Blacus (Leioblacus) longipetiolatus Sánchez et Wharton, 2010

Sánchez-García, José Antonio, Wharton, Robert Alan, Romero-Napoles, Jesús, Figueroa, José Isaac, López-Martínez, Víctor, Martínez, Ana Mabel, Pérez-Pacheco, Rafael & Pineda, Samuel, 2010, Four new species of Blacus Nees (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Blacinae) from Mexico, Zootaxa 2641, pp. 37-46 : 44-45

Blacus (Leioblacus) longipetiolatus Sánchez et Wharton , new species

( Fig. 4 a–i)

Description. MALE. Body length: 1.57–2.12 mm. Color: dark brown; palpi white; mandible, labrum, pedicel, tarsi (except telotarsus), trochanter and basal area of tibia yellowish; coxa, apex of tibia, femur, telotarsus and metasoma (except first tergite) yellowish brown; rest of antenna and parastigma brown; pterostigma mostly brown with a little whitish at the ends.

Head: ovoid; vertex strongly convex; 17 antennal segments, third segment 1.25X longer than fourth, length of third, fourth and penultimate antennal segment 2.50, 2.66 and 1.25–1.50X their width respectively; the last antennal segments are fused; eye length 0.8–1.0X longer than temple; maximum width of head 1.80– 1.88X its minimum width (dorsal view); frontal and malar sutures absent; malar space 1.60–1.66X longer than basal width of mandible; area in front of occipital carina smooth; frons and vertex smooth; face and clypeus smooth, with some isolated setae. Mesosoma: mesosoma length 1.27–1.36X its height; sides of pronotum smooth, except for some crenulations and wrinkles, its dorsal part with some carinae; epicnemial area smooth; precoxal sulcus only moderately developed and rugose; notauli absent; mesoscutal lobes smooth and very convex; scutellum smooth, with complete lateral carina; scutellar sulcus without median carina; propodeum smooth, anteriorly with lateral carinae, median longitudinal carina posteriorly bifurcated to form an areola narrow and elongate. Wings: forewing with parastigma small; r inclivous; forewing with 3RS evenly curved; 1CUa 0.36–0.42X as long as1CUb; r 0.10–0.15X as long as 3RS; 3RS 4.20–4.75X as long as 2RS; first discal cell anteriorly acute; forewing length 1.38–1.83 mm; hind wing without vein cu-a. Legs: length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 5.60–6.00, 10.00–10.80 and 5.00–5.30X their width, respectively; hind femur not granular; hind tibia narrowed basally; hind coxa smooth; arolia large. Metasoma: first tergite very long, 3.70– 5.00X its apical width, with dorsal carinae throughout its length; rest of metasoma smooth, with some isolated setae towards apex of each tergite and in ventral part of each segment. Genitalia: aedeagus in form of barrel, with two apical lobes directed outwards and rounded at its apex, with small apical pits; medial deep channel not evident; gonoforceps wide, rounded at apex, with a flange in inner medial part, with several apical setae and setae in the flange; digitus elongate, with two apical teeth and one basal; cuspis represented by a small rise; lamina volsellaris without setae.

FEMALE. Similar to male except body length 1.61–2.54 mm; forewing length 1.38–2.38 mm; ovipositor sheath 0.27–0.31X longer than forewing length; ovipositor curved downward, ovipositor sheaths with bristles throughout length; legs more yellowish than in male, tarsal claws setose and lack black bristles.

Hosts. Unknown.

Material examined. Holotype ɗ MEXICO, Veracruz. 0.3 mi N Jilotepec, 14-VI-1997, 4060 ft, # 97/ 0 14, screen sweep, Wilson and Woolley. Allotype Ψ MEXICO, Chiapas. Reserva de Huitepec , 4 km W San Cristóbal de las Casas, 7200 ft, cloud forest, 25-IX-25-X-1990, R. Jones. Paratypes: Chiapas: 4 Ψ, same data as allotype; 4 Ψ same locality as allotype, 24-VIII-5-IX-1990, malaise trap, R. Jones. 1 Ψ 6.2 mi N Berriozabal, premontane rain forest, 4000 ft, 9-VIII-1990, J. Woolley. 1 Ψ Lagunas de Montebello, 14-21-VII- 1969, Malaise trap. Guerrero: 2 ɗ, 2 Ψ 6.4 mi SW Filo de Caballo, 8-VII-1987, 9000 ft, Woolley and Zolnerowich; 1 Ψ same locality and date, R.A Wharton. Michoacán: 1 Ψ (damaged), Charo, Parque Insurgente José María Morelos y Pavón, 19°39’733’’ N and 100°00’219’’ W, 2097 msnm, 13-X-2007, light trap, L.D. Esquivel and J.I. Figueroa; 1 Ψ Parque Cerro de Garnica, 19°40’002’’N and 100°49’640”W, 2918 msnm, 12-VI-2009, yellow pan trap, L. Flores E. and J.I. Figueroa; 2 ɗ same locality, 19°39’996’’N and 100°49’672”W, 2927 msnm, 19°39’969’’N and 100°49’655”W, 2941 msnm, 4-X-2008, yellow pan trap, L. Flores E. and J.I. Figueroa. Puebla: 1 Ψ 4.7 mi SW La Cumbre, 5100 ft, 23-VIII-1987, Woolley and Zolnerowich. Tamaulipas: Reserva El Cielo: 2 Ψ Ejido San José, Estación el Canindo, 23° 03’ N, 99° 14’ W, 4500-4720 ft, 29-VII-1993, J. Woolley; 1 Ψ Altas Cimas, 3100 ft, 30-VI-1993, J. Woolley and K. Wikse. Additional material: Michoacán: 1 Ψ: 10 mi S Uruapan, 6-VII-1985, Woolley and Zolnerowich. Holotype and allotype deposited in TAMU. Paratypes deposited in TAMU, CNC, JAS and IIAF-UMSNH.

Etymology. The specific name longipetiolatus was chosen because this species has a very elongate first metasomal tergite (petiole).

Distribution records. MEXICO (Chiapas, Guerrero, Michoacán, Puebla, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz). Comments. This species is near B. whartoni Achterberg , and runs to the couplet containing this species in the key to species of Blacus (Leioblacus) in Achterberg (1988: 135). The two species are distingued by the following modified key:

3 Medial area of propodeum very narrow or absent; ovipositor sheath 0.30–0.40X forewing length ........................ 5 - Medial area of propodeum wide and distinct; ovipositor sheath 0.5–0.7X forewing length.................................... 4 4(3) Mesoscutum smooth, usually notauli even basally absent; hind femur somewhat more slender; first tergite yellow-

ish, remainder of metasoma brownish and contrasting ................. Blacus (leioblacus) compressiventris Achterberg - Mesoscutum with notauli weakly developed; hind femur somewhat less slender; first tergite brownish as remain-

der of metasoma and not contasting........................................................... Blacus (Leioblacus) fischeri Haeselbarth 5(3) Length of first metasomal tergite 3.70–5.00X its apical width; hind tibia length 10.00–10.80X its maximum

width; hind basitarsus length 5.00–5.30X its width. Neotropical ........ Blacus (Leioblacus) longipetiolatus sp. nov. - Length of first metasomal tergite 2.30X its apical width; hind tibia length 11.60X its maximum width hind basitar-

sus length 7.50X its width. Taiwan........................................................... Blacus (Leioblacus) whartoni Achterberg Blacus longipetiolatus is similar to B. macrocephalus Achterberg , but differs in that the notauli are absent in B. longipetiolatus ; the head is also smaller with respect to the height of mesosoma and the first tergite is 3.75–5.0X longer than its apical width in B. longipetiolatus whereas in B. macrocephalus it is 2.7X longer than apical width.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Blacus longipetiolatus sp. nov. a. male habitus; b. male: anterior view of head; c. female: dorsal view of head; d. female: dorsal view of mesosoma; e. male: lateral view of mesosoma; f. male wings; g. female: dorsal view of propodeum and first tergite; h. female: ovipositor; i. male genitalia.