Asobara apicalis Fischer, 2003

Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier, Achterberg, Cornelis Van & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2019, Revision of the Afrotropical Asobara Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Alysiinae), with the descriptions of twenty five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 557, pp. 1-146 : 4-6

Asobara apicalis Fischer, 2003

Figs 3–4

Asobara apicalis Fischer, 2003: 74 .

Asobara apicalis – Fischer, 2007: 859 — Yu et al. 2016.

Material examined

Holotype

SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; “Mariepskop, Pilgrim’s Rest dits. Tvl. 10 Apr. 1964, Montane Forest 5000’, at light, E. Haeselbarth ”; ZSSM.

Paratypes

SOUTH AFRICA • 2 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂; same locality as for holotype but 4500’; 8–12 Apr. 1964; NHMW .

Other material

SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; Port St. John, Bondoland ; 1–17 Mar. 1924; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH 1924-177 • 5 ♀♀, 2 ♂♂; same locality but Dec. 1923; BMNH 1924-54 • 1 ♂; same locality but Oct. 1923; BMNH 1923-547 • 1 ♂; E. Cape Province, Katberg ; 1–10 Feb. 1933; BMNH 1933-139 .

Redescription

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 1.5–1.6 mm, fore wing 2.0– 2.1 mm, hind wing 1.3–1.4 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.6 times as wide as long, 1.5 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes. Eye in lateral view 2.2 times as wide as temple medially. Face 1.2 times as wide as high. Clypeus 2.8 times as wide as high. Mandible 1.6 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth longer than lower tooth; middle tooth rather narrow and short; lower tooth wide.Antennae 23-segmented. First flagellar segment 4.3 times as long as its apical width; 2 nd segment 6.6 times and 3 rd segment 5.0 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.2 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 1.1 times as long as its maximum width. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, round. Prescutellar depression smooth, without lateral carinae, 1.5 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow smooth. Propodeum sculptured with a small pentagonal areola. Propodeal spiracles very small, its diameter 0.2 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 3.5 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r shorter than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 5.1 times as long as vein r, 2.3 times as long as 2-SR. Vein SR1 2.8 times as long as vein 3-SR.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.3 times as long as its maximum width.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.6 times as long as its apical width. Visible part of ovipositor 3.8 times as long as 1 st tergite, 2.5 times as long as metasoma, 1.8 times as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, metasoma and pterostigma brown. Legs, head laterally, mandible, scapus and pedicel light brown. Apical six flagellar segments whitish. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similar coloured. First metasomal tergite paler than 2 nd and 3 rd tergites. Wings hyaline.

Male

Length. Body 1.7–1.8 mm, fore wing 2.1 mm, hind wing 1.6 mm. Antennae 25-segmented. First flagellar segment 4.5 times as long as its maximum width. Hind femur 5.5 times as long as its maximum width. Otherwise similar to female.

Comparative diagnosis

This species is similar to A. citri ( Fischer, 1963) , but differs from it in having the clypeus 2.8 times as wide as high (2.4 times in A. citri ), 1 st flagellar segment 4.3 times as long as its maximum width (2.8 times in A. citri ), 2 nd segment 6.6 times (5.5 times in A. citri ) and 3 rd segment 5.0 times as long as their maximum width (4.0 times in A. citri ), and 1 st metasomal tergite 1.6 times as long as its apical width (1.2 times in A. citri ).

Distribution

South Africa ( Yu et al. 2016).

Figures

Fig. 3. Asobara apicalis Fischer, 2003, A, C–F: ♀, holotype (ZSSM); B: ♂ (NHMW). A–B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. D. Mandible. E. Antenna. F. Head, front view.

Fig. 4. Asobara apicalis Fischer, 2003, ♀, holotype (ZSSM). A. Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view. B. Propodeum, dorsal view. C. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. D. First metasomal tergite, dorsal view. E. Fore and hind wings.