Norbanus brevicephalus, Mitroiu, 2015

Norbanus brevicephalus View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs 29–36 View FIGURES 29–36 )

Diagnosis. BOTH SEXES. Head and mesosoma black, with some faint metallic reflections ( Figs 29–32, 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ); hind tibia medially dark ( Figs 29, 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Clypeal margin slightly emarginate ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Temple short, about 0.2× as long as eye in dorsal view, posteriorly round and strongly convergent ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Scutellum moderately convex, not globose ( Figs 29, 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Upper mesepimeron smooth. Propodeum inclined ( Figs 29, 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ), spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig. 11 View FIGURES 7–12 ). Speculum not reaching proximal part of marginal vein, separated from it by a patch of sparse setae ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 29–36 ).

FEMALE. Metasoma brown ( Figs 29, 30, 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ); fu5–6 and clava dark ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Scape not reaching vertex ( Fig 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ); second anellus transverse; fu1 not wider than pedicel; clava length about 2.6× width, slightly wider than fu6 and gradually narrowing towards spicula; micropilosity area occupying about 1/3 length of claval body ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Fore wing disc pilosity dense ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Posterior margin of gt1 not incised, moderately sinuous ( Figs 30, 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Sculpture on gastral tergites mostly reticulate-imbricate, with alveolae much wider than long ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ).

MALE. Funicular segments widened both proximally and distally, mostly with two whorls of long setae each, and separated from each other by long tubular connections; setae on funicular segments shorter than length of segments; claval segments separated by deep constrictions ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ).

Material examined. Holotype ♀ ( BMNH). MADAGASCAR: “Madagascar: Tuléar, Bereboka, 65 km N.E. Morondava, May 1983, J.S. Noyes, M.C. Day ” [CPD, on rectangular card].

Allotype ♂. MADAGASCAR: “Madagascar: Tuléar, Berenty 12 km N.W. Amboasary, 5–15.V.1983, J. Noyes & M. Day, B.M.1983-201” ( BMNH).

Additional paratypes. MAURITIUS: 1 ♂ “MAURITIUS; Macchabee Forest , 2.vi.1971, A. M. Hutson, B.M.1971-346” ( BMNH) .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Colour. Head and mesosoma black, with very faint bronze green reflections ( Figs 29–32 View FIGURES 29–36 ); metasoma light brown, ovipositor sheaths black ( Figs 29, 30, 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Body pilosity short whitish ( Figs 31, 32 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Eyes grey, ocelli translucent ( Figs 31, 32 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Mandibles light brown, teeth darker. Antenna ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 29–36 ) with scape (except base), pedicel, anelli and fu1–4, light brown, fu5–6 and clava except tip dark brown to black; base of scape whitish, apex of clava and spicula lighter than rest of clava. Wings hyaline, tegulae and venation brown ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Legs ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 29–36 ) with coxae brown, darker basally; trochanters light brown; fore and mid femora brown, hind femur dark brown; fore tibia brown with light knees; mid and hind tibiae with an extensive brown band around middle of segment, leaving pale extremities; tarsi light brown, claws and arolia darker.

Body length. 3.75 mm.

Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus, reticulate except lower face extensively and finely striated, striation not reaching toruli ( Figs 31, 32 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Clypeal margin shallowly emarginate ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Eye ovate, anterior and posterior margins not sinuous ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Gena with distinct lamina near mouth corner. Scrobes short and shallow, not visible in dorsal view of the head ( Fig. 32 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Toruli with lower margins slightly above lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Antenna ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 29–36 ) with scape not reaching vertex ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29–36 ); 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 about 1/3 length of claval body. Relative measurements—head length: 22.5, width: 54, height: 43; POL: 10.5; OOL: 7.5; eye height: 25.5, length: 17; IOD: 30.5; eye length dorsally: 16; temple length dorsally: 3; malar space: 15; distance between clypeal margin and toruli: 16; scape length: 25; pedicel length: 5, width: 3; pedicel plus flagellum: 55; fu1 length: 6.5, width: 2.5; fu6 length: 5.5, width: 3.5; clava length: 10.5, width: 4.

Mesosoma dorsally reticulate ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Notauli traceable to about half the length of mesoscutum ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 29–36 ).

Scutellum moderately convex ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 29–36 ), frenal line absent, but frenal area with finer reticulation than rest of scutellum. Upper mesepimeron smooth. Metapleuron and dorsellum uniformly reticulate. Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 29–36 ), uniformly reticulate except two small depressions near its anterior margin submedially; spiracles large and elongate, their anterior edge nearly touching metanotum; spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig. 11 View FIGURES 7–12 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 29–36 ) with basal cell and basal fold glabrous; costal cell with one continuous row of pilosity on ventral surface, accompanied by a few scattered setae distally; speculum moderately wide, but in the upper part not reaching marginal vein, being separated from it by a patch of sparse pilosity; disc pilosity dense, area between stigmal vein and postmarginal vein mostly pilose; wing pilosity including marginal fringe short; stigma clearly capitate. Relative measurements—mesosomal length: 53, width: 44, height: 38; mesoscutum length: 20; scutellum length: 20, width: 25; propodeum length: 9; fore wing length: 105, width: 41; M: 21; S: 10; P: 19.

Metasoma ovate-acuminate ( Figs 29, 30 View FIGURES 29–36 ), dorsally mostly reticulate-imbricate (alveolae wider than long) except for gt1 which is mainly smooth ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Posterior margin of gt1 entire and clearly sinuous ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Metasoma length slightly greater than combined length of head and mesosoma ( Fig. 29 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Ovipositor sheaths slightly visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Relative measurements—metasomal length: 85, width: 44; gt1 length: 12; gt7 length: 5.5, width: 14.

MALE (allotype). Differs from the female holotype mainly as follows. Body length: 2.75 mm. Metasoma brownish except extensively yellowish dorsally and ventrally in proximal 2/3; extreme base of gt1 brownish ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Scape reddish-brown, darker dorsally; flagellum dark brown ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Toruli much closer to median ocellus than to clypeal margin ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Scape exceeding level of vertex by about half scape length; funicular segments widened both proximally and distally, mostly with two whorls of long setae each, and separated from each other by long tubular connections; setae on funicular segments emerging mostly at an acute angle to segment, shorter than length of segments ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ); length of pedicel plus flagellum about 1.7× head width; clava with segments not closely compacted together ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ). Fore wing disc pilosity less dense. Metasoma oval, length about 2.1× width, shorter than head plus mesosoma and narrower than mesosoma ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 29–36 ).

Variation. Not conspicuous in the available material.

Comments. Both sexes of N. brevicephalus most closely resemble N. foritempus . The females differ from those of the latter species mostly in the shape of the flagellum and head, and the sculpture of the gastral tergites. The males of N. brevicephalus can be separated from males of N. foritempus mostly by the shape and structure of the flagellum.

Etymology. The name of the new species refers to the short head due to the reduced temples.

Distribution. Madagascar, Mauritius (Map 2).

Hosts. Unknown.