Norbanus sunabron, Mitroiu, 2015

Norbanus sunabron View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 187–194 View FIGURES 187–194 )

Diagnosis. BOTH SEXES. Head and mesosoma blackish, mostly with golden-coppery reflections dorsally ( Figs 187–190, 193 View FIGURES 187–194 ); fore and mid tibiae medially brown, hind tibia entirely pale yellow (fig. 187). Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Clypeal margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Scutellum moderately convex, not globose ( Figs 187, 193 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Anterior part of metapleuron with very shallow sculpture, shiny (cf. Fig. 86 View FIGURES 83–88 ). Spiracular sulci present (cf. Fig. 103 View FIGURES 99–104 ). Basal cell glabrous; marginal vein about 2.3–2.4× as long as stigmal vein ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 187–194 ).

FEMALE. Metasoma mainly dark brown, reddish at base ( Figs 187, 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ); antenna with flagellum reddish-brown, fu5–6 and clava except ventral surface, conspicuously darker ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Body setae long ( Figs 187–190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Vertex and area around ocelli almost smooth, but sculpture visible even if hardly raised ( Fig. 190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Scape not reaching level of vertex ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Second anellus quadrate ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Metasoma length about 2.0–2.4× width. Posterior margin of gt1 with a double incision ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ).

MALE. Scape exceeding level of vertex by about 1/3–1/4 scape length (cf. Fig. 50 View FIGURES 43–50 ); each funicular segment of uniform width, long and thin, not conspicuously widened proximally and distally, more or less uniformly covered by long setae; segments separated from each other by short tubular connections ( Fig. 194 View FIGURES 187–194 ).

Material examined. Holotype ♀ ( RMNH). ZIMBABWE: “ZIMBABWE Rekomitjie Res. Stat. malaise 16 10’ s. 29 25’ e. alt. 500–600 m.”, “ C.A. Groenendijk, 13/5–26/5 1992” ( RMNH) [on rectangular card]. GoogleMaps

Allotype ♂. ZIMBABWE: same information as holotype ( RMNH).

Additional paratypes. SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♀ “S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1923-332”, “ Port St. John, Pondoland. May 15–31. 1923 ”, “ Picroscytoides ” ( BMNH) ; 2 ♂ “ S. Zululand: Gingindhlovu. 22.v.1926.”, “ S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1926-232” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “ Zululand : Gingindhlovu. 29.iv.1926.”, “ S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1926-194” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “ Zululand : Gingindhlovu. 15.vi.1926.”, “ S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1926-277” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1923-286”, “ Port St. John, Pondoland. April 5– 30. 1923.” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1923-332”, “ Port St. John, Pondoland. May 15–31. 1923.” ( BMNH) .

Other material. SOUTH AFRICA: 1 ♂ “ S. Zululand: Gingindhlovu. 22.v.1926.”, “ S. Africa. R. E. Turner. Brit. Mus. 1926-232” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “ Durban. F. Muir. 1905-313.”, “Sharp Coll. 1905-313.” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♂ “SOUTH AFRICA, NATAL, Cape Vidal, 28.10S 32.32E. 13.i.1981, G.L. Prinsloo ”, “NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS ( SANC), Pretoria, South Africa ” ( SANC) GoogleMaps .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Colour. Head and mesosoma blackish, mostly with golden-coppery reflections dorsally ( Figs 187–190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Metasoma dark brown, reddish at base ( Figs 187, 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Body pilosity long, whitish ( Figs 187–190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Eyes pale red, ocelli reddish-brown ( Figs 189, 190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Mandibles reddish-brown, teeth darker. Antenna with scape dark brown, yellowish-brown at base; pedicel dark brown ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ); flagellum reddish-brown, fu5–6 and clava except ventral surface, conspicuously darker ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Wings hyaline, tegulae, venation and pilosity brown ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Legs ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–194 ) with all coxae as mesosoma; trochanters brown; fore and mid femora dark brown, distally yellow; hind femur except lighter distal end as mesosoma; fore and mid tibiae medially brown, hind tibia entirely pale yellow; tarsi mainly pale yellow, last tarsal segment, arolia and claws light brown.

Body length. 5.25 mm.

Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus, finely reticulate except lower face finely striated (striation not reaching toruli), and coriaceous and mostly shiny vertex and area around ocelli ( Figs 189, 190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Clypeal margin shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Eye ovate, anterior and posterior margins not sinuous ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Gena with a weak lamina near mouth corner. Scrobes moderately deep, visible in dorsal view of the head ( Fig. 190 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Toruli with lower margins above lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Antenna ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 187–194 ) with scape reaching lower edge of median ocellus ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–194 ); first anellus transverse, the second quadrate; funicular segments longer than wide; clava ventrally gradually narrowing before spicula, sutures hardly visible, oblique; micropilosity area occupying almost half length of claval body. Relative measurements—head length: 31, width: 64, height: 51; POL: 11; OOL: 10; eye height: 31.5, length: 22; IOD: 39; eye length dorsally: 20.5; temple length dorsally: 6; malar space: 18; mouth width: 30; distance between clypeal margin and toruli: 22; scape length: 27; pedicel length: 5, width: 3; pedicel plus flagellum: 63; fu1 length: 11, width: 4; fu6 length: 5, width: 4; clava length: 10.5, width: 4.

MAP 13. Distribution of N. sunabron and N. tenuicornis

Mesosoma dorsally coarsely reticulate ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Notauli reaching about half length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Scutellum moderately convex ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–194 ), frenal line absent, but frenal area with finer reticulation than rest of scutellum. Upper mesepimeron smooth ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Anterior part of metapleuron with very shallow sculpture, shiny (cf. Fig. 86 View FIGURES 83–88 ). Dorsellum uniformly reticulate. Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–194 ), uniformly reticulate except two small depressions near its anterior margin submedially; spiracles oval, spiracular sulci conspicuous (cf. Fig. 103 View FIGURES 99–104 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 187–194 ) with basal cell and basal fold glabrous; costal cell with several rows of setae on ventral surface, mostly in distal half; speculum large but narrow behind parastigma, extending behind marginal vein and reaching stigmal vein; wing pilosity including marginal fringe short; stigma hardly capitate. Relative measurements— mesosomal length: 66, width: 55, height: 44; mesoscutum length: 27; scutellum length: 23, width: 32; propodeum length: 13; fore wing length: 120, width: 47; M: 22; S: 10; P: 15.

Metasoma ovate, about as long as head plus mesosoma, dorsally mostly reticulate-imbricate (alveolae wider than long or isodiametric) except gt1, which is virtually smooth ( Figs 187, 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Posterior margin of gt1 with a double incision ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Ovipositor sheaths short, slightly visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Relative measurements—metasomal length: 104, width: 43; gt1 length: 15; gt7 length: 9, width: 8.5.

MALE (allotype). Differs from the female holotype mainly as follows. Body length: 3 mm. Head with slight greenish reflections. Flagellum dark brown ( Fig. 194 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Metasoma dark brown except extensively whitish dorsally and ventrally in proximal 3/4; extreme base of gt1 brownish ( Fig. 193 View FIGURES 187–194 ). Toruli much closer to median ocellus than to clypeal margin. Scape exceeding level of vertex by about 1/3–1/4 scape length (cf. Fig. 50 View FIGURES 43–50 ); both anelli transverse; each funicular segment of uniform width, long and thin, not conspicuously widened proximally and distally, more or less uniformly covered by long setae emerging mostly at a right angle to segment, and separated from each other by short tubular connections ( Fig. 194 View FIGURES 187–194 ); pedicel plus flagellum about 1.6× head width; fu1 length about 4× width; fu6 length about 2.8× width; clava with segments more closely compacted than funicular segments ( Fig. 194 View FIGURES 187–194 ), length about 4.8× width, but not wider than fu6. Metasoma length about 1.7× width, shorter and narrower than mesosoma ( Fig. 193 View FIGURES 187–194 ).

Variation. FEMALES. Body length: 5.25–7.00 mm. Metallic reflections on head and mesosoma sometimes weak. POL equal to slightly larger than OOL. Fu1 length 2.75–3.75× width. Metasoma length about 2.0–2.4× width.

MALES. Body length: 3–4 mm. Pale spot on metasoma from whitish to yellow and occupying about 3/4–4/5 length of metasoma. Scape exceeding level of vertex by about 1/3–1/4 scape length. Metasoma length about 1.7– 2.5× width.

Comments. Females of this species are very close to females of N. maliarphae , from which they can be separated mainly by the characters given in the key. Three males are excluded from the type series mainly because the setae on the funicular segments emerge at an acute angle to segment.

Etymology. The name is an anagram of the word Norbanus .

Distribution. South Africa, Zimbabwe (Map 13).

Hosts. Unknown.