Centistidea linearis Liu & Polaszek, 2024

Liu, Zhen & Polaszek, Andrew, 2024, Afrotropical Centistidea Rohwer, 1914 (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with description of four new species, ZooKeys 1216, pp. 83-100 : 83-100

Centistidea linearis Liu & Polaszek sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Diagnosis.

Body length 2.6 mm, dark brown; head 1.7 × as wide as long, 1.5 × wider than mesoscutum; eyes 2.0 × longer than temple in dorsal view; temple slightly shiny, small setose punctures with transverse wrinkles in between, not constricted behind eyes in dorsal view; distance between fore and a hind ocellus 1.5 × longer than minor axis of a hind ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 1.3: 1.0: 3.1; clypeus 1.6 × wider than medial length, weakly defined punctate; antenna 1.2 × longer than body length, with 1 st, 2 nd, penultimate and ultimate flagellomeres 5.2, 4.9, 4.1 and 4.3 × longer than wide, 1 st about as long as 2 nd; mesoscutum with superficial and extremely small punctures, intervals with extremely fine wrinkles, notauli obvious, crenulated near to anterior 1 / 2; scutellar sulcus slightly curved, indistinctly crenulated; medio-posterior depressions of scutellum large and oblong, interval 3 / 4 of depression diameter; propodeum with distinct median carinae reaching beyond weak defined costulae, anterior parts with indistinct punctures anteriorly except wrinkles elsewhere as posterior parts, anterior part 2.8 × longer than median length of metanotum; vein 1 - R 1 0.3 of length of pterostigma; T 1 2.8 × longer than its maximum width; T 2 2.6 × wider than median length; T 3 1.7 × longer than T 2.

Description.

Female. Body length 2.6 mm, fore wing length 2.6 mm (Fig. 3 a ).

Head. Transverse in dorsal view, 1.7 × as wide as long, 1.5 × wider than mesoscutum. Eyes 2.0 × longer than temple in dorsal view (Fig. 3 b ). Temple a little shiny, with small setose punctures and with transverse wrinkles in between, not constricted behind eyes in dorsal view. Ocelli small, distance between fore and a hind ocellus 1.5 × longer than minor axis of a hind ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 1.3: 1.0: 3.1. Frons flat and nearly polished except extremely fine transverse wrinkles. Vertex between eye and hind ocellus shiny and sculptured as temple. Face (Fig. 3 c ) shiny, with fine setose punctures, indistinctly convex medially, transverse, 1.3 × wider than high. Clypeus 1.6 × wider than medial length, weakly defined punctate. Length of malar space as long as basal width of mandible. Antenna (Fig. 3 d ) 1.2 × longer than body length, with scape, pedicel and 1 st, 2 nd, penultimate and ultimate flagellomeres 2.0, 1.7, 5.2, 4.9, 4.1 and 4.3 × longer than wide, 1 st about as long as 2 nd, flagellomeres gradually shortened to apex.

Mesosoma. Length: width: height = 10: 4.2: 6.3. Mesoscutum (Fig. 3 e ) shiny with superficial and extremely small punctures, intervals with extremely fine wrinkles, notauli distinct, crenulated near to anterior 1 / 2. Scutellar sulcus slightly curved, indistinctly crenulated. Scutellum strongly shiny, sculptured as mesoscutum, medio-posterior depressions large and oblong, widely separated, interval 3 / 4 of depression diameter). Propodeum (Fig. 3 i ) shiny, with distinct median carinae reaching beyond weakly defined costulae, anterior parts with indistinct punctures anteriorly except wrinkles elsewhere as posterior parts, anterior part 2.8 × longer than median length of metanotum. Mesopleuron (Fig. 3 f ) highly polished, impunctate.

Legs. Hind femur (Fig. 3 k ) 3.3 × as long as its widest part. Length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 1.5: 1.9: 1.0. Basitarsus of hind leg 0.9 × as long as tarsomeres 2–5.

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 3 g ): pterostigma, 2.6 × as long as its widest part; vein 1 - R 1 0.3 length of pterostigma; vein r: 2 - SR: 2 - M = 1.0: 5.5: 2.3, 1 - SR: 1 - M = 1.0: 4.1, 1 - CU 1: 2 - CU 1 = 1.0: 1.7; first discal cell of fore wing nearly 1.2 × wider than high. Hind wing (Fig. 3 h ): vein M + CU: 1 - M: r-m = 2.0: 2.2: 1.0.

Metasoma. Indistinctly longer than mesosoma. T 1 (Fig. 3 l ) highly polished, spatula-shaped, 2.8 × longer than its maximum width, distinctly narrowed anterior-medially. T 2 transverse, 2.6 × wider than median length. T 3 1.7 × longer than T 2, weakly longitudinally striate. Hypopygium shorter than length of metasoma. Ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3 j ) 0.8 length of hind basitarsus, with long and dense setae apically.

Colour. Dark brown, except metasoma more or less brown dorsally (Fig. 3 a ). Palpi and spurs pale yellow. Antenna and apical ovipositor sheath dark brown. Legs yellow to yellow-brown on all tarsi and hind tibia. Wing membrane hyaline, pterostigma brown, vein r, 2 - SR, 1 - SR, 1 - M and 1 - CU 1 darker brown, other veins brown.

Male. Unknown.

Host.

Unknown.

Material examined

( NHMUK). Holotype: • 1 ♀, Cameroon, Nkoémvon , D. Jackson, VII – VIII. 1979, No. NHMUK 010639762 .

Distribution.

Cameroon.

Etymology.

The specific name “ linearis ” derives from the Latin, referring to the fine wrinkles on head and mesosoma.

Remarks.

This species is similar to C. africana but differs in the following: antenna 1.3 × longer than body (antenna shorter than body in C. africana ); medio-posterior depressions on scutellum oblong, far away from each other, interval 3 / 4 of depression diameter (oval and close to each other in C. africana ); and scutellar sulcus indistinctly crenulated (not crenulated or concave in C. africana ).

Figures

Figure 3. Centistidea linearis Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., female, holotype a habitus, lateral view b head, dorsal view c head, frontal view d antenna e mesosoma, dorsal view f mesosoma, lateral view g fore wing h hind wing i propodeum j ovipositor sheath k hind leg l T 1 – T 3, dorsal view.