Vipio melanocephalus Brulle , 1846

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 melanocephalus Brulle, 1846 Figures 15 , 16

Vipio melanocephalus Brullé, 1846: 445; Shenefelt, 1978: 1853.

Type material.

Holotype ♀, Vipio melanocephalus Brullé, 1846, Brazil: del Rio-Grande (no other data) (MNHN).

Additional specimens examined.

Bolivia:1 ♀, 3 ♂, Sara (no date) (Steinbach) (MCZC).

Diagnosis.

Vipio melanocephalus can be recognised by the combination of its size (body length> 1cm), ovipositor length (≥ 2 × body length), largely black head and claw with large, acutely pointed basal lobe.

Description.

Females, length of body 10.8-11.5 mm, of fore wing 7.1-7.3 mm, and of ovipositor (part exserted beyond apex of abdomen) 21.0-27.0 mm.

Head. Antenna stout; first flagellomere 2.7 × longer than wide, 1.6 × longer than second, the latter 1.4 × longer than wide; (data could not be recorded for other antennal characters because the only available specimen with antenna was dirty and broken); head transverse; clypeal guard setae typical; face slightly rugulose laterally; remainder of head smooth and shiny; HL 0.72-0.74 × HH; HW/HH 0.77-0.79; EH/HH 0.59-0.61; EH/FW 0.81; EH/HH; EW/EH 0.81; 0.59-0.60; ITD 1.65 × TOD; MS 0.39-0.40 × EH; LMC 0.4 × HH; third segment of maxillary palp 4 × wider than long.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.79-1.81 × height; smooth and shiny, except pronotum rugulose dorso-laterally; notauli smooth; propodeum rugose medially, slightly rugulose laterally, smooth or punctate on basal and lateral margins.

Wings. Fore wing: length of fore wing 0.61-0.67 × body length; PL/LRC 0.75-0.80; length of vein 1M 0.69-0.73 × length of (RS+M)a; length of vein 3RSb 0.83-0.90 × combined length of r-rs and 3RSa; vein 3RSa reaching anterior wing margin between apex of pterostigma and wing apex at distance 0.5-0.53. Hind wing: with glabrous area basally; with one basal hamule.

Legs. Claw with pointed basal lobe.

Metasoma. First tergite 1.4-1.42 × longer than wide, raised median area oval, rugulose, with smooth anterior area continuing posteriorly as median longitudinal carina, surrounding area with transverse carinae, dorso-lateral carina present; T II -IV longitudinally striate; T II 1.1 × wider than long, basal areas smooth, medio-basal area continuing posteriorly as a median longitudinal carina, oblique furrows strongly impressed; T III 1.2 × wider than medially long, baso-lateral areas present; remainder of metasoma smooth and shiny; hypopygium extending 1.0 mm beyond apex of metasoma; ovipositor 2.0-2.3 × body length.

Colour. Predominantly orange; head largely black, face sometimes orange; frons sometimes yellow laterally; antenna rufous or black; labial and maxillary palp reddish black; legs black or reddish black, except fore legs beyond trochanter and middle tarsi orange.

Variation.

Paratype males (N = 3) as in female, except length of body 6.5 mm; median flagellomeres longer than wide (antenna broken beyond F43); HL 0.86-0.88 × HH; EH/HH 0.72-0.73; EW/EH 0.80; EH/FW 1.03-1.06; FH/FW 0.5-0.52; ITD 2.5 × TOD; MS 0.18 × EH; punctation on pronotal furrow sometimes extends laterally; T V striate; face yellowish or reddish white with a reddish brown triangular spot above clypeus; frons yellow, remainder of head black; legs yellow to black;.

Remarks.

This species is similar to V. fiebrigi Bréthes, but can be readily separated by the characters discussed under V. fiebrigi .

Figures

Figure 15. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio melanocephalus. A Female habitus, lateral view B face C head and anterior mesosoma, lateral view D head, dorsal view E mesosoma, lateral view F anterior mesosoma, dorsal view.

Figure 16. Montaged light micrographs of Vipio melanocephalus. A Wings B propodeum and metasomal tergite I, near dorsal view C metasomal tergites II-V, lateral view D apex of metasoma and hypopygium, lateral view E data label.