Paralipsis brachycaudi Tomanovic & Stary

Mitrovic, Milana, Stary, Petr, Jakovljevic, Miljana, Petrovic, Andjeljko, Zikic, Vladimir, Perez Hidalgo, Nicolas & Tomanovic, Zeljko, 2019, Integrative taxonomy of root aphid parasitoids from the genus Paralipsis (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) with description of new species, ZooKeys 831, pp. 49-69 : 49

Paralipsis brachycaudi Tomanovic & Stary sp. n. Figures 6-14

Material.

Holotype ♀, Czech Republic, Čejč, 28.V.1963, reared from Brachycaudus mordvilkoi Hille Ris Lambers on Echium vulgare L., leg. J Holman; deposited in the IECR collection, slide mounted.

Paratypes 2♀♀, Czech Republic, Prague, 26.IX.1960, reared from Brachycaudus ballotae (Passerini) on Ballota nigra L., leg. J Holman; deposited in the FBS collection, slide mounted. Germany, Erlangen, Nordbayern, reared from Tetraneura ulmi (L.) on Avena sativa L., leg. H. Zwölfer; deposited in the IECR collection, slide mounted.

Diagnosis.

The new species morphologically resembles P. enervis in petiole shape, absence of longitudinal placodes from flagellomeres 1 (F1) and 2 (F2), and fore wing venation pattern. Paralipsis brachycaudi sp. n. differs from P. enervis in having a longer petiole (Figure 13), the ratio between petiole length and width at the spiracle level is 1.50-1.60 in P. brachycaudi sp. n., while in P. enervis it is 1.30-1.40; somewhat shorter F1 and F2 (Figure 7) (the ratio between length and width of F1 and F2 is approximately 2.00 in P. brachycaudi sp. n., as opposed to 2.20-2.30 in P. enervis ); and a propodeum that is smooth with just a few rugosities at the side (Figure 9), while the propodeum in P. enervis sometimes possess rugosities in the central parts which indicate for the presence of a central areola. Additionally, F1 and F2 are light-brown to yellow in P. brachycaudi sp. n., while in P. enervis only half of flagellomere 1 is yellow and the remaining parts of the flagellomeres are brown. The ovipositor sheath in P. brachycaudi sp. n. (Figure 14) is more elongated than in P. enervis .

Description.

Female: Head (Figure 6) rounded, narrower than mesosoma at tegulae, bearing sparse setae (Figure 6). Head 1.1 times wider than long medially. Eyes oval, small with scarse and long setae. Tentorial index approximately 0.95. Clypeus with 15-20 long setae. Maxillary and labial palpi with one palpomere each. Ocular-ocelar line: diameter of posterior ocellus: Postocelar line=12:4:14. Malar space: height of eye =20:26. Antenna 16-segmented, filiform (Figure 7). Scapus widened at the tip, vase shaped at lateral view. Pedicel subspherical. F1 equal to F2 and F3 and 2.0-2.1 times as long as its maximum width at the middle. Penultimate flagellomera 1.6 times as long as wide. F1, F2 and F3 without and F4 with one short longitudinal placode (Figure 7). Flagellomeres covered uniformly with short appressed and semi-erect setae.

Mesosoma: Mesoscutum smooth, and only moderately sculptured within small central area, usually with four rows of setae along its dorsolateral part. Mesoscutum 1.4 times as long as wide. Scutellum (Figure 8) smooth elongated, bearing 20-30 long setae in the central part. Propodeum (Figure 9) smooth, sometimes with rugosities laterally. Upper and lower parts of propodeum with 3-5 and 15-20 long setae on each side (Figure 9). Fore wing (Figure 12) densely pubescent, with long marginal setae, longer than those on fore wing surface. Vein 2-1A sclerotized (Figure 12). Pterostigma triangular, 1.7-1.9 times as long as its width (Figure 12). Secondfourth segments of fore tarsus in dorsal view (Figure 10) almost as long as wide (1.1-1.2 times as long as wide) and medium sized of apical bristles. Hind tibia medially and femur subbasally parallel-sided (Figure 11).

Metasoma: Petiole (Figure 13) smooth, with prominent spiracular tubercles, its length 1.50-1.60 times its width at spiracles and maximum width at level of spiracles 0.7 times distance between spiracle and apex of tergite 1; 10-15 setae positioned on posterior dorsolateral margin on each side. Ovipositor sheath (Figure 14) elongated, dorsally straight, narrowed toward tip, bearing 2-6 long setae on the ventral and dorsal surface. Length of ovipositor sheath 2.25-2.87 times its maximum width.

Length: body 1.5-2.0 mm; fore wing 1.3-1.7 mm.

Coloration: General body color light-brown to brown. Head brown with light-brown mouthparts. Scape and pedicel yellow to light-brown. Flagellomere 1 and 2 yellow, remaining parts of antennae brown. Mesosoma brown. Legs yellow to light-brown. Propodeum yellow. Metasoma brown. Petiole yellow. Ovipositor sheath dark-brown.

Male: unknown.

Etymology.

The name of the new species is derived from that of its aphid host.

Distribution.

Czech Republic, Germany.