Testudobracon alius Long, 2023

Mai, Pham Quynh, Long, Khuat Dang, Hiep, Nguyen Duc, Hoa, Dang Thi & Duong, Tran Dinh, 2023, First record of the genus Testudobracon Quicke, 1986 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) in Vietnam, with description of four new species, Zootaxa 5244 (5), pp. 485-500 : 487-490

Testudobracon alius Long , sp. nov.

Figures 1–2

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, “Bracn. 1103 ” ( IEBR), NC Vietnam: Ha Tinh, Huong Son, Rao An , forest, MT, 18°22’N 106°13’E, 600 m, April 15–21.1998, AMNH, K. Long . Paratype, 1 ♀, “Bracn. 1532 ” ( IEBR), NE Vietnam: Tuyen Quang, Na Hang NP, Son Phu , forest, MT, 21°17’32’’N 105°28’19’’E, 573 m, 15.vi. 2018, KD Long .

Description. Holotype, female, length 2.8 mm; antenna 2.3 mm; fore wing 2.9 mm; ovipositor 1.2 mm ( Fig. 1 ).

Head. Antenna with 22 flagellomeres. Length of first flagellomere 1.2 × as long as second flagellomere; first, second and penultimate flagellomeres 4.0, 2.5 and 2.0 × as long as wide; head 1.45 and 1.7 × as wide as long medially in frontal and dorsal view, respectively; frons and vertex granulate; face with mid-longitudinal ridge reaching middle of face; face granulo-rugulose ( Fig. 2b ); OOL: OD: POL= 6.0: 2.5: 2.5; length of eye 2.25 × as long as temple in dorsal view; occiput rugose; lateral temples smooth and shiny; height of eye: width of face: width of head= 12: 19: 29; height of clypeus: inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 2.5: 6.0: 4.0; clypeus with distinct postero-dorsal carina ( Fig. 2b ); length of malar space 1.25 × basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.2 × its height ( Fig. 2f ); mesoscutum shiny, sparsely setose and punctate; middle lobe without medial longitudinal ridge ( Fig. 2a ); notauli complete, meeting scutellar sulcus; anteriorly with depressed area, almost smooth; scutellar sulcus deep with 8 carinae ( Fig. 2a ); scutellum shiny, smooth; mesopleuron with a deep oval pit medially ( Fig. 2f ), smooth ventrally, finely rugo-punctate medially and dorsally; metapleuron shiny, finely punctate; propodeum with a complete midlongitudinal carina, shiny, smooth; in lateral view, metapleuron and propodeum posteriorly densely setose ( Fig. 2d ).

Wings. Length of pterostigma 2.2 × its maximum width; fore wing vein 1-SR 0.4 × as long as 1-M; ration of length of fore wing veins r: 3-SR: SR1= 5: 11: 32. and 2-SR: 3SR: r-m= 9: 11: 6; second submarginal cell hardly narrowed distally ( Fig. 2h ). Hind wing vein C+SC+R with single straight hamulus and vein R1 with 3 curved hamuli apically; ratio of length of hind wing veins 1r-m: SC+R1 = 6: 8.

Legs. Length of fore femur: tibia: tarsus = 16: 18: 13; hind coxa smooth, setose; length of hind femur 4.0 × its maximum width; length of hind femur: tibia: basitarsus = 24: 31: 11.

Metasoma. First metasomal tergite rugose, 0/7 × as long as wide apically, deeply impressed medio-basally and carinate medially; second metasomal tergite basally 2.3 × wider than long, with sublateral grooves ( Fig. 2g ); second tergite 0.8 × as long as third tergite medially; second-third metasomal tergites, rugulose medially ( Fig. 2g ); secondfifth tergites rugo-striate laterally; fourth-sixth metasomal tergites faintly rugose medially; sixth metasomal tergite with rounded postero-lateral lobes; medial emargination (incision) deep ( Fig. 2g ), 0.6 × as long as tergite medially, and 1.5 × as long as wide; ovipositor 1.0 × metasoma in lateral view, and 0.5 × fore wing.

Colour. Body largely yellow ( Fig. 1 ); antennae brown; stemmaticum brown; fore and middle legs yellow; hind leg yellow, except coxa, femur and tibia apically pale brown; propodeum brownish yellow; wing veins yellowish brown; metasomal tergites 1–3 yellow, except 2nd tergite medially and 3rd tergite basally yellowish brown; 4th–6th tergites pale yellow ( Fig. 2g ); postero-lateral lobes of 3rd-5th tergites brown; ovipositor sheath brown; ovipositor yellow, brwonish yellow subapically.

Variation. Female (paratype): length of body 2.9 mm; antenna 2.6 mm; fore wing 2.8 mm; ovipositor sheath 1.3 mm; antenna with 23 flagellomeres.

Male. Unknown

Distribution. NE Vietnam (Tuyen Quang); NC Vietnam (Ha Tinh).

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. Named from “alius” (Latin for “another, other”).

Notes. Testudobracon alius sp. nov. is close to T. niger Quicke , from Indonesia, but differs from the latter by the following characters: 1) Second sub-marginal cell of fore wing longer and not narrowed apically; 2) Vein 3-SR of fore wing 2.1 × vein r (1.8 × in T. niger ); and 3) Antenna with 22 flagellomeres and first flagellomere 1.2 × second flagellomere (equal each other in T. niger ).

Figures

FIGURE 1 Habitus of Testudobracon alius Long, sp. nov., holotype, female (lateral)

FIGURES 2a–h. Testudobracon alius Long, sp. nov., holotype, female, a Mesonotum, dorsal b Head, frontal c Third-sixth metasomal tergites, lateral d Propodeum e Head, lateral f Mesopleuron g Second-sixth metasomal tergites, dorsal h Fore wing