Norbanus longissimus, Mitroiu, 2015

Norbanus longissimus View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 125–130 View FIGURES 125–130 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma mainly dark bluish ( Figs 125–127 View FIGURES 125–130 ); metasoma usually reddish-brown, ovipositor sheaths black ( Figs 125, 126 View FIGURES 125–130 ); fu6 usually at least slightly darker than fu5 ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 125–130 ); hind tibia pale yellow ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Clypeal margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). POL about 1.4× as long as OOL. Eye height about 1.4× length. Lower margins of toruli slightly below lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Scape slightly to distinctly exceeding level of vertex ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ); second anellus transverse ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 125–130 ); clava slightly wider than distal funicular segments ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Scutellum moderately convex (fig. 125). Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ), spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig. 11 View FIGURES 7–12 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 129 View FIGURES 125–130 ) length at most about 2.5× width; speculum reaching stigmal vein; marginal vein about 2.5–3.0× as long as stigmal vein. Metasoma elongate-acuminate, much longer than head plus mesosoma ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ), length usually about 3.3–3.6× width. Posterior margin of gt1 conspicuously sinuous (cf. Fig. 19 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Gt6 longer than wide, length about 1.2–1.4× width ( Fig. 130 View FIGURES 125–130 ).

MAP 8. Distribution of N. kitegaensis and N. longissimus

Material examined. Holotype ♀ ( MRAC). D. R. CONGO: “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/gd/ 4, 6-vii-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 2050” [on triangular card].

Paratypes. D. R. CONGO: 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/hc/8, 23-iv-1951, Réc. J. Verschuren. 1590” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/gd/4, 6-vii-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 2050” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/gc/2, 31-iii-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 1474” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/gd/8, 20-v-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 1947” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/hd/4, 17-vii-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 2107” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, Ndelele/R, 23-vii-52, H. De Saeger. 3815” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger, II/fd/18, 6-x-1951, Réc. H. De Saeger. 2551” ( MRAC) ; 1 ♀ “ Congo Belge, P. N.G., Miss. H. De Saeger , II/hd/8, 26-xi-1951, H. De Saeger. 2808” ( MRAC) .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Colour. Head and mesosoma mainly bluish, with slight greenish reflections ( Figs 125–127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Metasoma reddish-brown, ovipositor sheaths black ( Figs 125, 126 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Body pilosity short whitish ( Figs 126, 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Eyes brownish, ocelli reddish-brown ( Figs 126, 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Mandibles light brown, teeth reddish-brown ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Antenna ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 125–130 ) reddish-brown except lighter scape base and dark brown fu6 and clava. Wings hyaline, tegulae, venation and pilosity light yellowish-brown ( Fig. 129 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Legs ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ) with coxae reddish-brown, the hind ones distinctly metallic dorsally; trochanters light reddish-brown; femora dark reddish-brown, extremities lighter; tibiae and tarsi pale yellow, arolia and claws brown.

Body length. 4.75 mm.

Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus, reticulate except lower face finely striated, striation almost reaching level of toruli ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Clypeal margin shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Eye ovate, anterior and posterior margins not sinuous ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Gena with a fairly strong lamina near mouth corner. Scrobes very shallow and short, not visible in dorsal view of the head. Toruli with lower margins slightly below lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Antenna ( Fig. 128 View FIGURES 125–130 ) with scape exceeding level of vertex ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 125–130 ); both anelli transverse, the second slightly 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: 58.5, height: 45; POL: 11; OOL: 8; eye height: 26, length: 18; IOD: 34; eye length dorsally: 18; temple length dorsally: 4.5; malar space: 18; mouth width: 25; distance between clypeal margin and toruli: 18; scape length: 32; pedicel length: 5.5, width: 2.5; pedicel plus flagellum: 60; fu1 length: 8.5, width: 2.5; fu6 length: 5.5, width: 3; clava length: 12.5, width: 4.

Mesosoma dorsally coarsely reticulate ( Fig. 126 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Notauli hardly visible, reaching about middle of mesoscutum ( Fig. 126 View FIGURES 125–130 ). Scutellum moderately convex ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ), frenal line absent, but frenal area with finer reticulation than rest of scutellum. Upper mesepimeron smooth. Metapleuron and dorsellum uniformly reticulate. Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ), uniformly reticulate except two small depressions near its anterior margin submedially; spiracles oval, spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig 11 View FIGURES 7–12 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 129 View FIGURES 125–130 ) with basal cell and basal fold glabrous; costal cell with one row of setae on ventral surface, plus several additional setae distally; speculum large, extending to stigmal vein, but effaced by several admarginal setae; wing pilosity including marginal fringe short; stigma moderately capitate. Relative measurements—mesosomal length: 55, width: 43, height: 43; mesoscutum length: 21.5; scutellum length: 24, width: 26; propodeum length: 13; fore wing length: 148, width: 58; M: 33; S: 11; P: 25.

Metasoma elongate-acuminate, distinctly longer than head plus mesosoma ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 125–130 ), dorsally mostly with reticulate-imbricate sculpture (alveolae much wider than long) except for gt1 which is mainly smooth (cf. Fig. 19 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Posterior margin of gt1 conspicuously sinuous, not incised (cf. Fig. 19 View FIGURES 19–22 ). Ovipositor sheaths short, slightly visible in dorsal view. Relative measurements—metasomal length: 124, width: 35; gt1 length: 15; gt6 length: 22, width: 17; gt7 length: 13, width: 13.5.

MALE. Unknown.

Variation. FEMALES. Body length: 4.0– 5.5 mm. Head and mesosoma occasionally with some golden reflections; metasoma from light brown (usually) to dark brown; scape from reddish-brown (usually) to dark brown, slightly to distinctly exceeding level of vertex; fu6 occasionally barely darker than fu5; coxae from reddish-brown to the same colour as mesosoma. Marginal vein about 2.5–3.0× as long as stigmal vein. Metasoma length about 3.3–3.6× width. Gt6 length about 1.2–1.4× width.

Comments. Based on the long metasoma and other characters N. longissimus most closely resembles N. mustatai from which it can be separated mostly by the longer, more acuminate metasoma and different body colour.

Etymology. The name refers to the very long body due to the characteristic shape of the metasoma.

Distribution. D. R. Congo (Map 8).

Hosts. Unknown.