Opius nablus Wharton

Wharton, Robert & Norrbom, Allen L., 2013, New species and host records of New World, mostly Neotropical, opiine Braconidae (Hymenoptera) reared from flower-infesting, stem-galling, and stem-mining Tephritidae (Diptera), ZooKeys 349, pp. 11-72 : 45-47

Opius nablus Wharton sp. n. Figs 25, 63-66

Type locality.

Guatemala, Sacatepequez, 3-6 km west of San Miguel Dueñas.

Type material.

Holotype. Male (USNM), first label, first line: GUATEMALA: Sacatepequez second line: San Miguel Duenas, 3-6 km third line: W, 17.X.1990, A. L. Norrbom Second label, first line: reared ex. stem gall second line: of Tephritidae sp. on third line: Verbesina fraseri (90G8) Third label: ALN– 3.

Description.

Male. Eyes in dorsal view bulging beyond temples, temples weakly but distinctly receding. Clypeus 2.1 × wider than high, weakly punctate throughout; weakly triangular in outline, epistomal sulcus not even rounded; nearly flat in profile, very weakly protruding ventrally; ventral margin very weakly concave in anterior view with mandibles deflected, exposing substantial portion of labrum. Antenna with 41 flagellomeres. Malar sulcus impressed throughout, deeper near eye. Mesosoma 1.4 × longer than high. Pronotum laterally completely unsculptured or nearly so along posterior side of distinctly elevated vertical carina. Notaulus a short, curved, shallow groove not reaching anterior margin, not margined anteriorly by carinae; associated setae as in Opius marshi . Metapleuron with median pit adjacent anterior margin connected to dorsal pit at posterior margin by a very weak sulcus; ventral margin without well-developed spine anteriorly, at most with ventral carina weakly, unobtrusively expanded anteriorly. Propodeum medially smooth, polished, with a pair of short lateral-median carinae; weakly rugulose along lateral margin, especially in vicinity of spiracle. Fore wing 3RSa 1.55 × longer than strongly sinuate 2RS; (RS+M)a very weakly sinuate. T1 2.1 × wider at apex than at base, 1.1 × longer than apical width; smooth, unsculptured basally and apical-laterally, striate to strigose over middle portion of apical 0.5; dorsal carina distinct basally, extending towards but not obviously attaining apex, weak and obscured by sculpture posteriorly. Color: Head with yellow orbital band extending posteriorly from torulus to gena at mid eye height, gena ventrally, lower occiput, malar space, orbital band between torulus and malar sulcus, clypeus, and mouthparts (except dark apical teeth of mandible) white; broad band extending from epistomal sulcus through dorsal half of occiput dark brown to black, the dark color extending slightly onto upper gena. Mesosoma similar in color to Opius marshi : pale yellow-orange except nearly all of pronotum dorsally and laterally, irregular streak ventral-laterally on mesopleuron extending between fore and mid coxae, scuto-scutellar sulcus, median longitudinal band on entire scutellum, and most of remaining parts of scutellar and metanotal area (except for a pair of yellow spots on either side of midline) brown. Metasomal tergal color and leg color as in Opius marshi . Body length 4.0 mm; wing length 4.35 mm; mesosoma length 1.45 mm. Otherwise having all the characteristics described above for the godfrayi species group.

Diagnosis.

This species is nearly identical to Opius marshi with slightly darker head and lighter hind tibia than males of that species. Perhaps more importantly, the notaulus is shorter and less distinctly impressed in Opius nablus relative to Opius marshi and Opius godfrayi .

Biology.

The only known specimen was reared from a stem gall on the asteracean plant Verbesina fraseri Hemsl. No flies were reared from this sample, so the tephritid host is unknown.

Etymology.

The species name is an arbitrary combination of letters.

Remarks.

This species is known from a single male specimen. In this specimen, hind wing M is more weakly developed than in other members of this species group, but the difference is not great.