Norbanus maliarphae, Mitroiu, 2015

Norbanus maliarphae View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 131–136 View FIGURES 131–136 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma blue-green, sometimes with golden reflections ( Figs 131–134 View FIGURES 131–136 ); metasoma brown, dark reddish at base ( Figs 131, 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ); antenna with flagellum yellowish-brown, fu5–6 and clava slightly to conspicuously darker ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 131–136 ); all tibiae entirely pale yellow ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Body pilosity short ( Figs 131– 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Vertex and area around ocelli smooth, shiny, sculpture hardly visible ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Scape not reaching level of vertex. Clypeal margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Second anellus clearly longer than the first, almost quadrate ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Scutellum moderately convex, not globose ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Metapleuron with uniform and distinct sculpture, without any shiny area (cf. Fig. 113 View FIGURES 109–114 ). Spiracular sulci present (cf. Fig. 103 View FIGURES 99–104 ). Basal cell with at most six setae in distal part; marginal vein about 2.3–2.4× as long as stigmal vein ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Metasoma length about 2.1× width. Posterior margin of gt1 with a double incision ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ).

Material examined. Holotype ♀ ( RMNH). SENEGAL: “Senegal 25–35 km sud de Richard Toll, piège malaise, 14.VIII.1989, leg. H. v.d. Valk c.s” [on rectangular card].

Paratypes. SENEGAL: 1 ♀ “Senegal: Casamance, iv–v. 90 8/2, G. Bianchi ”, “ex. Maliarpha separatella ”, “ Picroscytoides sp. det. J. LaSalle, 1990” ( BMNH) .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Colour. Head and mesosoma blue-green, mesosoma more bluish laterally ( Figs 131–134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Metasoma brown, dark reddish basally ( Figs 131, 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Body pilosity short whitish ( Figs 131– 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Eyes reddish, ocelli reddish-yellow ( Figs 133, 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Mandibles light brown, teeth reddish-brown. Antenna ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 131–136 ) with scape light brown, whitish at base; pedicel light brown; fu1–4 light brown, fu5, fu6 and clava slightly darker. Wings hyaline, tegulae, venation and pilosity light brown ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Legs ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ) with all coxae as mesosoma, the hind ones distinctly bluish; trochanters light brown; femora dark brown, distally yellow; tibiae and tarsi light brown; last tarsal segment, arolia and claws light brown.

Body length. 4 mm.

Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus, reticulate except lower face finely striated (striation not reaching toruli) and mainly smooth and shiny vertex and area around ocelli ( Figs 133, 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Clypeal margin shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Eye ovate, anterior and posterior margins not sinuous ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Gena with a weak lamina near mouth corner. Scrobes shallow, hardly visible in dorsal view of the head ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Toruli with lower margins above lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Antenna ( Fig. 135 View FIGURES 131–136 ) with scape reaching upper edge of median ocellus; first anellus transverse, the second clearly longer than the first; funicular segments longer than wide; clava ventrally gradually narrowing before spicula, sutures hardly visible, oblique; micropilosity area occupying less than half length of claval body. Relative measurements—head length: 28, width: 57, height: 46; POL: 11; OOL: 9; eye height: 26.5, length: 19; IOD: 35; eye length dorsally: 18; temple length dorsally: 5; malar space: 17; mouth width: 27; distance between clypeal margin and toruli: 19; scape length: 26; pedicel length: 6, width: 3; pedicel plus flagellum: 57; fu1 length: 9, width: 3.5; fu6 length: 5, width: 4; clava length: 11, width: 4.

Mesosoma dorsally coarsely reticulate ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Notauli reaching about half length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Scutellum moderately convex ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ), frenal line absent, but frenal area with finer reticulation than rest of scutellum. Upper mesepimeron smooth ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Metapleuron with uniform and distinct sculpture, without shiny area (cf. Figs 113 View FIGURES 109–114 , 163 View FIGURES 159–166 ). Dorsellum uniformly reticulate. Propodeum uniformly reticulate except two small depressions near its anterior margin submedially; spiracles oval, spiracular sulci present (cf. Fig. 103 View FIGURES 99–104 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 131–136 ) with basal cell and basal fold mostly glabrous, except six setae in distal part of basal cell; 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: 60, width: 50, height: 44; mesoscutum length: 25; scutellum length: 23, width: 30; propodeum length: 12; fore wing length: 107, width: 40; M: 19; S: 8; P: 13.

Metasoma ovate, about as long as head plus mesosoma ( Figs 131, 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ), dorsally mostly reticulate-imbricate (alveolae wider than long) except for gt1 which is mainly smooth (cf. Fig. 19 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Posterior margin of gt1 with a double incision ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Ovipositor sheaths short, but clearly visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 131–136 ). Relative measurements—metasomal length: 92, width: 43; gt1 length: 15; gt7 length: 8, width: 8.

MALE. Unknown; it is expected to be very close to the male of N. sunabron , probably differing mainly in the general body colour and colour of tibiae, which should all be entirely yellow.

Variation. FEMALES. Body length: 4.0– 6.5 mm. Mesoscutum sometimes with some golden-coppery reflections. Head width about 2.0–2.2× length. POL about 1.0–1.2× OOL. Pedicel length about 1.7–2.0× width; fu1 length about 2.6–3.8× width; fu6 length about 1.3–1.6× width; clava length about 2.4–2.7× width. The basal cell of the paratype lacks any setae. Marginal vein about 2.1–2.4× as long as stigmal vein. Metasoma length about 2.0– 2.4× width, from about equal to slightly longer than head plus mesosoma. Gt7 length about 1.0–1.4× width.

Comments. The holotype has the metasoma dorsally collapsed, thus affecting part of the measurements. This species is very close to N. sunabron , from which it can be separated mainly by the characters given in the key. Based on the incised posterior margin of gt1, N. maliarphae is also similar to N. incombo from which it can be easily separated mainly by the smooth vertex and area around ocelli, shorter marginal vein and different body colour. Based on the smooth dorsal surface of the head, the incised posterior margin of gt1, and the shape of male antenna, the new species also resembles the Palaearctic species N. cerasiops and N. guyoni , which are present in North Africa. From N. cerasiops the new species differs mainly in the glabrous basal cell and colour; from N. guyoni the females of N. maliarphae differ mainly in having a much shorter metasoma, less dense pilosity, and different colour.

Etymology. The species name is derived from that of its host.

Distribution. Senegal (Map 9).

Hosts. The female paratype was reared from the African White Stemborer Maliarpha separatella Ragonot ( Lepidoptera : Pyralidae ), which attacks a variety of plants including maize and rice.

MAP 9. Distribution of N. maliarphae and N. mustatai