Dirrhope ocellimacula Liu & Polaszek, 2025

Zheng, Beibei, Xian, Zeqiu, Liu, Zhen & Polaszek, Andrew, 2025, Afrotropical Dirrhopinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with description of three new species, ZooKeys 1259, pp. 381-392 : 381-392

Dirrhope ocellimacula Liu & Polaszek sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Diagnosis.

Body length 1.5 mm, light yellow-brown, except most of metasoma and stemmaticum dark brown to black (Fig. 3 a, e, i ); eyes 1.7 × longer than temple in dorsal view (Fig. 3 e ); temple, vertex and frons with strong curved carinae radiated from stemmaticum; temple slightly bulged behind eyes in dorsal view; POL: OD: OOL = 2.1: 1.0: 4.7; frons with a median carina passing between antenna sockets to less distinct in the half way of face; face (Fig. 3 c ) weakly strigose, 1.4 × wider than high; antenna (Fig. 3 b ) 19 - merous, with penultimate flagellomere 1.4 × longer than wide; mesoscutum (Fig. 3 f ) with notauli obvious, extending to scutellar sulcus; scutellum weakly rugose-punctate; propodeum (Fig. 3 g ) basally slightly rugulose with one midlongitudinal carina 0.9 × length of its apical bifurcated carina; mesopleuron (Fig. 3 d ) largely longitudinally strigose medially; pterostigma (Fig. 3 h ) 2.1 × as long as its maximum width; vein 1 - R 1 0.8 length of pterostigma; vein r half the length of maximum width of pterostigma, 0.4 × 2 - SR; sclerotised part of 3 - SR 1.5 × as long as r; vein m-cu 1.9 × as long as 2 - SR + M; hind femur 3.2 × as long as its maximum width; inner spur of hind tibia 3 / 5 length of hind basitarsus; T 1 1.6 × longer than its maximum width; T 2 subtriangular, smooth with shallow punctures, suture between T 2 and T 3 indistinct; ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3 j ) 0.3 × as long as hind basitarsus, attenuated apically.

Description.

Female. Body length 1.5 mm, fore wing length 1.3 mm (Fig. 3 a ).

Head. 1.9 × as wide as long, 1.2 × wider than mesoscutum. Eyes 1.7 × longer than temple in dorsal view (Fig. 3 e ). Temple, vertex and frons slightly shiny with numerous strong curved carinae radiated from stemmaticum. Temple slightly bulged behind eyes in dorsal view. Ocelli small, distance between fore and a hind ocellus 1.5 × longer than minor axis of a hind ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 2.1: 1.0: 4.7. Frons flat with a median carina passing between antenna sockets to less distinct in the half way of face. Face (Fig. 3 c ) shiny, weakly strigose, transverse, 1.4 × wider than high. Clypeus 1.8 × wider than medial length, rugulose. Length of malar space nearly as long as width of mandible. Antenna (Fig. 3 b ) indistinctly longer than body length, 19 - merous, with scape, pedicel and 1 st, 2 nd, penultimate and ultimate flagellomeres 2.0, 1.4, 1.9, 1.8, 1.4 and 1.5 × longer than wide, 1 st 1.2 × longer than 2 nd, flagellomeres gradually shortened to penultimate flagellomere, loosely articulated.

Mesosoma. Length: width: height = 1.8: 1.0: 1.3. Mesoscutum (Fig. 3 f ) shiny, rugose-punctate all over, notauli obvious, extending to scutellar sulcus. Scutellar sulcus wide with sparse carinae inside. Scutellum shiny, weakly rugose-punctate especially anteriorly and laterally, hind depressions large and oblong, separated by a carina. Propodeum (Fig. 3 g ) shiny, basally slightly rugulose with one midlongitudinal carina 0.9 × length of its apical bifurcated carina, a broad pentagonal areola present posteriorly, remaining parts smooth. Mesopleuron (Fig. 3 d ) largely longitudinally strigose medially. Prepectal carina distinct.

Wings. Fore wing (Fig. 3 h ): pterostigma wide, 2.1 × as long as its maximum width; vein 1 - R 1 0.8 length of pterostigma; vein r arising from middle of pterostigma, half the length of maximum width of pterostigma, 0.4 × 2 - SR; sclerotised part of 3 - SR 1.5 × as long as r; vein m-cu 1.9 × as long as 2 - SR + M, 0.4 × 2 - SR; vein 1 - CU 1 1.3 × length of cu-a. Hind wing (Fig. 3 h ): vein M + CU: 1 - M: r-m = 2.3: 1.4: 1.0.

Legs. Hind femur 3.2 × as long as its maximum width. Hind tibia strongly widened apically, its length 4.1 × maximum width, 1.1 × length of hind femur. Inner spur of hind tibia 3 / 5 length of hind basitarsus. Hind basitarsus 0.9 × as long as tarsomeres 2–5.

Metasoma. 0.8 × length of mesosoma. T 1 (Fig. 3 i ) narrow, weakly rugulose, indistinctly broadened before constricted at apical 1 / 4, 1.6 × longer than its maximum width. T 2 subtriangular, smooth with shallow punctures, suture between T 2 and T 3 indistinct. Hypopygium not exceeding apex of metasoma. Ovipositor sheath (Fig. 3 j ) very short, attenuated apically, 0.3 × as long as hind basitarsus, with long and sparse setae apically.

Colour. Light yellow-brown, except most of metasoma dark brown to black and stemmaticum dark brown with two black maculae behind hind ocelli (Fig. 3 a, e, i ). Palpi and spurs pale yellow. Antenna dark brown except scape and pedicel yellow-brown. Ovipositor sheath black-brown. Legs yellow. Wing membranes hyaline, fore wing with pterostigma dark brown, vein 1 - M, r, 2 - SR, 1 - CU 1 and cu-a dark brown, other veins brown to pale brown.

Male. Unknown.

Host. Unknown.

Material examined.

Holotype: • 1 ♀, South Africa, Cape Province, Mossel Bay , RE Turner, V.1921, Brit. Mus 1921-248, det. Dirrhope sp. GEJ Nixon, 1963, No. NHMUK 010639399 .

Distribution.

South Africa.

Etymology.

The specific name “ ocellimacula ” refers to the black maculae behind the hind ocelli. Noun in apposition.

Remarks.

This species is similar to D. indica Ranjith in having no sublateral cells near the areola on the propodeum and with a distinct midlongitudinal carina on the face, but differs in the following: notauli completely extending to the scutellar sulcus (notauli absent posteriorly in D. indica ); mesopleuron largely longitudinally strigose medially (largely polished in D. indica ); and the propodeum with the midlongitudinal carina 0.9 × its apical bifurcated carina (1.2 × longer in D. indica ).

Figures

Figure 3. Dirrhope ocellimacula Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., female. a. Habitus, lateral aspect; b. Antenna; c. Head, anterior aspect; d. Mesosoma, lateral aspect; e. Head, dorsal aspect; f. Mesosoma, dorsal aspect; g. Propodeum; h. Wings; i. Metasoma, dorsal aspect; j. Ovipositor sheath.