Aleiodes khalafi Fortier, 2021

Fortier, Joseph, 2021, Aleiodes (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Rogadinae) diversity in Washington U. S. A including three new species, Zootaxa 4999 (2), pp. 132-142 : 134-136

Aleiodes khalafi Fortier NEW SPECIES

( Figures 6–8 )

Holotype. ♀ USA: WASHINGTON, Okanogan Co., west side Omak Lake , 48 O 18’07”N; 119 O 26’41”W July 12-24, 2020, J. Fortier coll. Deposited in NMNH.

Paratype. ♂ USA: WASHINGTON, Okanogan Co., west side Omak Lake , 48 O 18’07”N; 119 O 26’41” W, July 1-10, 2020, J. Fortier coll. Deposited in NMNH

Female. Body color: orange except black on ocellar triangle, mesonotal lobes, basal half of propodeum, ovipositor sheaths and hypopygium, third metasomal tergite and those posterior, tips of mandibles; maxillary palps orange, antennae orange basally becoming dark brown apically, stigma black except orange basally, wing veins mostly black except C+Sc+R orange. Body length: 5.5 mm. fore wing length: 4 mm. Head: ocelli smaller than ocell-ocular distance; 52 antennomeres, all longer than wide, malar space more than twice as long as basal width of mandible, face rugose, frons, vertex rugose. Legs: dorsal side of hind coxa coriaceous, tarsal claws not pectinate, inner hind tibial spur about 0.25 length of hind basal tarsomere. Wings: second submarginal cell small, trapezoidal, vein r about 0.6 length of 3RSa, 3RSa about 0.8 length of 2M, vein 1cu-a distal of 1M by a distance greater than length of 1cu-a, hind wing RS recurved, marginal cell narrowest in middle, m-cu pigmented, about 0.5 length of 2r-m. m-cu present, faintly infuscate. Mesosoma: Pronotum coriaceous medially, rugulose laterally; mesonotum coriaceous, widely, irregularly spaced costulae running antero-posteriorly, notaulus scrobiculate, terminating posteriorly in rugose posterior area of scutum; scutellum coriaceous rugulose; mesopleuron rugose except for raised medial area minutely rugulose anteriorly, otherwise smooth-shiny; propodeum rugose dorsally, coriaceous costate laterally, median carina weakly complete, becoming weak, wavy in posterior half. Metasoma: First and second tergites rugocostate, median carina complete, first tergite length greater than apical width; third and *fourth tergite rugulocostulate except posterior 0.2 of tergite length smooth and shiny, median carina incomplete, terminating anterior to shiny area on third tergite, faintly present in basal 0.2 of fourth tergite.

Male. As in female except mesonotal lobes and entire propodeum orange, third metasomal tergite without black, length of first metasomal tergite equal to apical width.

Biology. Host unknown.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in Okanogan County, Washington.

Comments. This species is closely similar to Aleiodes shenefelti Marsh and Shaw. Females share the elongate 1 st metasomal tergite with that species. It can be distinguished from that species by the rugulocostulate sculpturing on the 4 th metasomal tergite, in contrast to the coriaceous sculpturing on the 4 th metasomal segment of A. shenefelti .

Etymology. This species is named after Dr. Kamel Khalaf, the author’s first entomology professor.

Figures

FIGURES 6–8. Aleiodes khalafi (female) NEW SPECIES. Figure 6. Habitus. Figure 7. Dorsal view showing sculpturing of propodeum (pr) and metasomal tergites. Figure 8. Closeup of fourth metasomal tergite (arrow). Note that fourth metasomal tergite is sculptured and is much larger than succeeding posterior tergites. These character states together are unique to species in the Aleiodes coxalis (Spinola) species-group.