Biroia soror, van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010

van Achterberg, Cornelis & Long, Khuat Dang, 2010, Revision of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) of Vietnam, with the description of forty-two new species and three new genera, ZooKeys 54, pp. 1-184 : 21-24

Biroia soror sp. n. Figs 36-43

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (RMNH), "S. Vietnam: Dong Nai, Cat Tien N. P., Dong trail, Mal. traps 13-16, c 100 m, 1-9.x.2005, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries, RMNH’05”. Paratypes (6 ♀): 2 ♀ (RMNH, IEBR), id. but Ficus trail, Mal. traps 1-8; 1 ♀ (RMNH), id. but bird trail, Mal. traps 9-12; 3 ♀ (RMNH, IEBR), id. but Ficus trail, 9-10.iv.2007, M.P. Quy & N.T. Manh.

Diagnosis.

Morphologically similar to Bassus abdominalis (Enderlein, 1920) from Sundaland; the new species differs by the medium-sized prepectal carina (distinctly lamelliform in Bassus abdominalis , rarely intermediate), the less concave head medio-posteriorly (Fig. 41; more concave in Bassus abdominalis ), the shorter setae of the fore tarsus (with longer setae), the somewhat shorter postero-ventral protuberance of the pronotal side (above the fore coxa; somewhat longer in Bassus abdominalis ) and the completely black body (Fig. 36; the latter occurs rarely also in Bassus abdominalis , but often the head and the anterior part of the mesosoma are orange-brown).

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of body 8.8 mm, of fore wing 7.2 mm, ovipositor sheath 6.3 mm.

Head.

Antennal segments 45, length of third segment 1.5 times fourth segment, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 1.7, 1.7 and 1.7 times their width, respectively; apical antennal segment 1.6 times as long as penultimate segment; lengt h of maxillary palp 0.5 times height of head; in dorsal view length of eye 4.7 times temple; temple gradually narrowed posteriorly (Fig. 41); POL:OD:OOL = 8:5:15; face elongate (Fig. 38), with dense and fine punctation laterally, shiny and sparsely punctate medially; frons smooth, two strong lateral carinae extending up near rim of antennal sockets (Fig. 41); vertex and temple with sparse fine punctures.

Mesosoma.

Length of mesosoma 1.6 times its height; pronotal trough smooth medially, with sparse fine punctures dorsally and crenulate posteriorly; area near lateral carina of mesoscutum smooth anteriorly, crenulate posteriorly; mesoscutum shiny with very sparse minute punctures; notauli completely absent; scutellar sulcus 0.5 times as long as dorsal face of scutellum and with 3 strong carinae (Fig. 42); precoxal sulcus wide, largely crenulate, three long carinae connected with prepectal carina anteriorly (Fig. 37); mesopleuron above precoxal sulcus shiny and nearly smooth with very sparse fine punctures; mesopleuron below precoxal sulcus with sparse distinct punctures; metapleuron setose with sparse distinct punctures dorsally, largely areolate-rugose ventrally; propodeum with a large areola and costulae developed, area of areola with 3 transverse carinae; propodeal spiracle large medium-sided, 1.75 times as long as wide.

Wings.

Fore wing: second submarginal cell wide rectangular (Fig. 43); vein SR1 straight; r:3-SR:SR1 = 4:10:64; r:2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 4:11:10:8. Hind wing: vein M+CU 0.6 times as long as vein 1-M.

Legs.

Length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.0, 6.0 and 9.3 times their width, respectively; hind femur (as remainder of legs) with strong setae; length of outer and inner spur of middle tibia 0.4 and 0.7 times middle basitarsus, respectively; length of outer and inner spur of hind tibia 0.3 and 0.5 times hind basitarsus; fore and middle tarsi slender (Fig. 36).

Metasoma.

Shiny smooth; first tergite distinctly widened subposteriorly and then narrowed apically; length of first tergite 1.4 times as long as its apical width (Fig. 39); dorsal carinae absent; first tergite with long erect setae laterally (Fig. 39), apical third of first tergite with transverse a row of sparse setae; second tergite with large basal round area bordered by a groove (Fig. 39), area near groove with two rows of sparse setae; latero-posterior corners of third tergite with a dense cluster of setae; ovipositor sheath 0.9 times as long as fore wing.

Colour.

Black; galea, palpi, mandible, fore legs and tarsus yellow; wing membrane black but hyaline on apical third of fore wing and on one fourth of hind wing.

Variation.

Length of body 8.5-10.0 mm, and of fore wing 6.8-8.0 mm; ratio of vein r:3-SR:SR1 = 3 –4:11–12:71– 82; vein M+CU of hind wing 0.5-0.7 times as long as vein 1-M; first tergite 1.4-1.7 times as long as its apical width.

Distribution.

S Vietnam: Dong Nai.

Biology.

Unknown.

Etymology.

From “soror” (Latin for “sister”), because of its close similarity to Bassus abdominalis (Enderlein).