Trigastrotheca sureeratae Quicke, Butcher, Ranjith & Belokobylskij, 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Quicke, Donald L. J.
name: Butcher, Buntika A.
name: Ranjith, A. P.
name: Belokobylskij, Sergey A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Trigastrotheca
Trigastrotheca sureeratae

description: Trigastrotheca sureeratae sp. nov.
(Figs 7, 8)
Material examined. Holotype, male, “ THAILAND, Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon NP, checkpoint 2, 18 31.559’N 98 29.941’E, 1700m Malaise trap 12–19.x.2006 Y Areeluck leg. T371” (QSBG)
Paratypes. 13 males same data as holotype. (5 QSBG, 3 CUMZ, 2 NHM, 1 ZIN, 1 PASW, 1 UKIC)
Length of body 5.3 (4.9–5.3) mm, fore wing 4.0 (4.0-4.7) mm and antenna 6.2 (6.2-6.5) mm.
Head. Antenna with 49–53 flagellomeres. Terminal flagellomere acuminate. Median flagellomeres 1.4 longer than wide. First flagellomere 1.0 and 1.1 x longer than 2nd and 3rd respectively, 1.7 x longer than wide. Width of head: width of face: height of eye = 2.4: 1.4: 1.0. Face finely coriaceous. Inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 2.0: 1.0. Malar suture narrow and clearly defined near eye, absent near mandible. Frons weakly impressed behind antennal sockets, with weak midlongitudinal carina. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye = 1.25: 1.0: 2.1. Occiput with distinct sub-transverse corrugations. Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.5 x longer than high. Middle lobe of mesoscutum without midlongitudinal ridge. Notauli virtually absent, indicated mostly by colour; medio-posteriorly coriaceous sculpture somewhat longitudinally aligned, laterally rather transversely aligned.
Wings. Fore wing. Lengths of veins r-rs: 3 RSa: 3RSb = 1.0: 1.4: 4.4. Lengths of veins 2RS: 3 RSa: rs-m = 1.0: 1.0: 1.0. Base of hind wing with glabrous area distal to vein cu-a.
Legs. Claws with acutely pointed basal lobes. Lengths of fore femur: fore tibia: fore tarsus = 1.1: 1.0: 1.1. Lengths of hind femur: hind tibia: hind tarsus = 1.0: 1.05: 1.15.
Metasoma. Metasomal tergites 2–5 with coarse reticulate sculpture superimposed on coriaceous background. Tergite 2 with sublateral grooves deep, straight, converging posteriorly. Second metasomal suture weakly curved, narrow; median length of 3rd tergite 1.05 x 2nd tergite.
Colour. Head and mesosoma largely ochreous yellow, occiput, lateral lobes and anterior of middle lobe of mesoscutum and anterior of propodeum darker, the latter sometimes with a black mark; metasomal tergites whitish with brown or black medial bands. Wings hyaline with pale brown to dark brown venation; pterostigma brown or black. Front and middle legs ochreous yellow; hind legs largely black except of coxa which is largely yellowbrown often with black mark medially, trochanter and base of tibia which are pale cream.
Female. Unknown.
Host. Unknown.
Distribution. Chiang Mai (Thailand).
Etymology. Named after Assistant Professor Dr. Sureerat Deowanich, Head of Center of Excellence in Entomology, Bee Biology, Diversity of Insects and Mites, Chulalongkorn University.
Comments. This species is very close to T. maetoi sp. nov. but careful examination of the type series, however, reveals a few consistent differences as indicated in the key. In addition, the hind legs are less darkly marked and coxa in particular usually largely brown yellow as compared to entirely black in T. maetoi.
description: Published as part of Quicke, Donald L. J., Butcher, Buntika A., Ranjith, A. P. & Belokobylskij, Sergey A., 2017, Revision of the non-Afrotropical species of Trigastrotheca Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) with descriptions of four new species, pp. 95-110 in Zootaxa 4242 (1) on page 105, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4242.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/376023