Asobara zululana Peris-Felipo, 2019

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 : 57-58

Asobara zululana Peris-Felipo , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D22A9DD7-A5D8-4BC1-85D2-D7CF7A023308

Figs 80–81

Etymology

The name is derived from the geographical area ‘Zululand’, the type locality of the species.

Material examined

Holotype SOUTH AFRICA • ♀; Zululand, Eshowe ; Jun. 1926; R.E. Turner leg.; BMNH 1926-277 .

Paratype SOUTH AFRICA • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; BMNH .

Description

Female (holotype)

LENGTH. Body 2.0 mm, fore wing 2.6 mm, hind wing 1.8 mm.

HEAD. In dorsal view, 1.7 times as wide as long, 1.4 times as wide as mesoscutum, smooth, with temple rounded behind eyes. Eye in lateral view 1.2 times as high as wide and 2.0 times as wide as temple medially. POL 1.4 times OD; OOL 4.0 times OD. Face 1.5 times as wide as high, with sparse setae; inner margins of eyes subparallel. Clypeus 2.9 times as wide as high. Anterior tentorial pits short, far not reaching inner border of eye. Mandible 1.6 times as long as its maximum width. Upper tooth wide; middle tooth long, directed upwards; lower tooth wide. Antennae 24-segmented, 1.7 times as long as body. Scape 1.6 times as long as pedicel. First flagellar segment 5.4 times as long as its apical width, 0.8 times as long as 2 nd segment. Second flagellar segment 6.7 times, 3 rd– 6 th segments 5.0 times, 7 th– 9 th segments 4.6 times, 10 th– 21 st segments 4.0 times and 22 nd (apical segment) 5.0 times as long as their maximum width.

MESOSOMA. In lateral view 1.3 times as long as high. Mesoscutum (in dorsal view) 0.9 times as long as its maximum width, smooth. Notauli mainly absent on horizontal surface of mesoscutum. Mesoscutal pit present, round. Prescutellar depression smooth, with only median carina, 1.1 times as long as its maximum width. Precoxal sulcus present, crenulate, not reaching anterior and posterior margins of mesopleuron. Posterior mesopleural furrow almost smooth. Propodeum weakly and sparsely sculptured, with several smooth patches, with large, wide and mainly smooth pentagonal areola; basolateral areas smooth, sparse rugose along carinae. Propodeal spiracle small, its diameter 0.3 times distance from spiracle to anterior margin of propodeum.

WINGS. Length of fore wing 2.9 times its maximum width. Marginal cell ending at apex of wing, 4.3 times as long as its maximum width. Vein r shorter than pterostigma width. Vein 3-SR 8.6 times as long as vein r and 2.8 times as long as vein 2-SR. Vein SR1 1.8 times as long as vein 3-SR. Hind wing 6.8 times as long as its maximum width.

LEGS. Hind femur 5.9 times as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia weakly widened towards apex, 11.8 times as long as its maximum subapical width, about as long as hind tarsus. First segment of hind tarsus 1.8 times as long as 2 nd segment.

METASOMA. First tergite weakly widened towards apex, 1.5 times as long as its apical width, smooth. Visible part of ovipositor sheath 1.5 times as long as 1 st tergite, as long as metasoma and as long as hind femur.

COLOUR. Body, mandible, antennae and pterostigma dark brown. Legs light brown. Head and mesoscutum in dorsal view similarly coloured as 1 st– 3 rd metasomal tergites. Wings almost hyaline.

VARIATION. No variation observed.

Male

Unknown.

Comparative diagnosis

This new species is similar to A. cracentis sp. nov.; the differences between both species are described under the latter species.

Distribution

South Africa.

Figures

Fig. 80. Asobara zululana Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1926-277). A. Habitus, lateral view. B. Head and mesosoma, lateral view. C. Mandible. D. Antenna. E. Head, front view. F. Head, dorsal view.

Fig. 81. Asobara zululana Peris-Felipo, sp. nov., ♀, holotype (BMNH 1926-277). A. Mesoscutum, dorsal view. B. Propodeum and first metasomal tergite, dorsal view. C. Hind leg, metasoma and ovipositor, lateral view. D. Fore and hind wings.