Norbanus gracilis, Mitroiu, 2015

Mitroiu, Mircea-Dan, 2015, Revision of the Afrotropical species of Norbanus Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Zootaxa 3969 (1), pp. 1-103 : 52-54

Norbanus gracilis sp. nov.

( Figs 93–98 )

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Head and mesosoma black, with faint dark blue metallic reflections mostly on mesosoma ( Figs 93–96 ); metasoma yellow, ovipositor sheaths black ( Figs 93, 94 ); antenna uniformly yellow ( Fig. 97 ). Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus ( Fig. 95 ). POL about 1.5× OOL. Temple about 0.3× eye length in dorsal view. Eye height about 1.4× length, anterior and posterior margins conspicuously sinuous ( Figs 93, 95 ). In frontal view eyes converging in lower part of the head ( Fig. 95 ). Clypeal margin deeply emarginate, almost bidentate ( Fig. 96 ). Toruli high above lower margins of eyes ( Fig. 95 ). Scape well exceeding vertex ( Fig. 95 ); second anellus transverse; clava slightly wider than fu6 ( Fig. 97 ). Scutellum moderately convex, not globose ( Fig. 93 ). Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 93 ), spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig. 11 ). Fore wing length at most about 2.5× width; marginal vein about 3.8–4.0× as long as stigmal vein; speculum large, reaching to stigmal vein, but narrow beyond middle of marginal vein ( Fig. 98 ). Metasoma slightly shorter than head plus mesosoma ( Figs 93, 94 ). Posterior margin of gt1 virtually straight.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ ( BMNH). ZIMBABWE: “ZIMBABWE, Salisbury, ii. 1979, A. Watsham ” [CPD, on rectangular card, right flagellum missing].

Paratypes. ZIMBABWE: 3 ♀ “RHODESIA, Salisbury, A. Watsham / WF79, x.74” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀ “ RHODESIA, Salisbury, A. Watsham / WF79, ix.74” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀ “ ZIMBABWE, Salisbury , vii. 1978, A. Watsham ” ( MICO) . SOUTH AFRICA: 2 ♀ “ SOUTH AFRICA, Hekpoort (i)74, A. Watsham ” ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀ “S. AFRICA, Natal : Inchanga, XII 1979. A. Watsham ” ( BMNH) ; 3 ♀ “ SOUTH AFRICA, Tvl. , D’Nyala Nat. Res., Ellisras District ”, “ 23.45S 27.49E, 23–26.ii.1987, G.L. Prinsloo ”, “NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS ( SANC), Pretoria, South Africa” ( SANC) ; 1 ♀ “ SOUTH AFRICA, Strydom Tunnel , E. Tvl. ii.1990, G.L. Prinsloo ”, “NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS ( SANC), Pretoria, South Africa” ( SANC) ; 1 ♀ “ SOUTH AFRICA, Nylsvley , Tvl, iii.1978, G.L. Prinsloo ”, “NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS ( SANC), Pretoria, South Africa” ( SANC) ; 1 ♀ “ SOUTH AFRICA, TVL., Kruger Nat. Park , Pretoriuskop, 25.09S 31.16E. 591m. 17.i.1985. N.C.Pienaar ” ,

“ NATIONAL COLL. OF INSECTS ( SANC), Pretoria, South Africa ” ( SANC); 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) .

Description. FEMALE (holotype). Colour. Head and mesosoma black, with faint dark blue metallic reflections mostly on mesosoma ( Figs 93–96 ). Metasoma pale yellow, ovipositor sheaths black ( Figs 93, 94 ). Body pilosity short whitish ( Figs 93–96 ). Eyes red, ocelli whitish ( Figs 94, 95 ). Mandibles yellow, teeth reddish-brown ( Fig. 95 ). Antenna uniformly yellow ( Fig. 97 ). Wings hyaline, tegulae, venation and pilosity whitish ( Fig. 98 ). Legs ( Fig. 93 ) with all coxae light brown, with faint metallic reflections; trochanters, femora, tibiae and tarsi pale yellow, arolia and claws light brown.

Body length. 2 mm.

Head without distinct elevation between eye and posterior ocellus, reticulate except lower face finely striated, striation not reaching toruli ( Figs 95, 96 ). Clypeal margin deeply emarginate, with a narrow incision medially, thus appearing almost bidentate ( Fig. 96 ). Eye with both anterior ( Fig. 95 ) and posterior ( Fig. 93 ) margins conspicuously sinuous, narrower ventrally and converging in lower part of the head when seen in frontal view ( Fig. 95 ). Gena slightly depressed below eye, with a weak lamina near mouth corner. Scrobes virtually absent. Toruli very high, slightly above middle of face ( Fig. 95 ). Antenna ( Fig. 97 ) with scape exceeding vertex ( Fig. 95 ); both anelli transverse, the second larger than the first; funicular segments longer than wide; clava ventrally gradually narrowing before spicula, sutures hardly visible, oblique; micropilosity area occupying more than 1/3 length of claval body; spicula long, almost half-length of claval body. Relative measurements—head length: 35, width: 62, height: 51; POL: 17; OOL: 11; eye height: 33, length: 24; IOD: 44; eye length dorsally: 23; temple length dorsally: 7; malar space: 11.5; mouth width: 28; distance between clypeal margin and toruli: 28; scape length: 30; pedicel length: 9, width: 4; pedicel plus flagellum: 72; fu1 length: 9.5, width: 4; fu6 length: 8, width: 7; clava length: 17, width: 7.

Mesosoma dorsally reticulate ( Fig. 94 ). Notauli hardly indicated in the anterior third of mesoscutum ( Fig. 94 ). Scutellum moderately convex ( Fig. 93 ), frenal line absent, but frenal area with finer reticulation than rest of scutellum. Upper mesepimeron smooth ( Fig. 93 ). Metapleuron and dorsellum uniformly reticulate. Propodeum inclined ( Fig. 93 ), uniformly and shallowly reticulate, basal depressions barely indicated; spiracles oval, spiracular sulci absent (cf. Fig. 11 ). Fore wing ( Fig. 98 ) with basal cell and basal fold glabrous; costal cell with one row of setae on ventral surface, doubled by a few additional setae distally; speculum large, extending to stigmal vein; wing pilosity including marginal fringe short; stigma moderately capitate. Relative measurements—mesosomal length: 75, width: 50, height: 46; mesoscutum length: 31; scutellum length: 23, width: 28; propodeum length: 16; fore wing length: 162, width: 57; M: 38; S: 10; P: 15.

Metasoma ovate, slightly shorter than head plus mesosoma ( Figs 93, 94 ), dorsally mostly extremely finely reticulate-imbricate (alveolae wider than long) except for gt1 which is mainly smooth (cf. Fig. 90 ). Posterior margin of gt1 straight, not incised (cf. Fig. 58 ). Ovipositor sheaths short, not visible in dorsal view ( Fig. 94 ). Relative measurements—metasomal length: 95, width: 55; gt1 length: 10; gt7 length: 4, width: 20.

MALE. Unknown.

Variation. FEMALES. Body length: 1.75–2.25 mm. Bluish metallic reflections on head and mesosoma variable in intensity; metasoma from pale yellow to dark yellow, ovipositor sheaths always black. Marginal vein about 3.8–4.0× as long as stigmal vein. In air-dried specimens metasoma usually collapses on dorsal surface, thus appearing less wide.

Comments. Easily separated from the other similar species by the sinuous eye margins, unusually deeply incised clypeal margin, and long marginal vein. A deeply incised clypeus is also found in the Nearctic genus Lysirina Heydon , which shares a reduced prepectus with Norbanus ; however, other characters clearly indicate that the newly described species belongs to Norbanus .

Etymology. The name refers to the slender body that characterizes this species.

Distribution. South Africa, Zimbabwe (Map 6).

Hosts. Unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 93–98. Norbanus gracilis. 93–97, holotype ♀: 93, habitus, lateral view; 94, habitus, dorsal view; 95, head, frontal view; 96, lower face, frontal view; 97, antenna, lateral view. 98, paratype ♀, South Africa, fore wing, dorsal view.

FIGURES 7–12. Norbanus aequus, holotype ♀: 7, habitus, lateral view; 8, habitus, dorsal view; 9, head, frontal view; 10, pedicel plus flagellum, lateral view; 11, propodeum; 12, fore wing, dorsal view.

FIGURES 89–92. Norbanus gibber. 89, holotype ♀, gastral tergites. 90, paratype ♀, Zimbabwe, gastral tergites. 91, holotype ♀, propodeum. 92, allotype ♂, habitus, lateral view.

FIGURES 57–62. Norbanus erebus. 57 and 58, holotype ♀: 57, habitus, lateral view; 58, habitus, dorsal view. 59, paratype ♀, Zimbabwe, head, frontal view. 60, holotype ♀, antenna, lateral view. 61, paratype ♀, Zimbabwe, fore wing, dorsal view. 62, allotype ♂, habitus, lateral view.