Vipio fiebrigi Brethes , 1909

Quicke, Donald L. J., Shaw, Scott R., Inayatullah, Mian & Butcher, Buntika A., 2020, The genus Vipio Latreille (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) in the Neotropical Region, ZooKeys 925, pp. 89-140 : 89

Vipio fiebrigi Brethes, 1909 Figures 7 , 8

Vipio fiebrigi Bréthes, 1909: 231; Shenefelt, 1978: 1849; Quicke & Genise, 1994: 44.

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Vipio fiebrigi Bréthes, 1909, Paraguay: San Bernardino (no date) (Fiebrig) (MACN).

Additional specimens examined.

Argentina: 1 ♀, Chaco, Las Brecias (no date, collector) (USNM); 1 ♀, Chaco, Montevidio So. Amer. Paras lab, No. 674.20, v.1942 (Berry) (USNM); 1 ♂, Chaco, Colonia Benintez, 10.xii.1948 (R. Golbach) (IFML); 3 ♂, Tucuman, Aráoz, Estacion, 8.i.1927 (no collector) (IFML).

Diagnosis.

This species can be distinguished from other Neotropical species with very long ovipositors (> 2.0 × body length) by having a yellow-red head, densely striate metasoma and a pointed basal lobe to the claw.

Description.

Holotype♀, length of body 8.5-12.3 mm, of fore wing 6.5-9.0 mm, and of ovipositor (part exserted beyond apex of abdomen) 21.5-30.0 mm.

Head. Antenna robust, 0.94-0.97 × body length, with 62-68 flagellomeres; remaining 0.92-1.0 × longer than wide; first flagellomere 1.4 × longer than second; first flagellomere 2.7 × longer than wide; second flagellomere 1.4 × longer than wide; median flagellomeres 1 × longer than wide; terminal flagellomere (missing); head transverse to sub-transverse; clypeus higher in profile, slightly rugulose, clypeal guard setae typical; face sparsely punctate or rugulose; remainder of head smooth and shiny; HL 0.79-0.84 × HH; HW/HH 0.79-0.84; FH/FW 0.42-0.45; EH/HH 0.62-0.64; EH/FW 0.75-0.78; EW/EH 0.7-0.75; ITD 1.5-1.65 × TOD; MS 0.42-0.46 × EH; LMC 0.4 × HH; third segment of maxillary palp 4 × wider than long.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.70-1.81 × height; pronotum smooth and shiny or transversely carinate dorso-laterally, smooth and shiny or crenulate at furrow dorso-laterally; notauli smooth, mesonotal lobes well defined; metapleuron smooth to slightly punctate; propodeum strongly reticulate or areolate-rugose postero-medially, smooth or punctate on basal and lateral margins.

Wings. Fore wing: length of fore wing/body length 0.72-0.76; PL/LRC 0.89-0.94; PW/PL 0.21-0.28; length of vein 3RSb 0.82-0.87 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; length of vein 1M 0.78-0.80 × length of (RS+M)a; vein 3RSa reaching wing margin 0.52-0.59 × distance between apex of pterostigma and wing tip. Hind wing: with basal glabrous area and/or with sparse basal setosity (Fig. 7E ); apex of vein C+SC+R with one basal hamule.

Legs. Claw with strong pointed basal lobe.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite 1.32-1.34 × longer than wide, rectangular, slightly narrowing anteriorly; raised median area oval, areolate-rugose; basal smooth area narrowing and continuing posteriorly as median longitudinal carina reaching small smooth raised area at the apex of tergum; surrounding area with short transverse carinae; dorso-lateral carina present, area below crenulate; T II 1.15-1.25 × wider than medially long, depressed, baso-lateral areas sub-triangular, smooth and shiny, mediobasal area smooth and shiny, continuing posteriorly as median longitudinal carina, remainder of tergum longitudinally striate, oblique furrow strongly impressed, striate; T III 1.4 × wider than medially long, longitudinally striate, baso-lateral area well defined; T IV longitudinally striate, baso-lateral area short and transverse; T V-VII smooth and shiny; hypopygium extending 0.4-1.0 mm beyond apex of metasoma, ovipositor 2.2-2.6 × body length.

Colour. Yellow to reddish yellow, except tip of mandible, labial palp, basal two segments of maxillary palp, labio-maxillary complex, antenna basally, fore trochanter, middle and hind legs and ovipositor sheath black. slightly smoky to dark brown, pterostigma black, yellow basally.

Male. Unknown.

Remarks.

Based on the long body, ovipositor length, similar propodeal and metasomal sculpture, this species is closely related to V. melanocephalus Brullé. The longer MS (0.42-0.46 × EH) and yellow head in fiebrigi will separate it from melanocephalus , in which the MS/EH ratio is 0.39-0.41 and the head is black.

Figures

Figure 7. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio fiebrigi sp. nov. A Head, posterolateral view B face C mesosoma lateral view D head and mesoscutum, dorsal view E wings.

Figure 8. Montaged light and scanning electron micrographs of Vipio fiebrigi sp. nov. A Propodeum B metasomal tergites I and II C metasoma, lateral view, showing relative length of ovipositor D metasomal tergites II-VI E SEM of claw F data label of holotype.