Vadumasonium vardyorum, Achterberg & Broad, 2013

Achterberg, Cornelis van & Broad, Gavin R., 2013, Revision of the genus Vadumasonium Kammerer (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Brachistinae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 33, pp. 91-98 : 94-97

Vadumasonium vardyorum sp. n. Figs 1-8, 10-15

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (BMNH), "England: Hants., Romsey, Awbridge, 1-14.viii.1981, C. & M. Vardy", "Malaise trap at 5 m in dead Larix ", " Aspigonus sp., det. T. Huddleston, 1982". Paratypes (2 ♀ + 1 ♂): 1 ♀ (RMNH), "England: Hants., New Forest, Minstead, 5.viii.[19]63. In cage with Apatele alni , L.W. Siggs", " Aspidogonus sp., R.D. Eady det. 1967"; 1 ♀ + 1 ♂ (BMNH), "D. [= Germany], [near] Freiburg, Bechtaler Wald [= a strictly protected forest reserve near Weisweil in Baden-Württemberg], 1996", "ex Ptilinus pecticornis ", "Hedqvist coll. BMNH(E) 2011-27".

Diagnosis.

Clypeus with small acute tooth medio-ventrally ( Fig. 5 ); face 4.0 times wider than high medially and with separate triangular area medially ( Fig. 5 ); frons largely coriaceous ( Figs 5, 6 ); malar suture present, except dorsal third ( Fig. 5 ); hind coxa largely rugose dorsally ( Fig. 7 ); mesosoma black or dark brown; length of first tergite about twice its apical width ( Fig. 4 ); length of ovipositor sheath 1.2 -1.3 times as long as fore wing ( Figs 1, 14 ); length of fore wing 3.6-4.2 mm; antenna with 27-30 segments.

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 5.0 mm, of fore wing 4.2 mm.

Head. Antenna with 28 segments and 1.1 times as long as fore wing ( Fig. 10 ); third segment 0.9 times as long as fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.6, 4.0 and 1.3 times their width, respectively; length of maxillary palp nearly equal to height of head; third segment of maxillary palp distinctly widened medially; second segment of labial palp wide, triangular with fourth segment inserted at lower corner ( Fig. 13 ); occipital carina complete but medio-dorsally weakly developed; hypostomal carina narrow; length of eye in dorsal view 1.5 times temple ( Fig. 6 ); frons moderately depressed and coriaceous medially, without median carina or groove and laterally slightly convex and punctate; face 4.0 times wider than high, slightly convex and punctate laterally and medially with triangular flat area ( Fig. 5 ); clypeus convex and sparsely but distinctly punctate, its ventral margin thick and medio-ventrally with small tooth ( Fig. 5 ); malar suture present, except dorsal 0.3 of malar space, malar space 1.2 times as long as basal width of mandible ( Fig. 13 ); mandible with deep transverse groove basally ( Fig. 5 ), ventral tooth about as wide as longer dorsal tooth.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.5 times its height; dorsal pronope wide and moderately impressed, with pronotum truncate anteriorly ( Fig. 2 ); antescutal depression absent, but with triangular flat area; pronotal sides largely punctate-rugose and medially crenulate; epicnemial area and complete precoxal sulcus widely reticulate-rugose and rest of mesopleuron (except dorsally) largely smooth; pleural sulcus crenulate; mesosternal sulcus wide and coarsely crenulate; notauli complete, crenulate and posteriorly wide ( Fig. 2 ); middle lobe of mesoscutum densely punctate and posteriorly rugose, with a median carina, both lateral lobes largely smooth ( Fig. 2 ); scutellar sulcus deep, wide and with irregular carinae; scutellum punctate and convex medially, with paired depressions medio-posteriorly ( Fig. 2 ); surface of propodeum densely and coarsely rugose but anteriorly smooth, median carina short, posterior face hardly separated from dorsal face, lateral tubercles indistinct and areola absent.

Wings. Fore wing ( Fig. 1 ): pterostigma triangular; first discal cell narrowly truncate anteriorly; 1-R1 ending before wing apex and 1.3 times as long as pterostigma; r:3-SR:SR1 = 9:13:74; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 28:13:22; 2-M nearly twice as long as 3-SR; r slender; 1-M and SR1 straight; cu-a interstitial; first subdiscal cell closed, CU1b short; M+CU1 sclerotized. Hind wing: M+CU:1-M = 24:15; cu-a straight.

Legs. Hind coxa densely rugose dorsally ( Figs 7, 13 ); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 4.2, 8.7 and 8.4 times as long as wide, respectively; hind femur largely smooth; hind tibia slightly narrowed apically ( Fig. 7 ); hind tibial spurs slender, apically acute and both 0.3 times as long as basitarsus.

Metasoma. First tergite 2.1 times as long as its apical width, surface largely rugose with straight dorsal carinae on basal 0.3 of tergite ( Fig. 4 ); second suture absent; second and following tergites smooth; length of setose part of ovipositor sheath 1.18 times fore wing; upper valve of ovipositor depressed apically, without apical notch or nodus ( Fig. 15 ); hypopygium truncate apically.

Colour. Black; antenna, clypeus, hind leg (but trochanter and trochantellus yellow), metasoma (but baso-ventrally yellowish-brown), pterostigma, parastigma and ovipositor sheath dark brown; remainder of legs (but middle coxa largely dark brown) and mandible brownish-yellow; veins brown; palpi, trochanters and trochantelli pale yellow; wing membrane slightly infuscate but somewhat darker near vein r of fore wing.

Male. The males do not differ from the females except for the sexual differences and a slightly higher number of antennal segments.

Variation. Length of body 5.0-5.3 mm, fore wing 3.6-4.2 mm; antenna of female with 27 (1) or 28 (1) segments and of male 30 (1); first tergite 1.9-2.2 times as long as its apical width; ovipositor sheath 1.18-1.31 times as long as fore wing; vein cu-a of fore wing interstitial or narrowly postfurcal; frons with or without an irregular median carina; second tergite smooth or with some obsolescent sculpture basally.

Biology. Reared from Ptilinus pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758) ( Coleoptera : Anobiidae : Ptilininae ).

Distribution.

England, Germany.

Etymology.

Named after Colin and Martha Vardy, for collecting the holotype and for their hospitality during visits by the senior author.

Figures

Figures 1 - 16. Vadumasonium vardyorum sp. n., ♀, holotype, but 9 and 16 of holotype of Vadumasonium volatum (Mason), ♀. 1 wings 2 mesosoma dorsal 3 apex of antenna 4 first-third metasomal tergites dorsal 5 head frontal 6 head dorsal 7 hind leg lateral 8 detail of fore wing postero-basally 9 first tergite dorsal 10 antenna 11 base of antenna 12 inner hind claw 13 habitus lateral 14 ovipositor 15 apex of ovipositor lateral 16 clypeus frontal. 1, 7, 10, 13, 14: scale-line (= 1.0 x); 2, 4 - 7: 1.7 x; 3: 2.5 x; 8, 9, 16: 2.0 x; 11, 12, 15: 5.0 x.