp. 192-196 : 193-195

Yelicones samaesanensis sp. nov.

(Figs 1 & 2)

Holotype, female; data: Thailand. Chonburi: Khao Ma Jor, Samaesan, Sattahip, 25 October 2013, V. Charoennitiwat, light trap; deposited: Insect Collections of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ( CUMZ).

Paratype, male; data: Thailand. Chonburi: Khao Ma Jor, Samaesan, Sattahip, 1 June 2013, B. Butcher, light trap; deposited: Insect Collections of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ( CUMZ).

Description (female). Length of body 4.5 mm, length of fore wing 2.5 mm.

Antennae with 35–37 flagellomeres; terminal flagellomere 4x longer than wide; first flagellomere 1.25 and 1.1 longer than 2nd and 3rd, respectively; first flagellomere 1.6 longer than wide; third flagellomere 1.4 longer than wide; height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 1.75: 5: 1; clypeus with deep punctuation; face mostly with deep transverse striate with mid-longitudinal carina between antennal sockets, nearly reaching clypeus; height of eye: width of face: width of head = 1: 1: 1.8; length of face 1.7x width of face; frons with distinct transverse striate behind antennal sockets, with complete mid-longitudinal carina; occiput moderately setose towards sides; horizontal length of eye: horizontal length of head behind eye = 1.3: 1; post ocellar length: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 2.4: 1: 2.4; with complete occipital carina.

FIGURE 1. Light micrographs of Y. samaesanensis n. sp., A, whole body; B, face; C, lateral view of head; D, top of head and mesoscutum.

Mesosoma with moderately short setose (except for the anterior half of pronotum) 1.5x longer than high; mesoscutum without mid-longitudinal carina, postero-medially with deep longitudinal irregular grooves; notauli weakly developed, indistinctly impressed throughout length of mesoscutum; scutellar sulcus with 6 carinae between two outer ones; scutellum longitudinal striate, moderately setose, postero-medially deep punctured; metanotum postero-medially without pit; mesopleuron deeply rugose-punctate, antero-laterally with short striate; precoxal sulcus deep, curved extending whole length of mesopleuron, deeply crenulate; mesopleural suture distinctly crenulate; propodeum aerolate-rugose.

FIGURE 2. Light micrographs of Y. samaesanensis n. sp., E, lateral view of mesosoma; F, propodeum; G, wings; H, top view of metasoma.

Fore wing: Length of vein SR1: 3-SR: r = 3.4: 2: 1; vein 1-SR+M weakly sinusoidal; vein r arising 0.5 distance along pterostigma; lengths of veins 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m = 1: 2: 1.1; lengths of veins 2-SR+M: 2-M: m-cu = 1: 3: 1.5; lengths of veins 2-CU1: 1-CU1 = 1.5: 1; vein C+SC+R and 1-SR forming an angle of 40°.

Hind wing: lengths of veins 1-rm: SC+R1 = 1: 1.6; veins 2+SC+R weakly transverse; vein SR reduced distally; vein 2m-cu postfurcal and straight; marginal cell, basal cell and base of wing evenly setose.

Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 2: 2.5: 1; fore femur 3x longer than maximally deep; fore tibia without mid-longitudinal ridge. Hind femur 3x longer than maximally deep; lengths of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 1.9: 2.7: 1; hind basitarsus 1.9x longer than maximally deep.

Metasomal tergites moderately setose; first metasomal tergite striate, 1.1x wider than medially long, anteriorly with smooth triangle formed by uniting dorsal carinae, with median carinae extending to posterior margin of tergite; second metasomal tergite striate, antero-medially with indistinct triangular area, 1.9x wider than medially long, without median carina; second suture straight and deeply crenulate; third metasomal tergite 2.5x wider than long, basal half striate, 0.4 distal smooth; metasomal tergites 4–7 shiny and smooth.

Colour: body largely yellowish ivory, except for occiput, mesoscutum postero-medially and laterally, metanotum, basal 0.2 of first metasomal tergite, second suture, distal 0.2 of 3rd metasomal tergite, distal 0.4 of 4th metasomal tergite, dark brown.

Diagnosis. Y. samaesanensis keys out to the couplet 6 using the key to East Palaearctic and Oriental species of Yelicones (Quicke et al. 1997) . It can be distinguished from Y. contractus Papp by the second metasomal tergite completely striate, second suture striate, hind basitarsus unicolorous, without distinct greyish blotch mediobasally and hind wing vein 2SC+R weakly transverse.

Modification to the key to the species of Yelicones of the East Palaearctic and Oriental region (Quicke et al. 1997) to accommodate the new species.

6. Marginal cell of hind wing not strongly expanded at basal quarter, and only slightly narrowing distally; hind wing vein 2-SC+R absent; second metasomal tergite mostly longitudinally striate and with distinct mid-basal, obtuse, triangular area; hind basitarsus without greyish blotch medio-basally.................................................................. 7

- Marginal cell of hind wing strongly expanded basally, almost 2x wider at basal quarter than apically; hind wing vein 2-SC+R strongly transverse; second metasomal tergite at most with basal 0.25 longitudinally striate and at most with trace of mid-basal, obtuse, triangular area; hind basitarsus with distinct greyish blotch mediobasally.................................. 7a

7a. Antennae with less than 30 flagellomeres; femora with faint brownish suffusion; second metasomal tergite basally with short, fine and longitudinal striate; second suture indistinct; pterostigma opaque yellow, weakly brownish apically............................................................................................... Y. contractus Papp, 1991

- Antennae with more than 32 flagellomeres; femora ivory, without faint brownish suffusion; second metasomal tergite completely striate, without median carina; second suture distinct, with deep crenulate; pterostigma yellow...................................................................................................... Y. samaesanensis n.sp.