A revision of five braconid species described by Szépligeti in 1913 and deposited in Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut

Summary Five braconid species described by Gy. Szépligeti in 1913 ( Epimicrodus pumilus , Campyloneurus similis , Curriea nigriventris , Mesosoma elegans , Plaxopsis pulchricaudis ) are redescribed and compared with the species which they most resemble. The type specimens of these species are deposited in the Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (Müncheberg).

In connection with my revisionary project of Szépligeti's braconid types A. Taeger (Müncheberg) kindly allowed me to examine the types of the six braconid species by Szépligeti listed above and deposited in the Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Müncheberg. The examination confirmed that the original names of four species remain valid, whilst two species received new combinations of names. In this paper five species are redescribed, the redescription of the sixth species (Serraulax conradti) is presented in a previous paper (Papp 2011).
Hind wing veins -cu-a = nervellus, 1-2SR = first and second sections of the radial vein.

Taxonomic notes:
The genus Epimicrodus was described by Ashmead in 1900; later the genus was synonymized with Crasso microdus Ashmead, 1900 by Bradley (1916) and Muesebeck (1927). The Crassomicrodus species are restricted to the Nearctic / Neotropic Regions, i.e. in tropical Africa are not distributed (Sharkey 1997). Having examined the female lectotype of Epimicrodus pumilus it proved to represent the genus Bassus Fabricius, 1804 (= Microdus Nees, 1812) comb. n. The species name pumilus is preoccupied within Bassus by B. pumilus (Ratzeburg, 1844) and therefore hereby replaced.

Redescription of the lectotype:
Body 4.5 mm long. Scape twice as long as apically broad and in lateral view somewhat expanded: first flagellomere 2.5 times and fifth flagellomere 2.2 times longer than broad (Fig. 1). -Head in dorsal view transverse (Fig. 2), 2.4 times as broad as long, eye three times longer than temple, temple strongly receded. Ocelli middle-sized, OOL somewhat longer than POL. Eye in lateral view 1.4 times as high as wide and almost four times wider than gena (Fig. 3). Face somewhat wider between eyes than high between antennal socket and clypeal margin. Malar space somewhat less than 0.5 times as long as height of eye. Width of clypeus equal to malar space (Fig. 4). Head polished, face and clypeus with very fine hair-punctures, shiny.
Mesosoma in lateral view 1-3 times as long as high, polished with very fine hair-punctures. Notaulix line-form, evenly deep and subcrenulated. Precoxal suture crenulated. Propodeum evenly rugulose. Hind femur 2.7 times as long as broad medially (Fig. 5). Inner spur of hind tibia just shorter than half length of basitarsus (Fig. 6). Claw clearly curved and with a distinct basal lobe (Fig. 7).
Forewing as long as body. Peterostigma (Fig. 8) 2.8 times as long as wide and issuing r from its middle. SR1 bent, second submarginal cell (or areola) petiolate, i.e. second three-sided submarginal cell joining to r by vein 2b-SR.
First tergite ( Fig. 9) evenly broadening posteriorly, somewhat broader behind than long, pair of spiracles before middle of tergite, finely striated. Second tergite transverse, almost 2.5 times as broad behind as long medially, together with further tergites polished. Hypopygium small and pointed (Fig. 10

Distribution:
Republic of South Africa.

Redescription of the lectotype:
Body 6 mm long. Scape pyriform, 1.4 times as long dorsally as broad apically (Fig. 14). Both flagella deficient distally, with 26 flagellomeres. First flagellomere almost 1.4 times as long as broad, second to seventh flagellomeres shortening so that further flagellomeres cubic.
-Head in dorsal view transverse (Fig. 15), 1.75 times as broad as long, eye 1.6 times as long as temple, temple rounded. Eye in lateral view nearly 1.4 times as high as wide and nearly 1.7 times as broad as temple, temple beyond eye evenly wide (Fig. 16, see arrows). Horizontal diameter of oral opening 1.5 times longer than shortest distance between opening and eye. Head polished, face rugulose-uneven. Mesosoma in lateral view 1.5 times as long as high, polished. Notaulix distinct, less deep. Propodeum polished, around lunule with short rugulae. Hind femur 3.3 times as long as broad medially (Fig. 17). Claw downcurved, basal lobe as in Fig. 18. Forewing somewhat shorter than body. Pterostigma ( Fig. 19) 2.6 times as long as wide and issuing r just proximally from its middle, r short. Second submarginal cell short, 3-SR 1.7 times as long as 2-SR; SR1 curved, 1.2 times as long as 3-SR and raher approaching tip of wing. First discal cell wide, 1-M 1.5 times as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M 1.4 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 20). Hindwing: cu-a straight (Fig. 21, see arrow). First tergite (Fig. 22) 1.2 times as broad as long, less broadening posteriorly, scutum rugose and its margin finely crenulated. Second tergite transverse, 2.3 times as broad as long medially, antero-median field polished, laterally crenulated, otherwise rugose. Suture between tergites 2-3 straight, deep, crenulated. Tergites 3-5 with 1 (2)"Face...as wide between eyes as high from antennae to margin of clypeus. ... Notauli forming discrete crenulated lines anteriorly, broader and smooth behind where they curve inward to meet in a gentle depression just behind the middle; .  (Shenefelt, 1970) comb. n.

Distribution:
Republic of South Africa.

Taxonomic position:
Campyloneurus similis is near to C. basalis Szépligeti, the two species differing from each other as follows: Curriea nigriventris Szépligeti ( Quicke et al. 2000: 111). The taxonomic status of these genera is unclear, however, as expressed by Quicke et al. (l.c.) as follows: "Future phylogenetic studies may lead to some, or all, of the above genera being regarded as derived species groups of others and so generic concepts may subsequently be revised".

Redescription of the male lectotype of Curriea nigri ventris Szépligeti:
Body 7 mm long. Left antenna somewhat longer than body and with 54 antennomeres. Scape 1.4 times as long as broad apically, distally somewhat broadening, dorsally somewhat longer than ventrally, in lateral view apically deeply emarginate (Fig. 28, see arrow). First flagellomere 2.1 times, further flagellomeres gradually shortening and slightly attenuating so that penultimate flagellomere twice as long as broad.
-Head in dorsal view cubic (Fig. 29), 1.5 times as broad as long, eye three times as long as temple, temple receded. Ocelli middle-sized, POL somewhat longer than OOL. Eye in lateral view almost 1.4 times as high as wide, temple 0.3 times less wide than eye (Fig. 30, see arrows). Horizontal diameter of oral opening twice as long as shortest distance between opening and eye. Margin of clypeus carinated. Face with rugae-rugulae elements, medially smooth. Head polished. Mesosoma in lateral view twice as long as high, polished. Notaulix weakly distinct, smooth. Hind femur five times as long as broad distally (Fig. 31). Hind basitarsus as long as tarsomeres 2-3 combined. Claw curved and widening basally as in Fig. 32. Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma (Fig. 33) four times as long as wide and issuing r just proximally from its middle, r just longer than width of pterostigma. Second submarginal cell usual in length: 3-SR 1.5 times as long as 2-SR, SR1 bent and reaching tip of wing. First discal cell long, 1-M slightly longer than m-cu; first subdiscal cell glabrous medially, its form as in Fig. 34. First tergite (Fig. 41) 1.65 times as long as broad behind, evenly broadening posteriorly, pair of spiracles before middle of tergite, with a pair of basal keels, scutum striated. Second tergite 1.25 times as broad behind as long, anteriorly with a median and polished area narrowing posteriorly, otherwise tergite striated. Further tergites subrugulose, uneven to almost smooth. Suture between tergites 2-3 almost straight, fairly deep and crenulated. Body ochre yellow, face yellow. Scape ochre yellow, pedicel and flagellum brownish. Metasoma posteriorly darkening brown. Legs also ochre yellow. Wings subhyaline, pterostigma yellow, veins yellow to light brownish.
Host unknown.

Taxonomic position:
The species Curriea nigriventris is near to C. antefurcalis Szépligeti (Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo = Zaire), the features that distinguish between them are restricted to a few body characters as follows:

Redescription of the lectotype:
Body 15 mm long. Antenna as long as body (left antenna) and with 78 antennomeres. Scape in outer-lateral view one sixth longer than broad apically and here formed as in Fig. 47. Flagellomeres transverse. -Head in dorsal view transverse (Fig. 48), twice as broad as long, eye protruding and clearly twice as long as temple, temple receded. Eye in lateral view 1.3 times as high as wide and twice wider than temple, temple ventrally broadening (Fig. 49, see arrows). Malar space somewhat shorter than basal width of mandible. Horizontal diameter of oral opening also somewhat longer than shortest distance between opening and eye. Face uneven with disperse subpunctures, frons finely granulate with a few subrugulae; otherwise head polished. Mesosoma in lateral view 1.6 times as long as high.
Medio-transverse sulcus of pronotum smooth. Notaulix anteriorly deep, posteriorly shallowing. Propodeum polished and with a less distinct medio-longitudinal sulcus. Hind femur 3.5 times as long as broad medially (Fig. 50). Inner spur of hind tibia just shorter than half basitarsus. Hind basitarsus as long as tarsomeres 2 + half tarsomere 3 combined. Claw bifid, its basal lobe as in Fig. 51. Fore wing just shorter than body. Pterostigma of right wing damaged (present its proximal third as in Fig. 52), left pterostigma missing, r somewhat longer than width of pterostigma, 3-SR 1.9 times as long as r and 1.6 times as long as 2-SR; SR1 bent, as long as 3-SR and reaching tip of wing; 3-SR and 2-M somewhat diverging distally (Fig. 52). First discal cell wide, 1-M 1.4 times as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M bent and slightly longer than 1-M (Fig. 53). -Hind wing: cu-a straight as in Fig. 54. First tergite (Fig. 55) as long as broad behind, scutum with longitudinal striae and rugulosity. Second tergite less transverse, 1.5 times as broad behind as long medially, its median field bordered by crenulate sulcus, together with further tergites rugose. First tergite in lateral view as in Fig. 56. Ovipositor sheath almost as long as hind tibia. Antenna black. Head and palpi yellow. Mesosoma testaceous with yellowish suffusion, three maculae of mesoscutum dark brown. Metasoma testaceous. Fore leg yellow. Middle leg brownish. Hind leg dark brown. Wings blackish brown fumous, pterostigma black, distal part of forewing with a wide pale yellow macula (or "fenestra").
Male and host unknown.

Redescription of the lectotype:
Body 13 mm long. Both antennae deficient distally. Scape sitting on a protuberance, in outer-lateral view 2.2 times as long as broad apically, ventrally a bit longer than dorsally, apically somewhat excised (Fig. 63). Right flagellum with 20 and left flagellum with 30 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 1.5 times as long as broad apically, further 9-10 flagellomeres shortening so that rest of flagellomeres cubic. -Head in dorsal view cubic (Fig. 64), almost 1.7 times as broad (between eyes) as long, eye somewhat protruding and shorter than temple, temple moderately rounded. Eye in lateral view nearly 1.4 times as high as wide, temple somewhat wider than eye and evenly wide beyond eye; face with a lamelliform protuberance (Fig. 65, see arrows). Face in frontal view medially with a short transverse and prominent carina, otherwise face rugulose, pair of tentorial pits fairly large and face close above pits somewhat impressed (Fig. 66). Horizontal diameter of oral opening somewhat longer than shortest distance between opening and eye. Third segment of maxillar palp less flattened (Fig. 67). Head polished.
Mesosoma in lateral view 1.6 times as long as high, together with propodeum polished. Notaulix weakly distinct. Hind femur 4.3 times as long as broad distally ( Fig. 68). Middle femur 4 times as long as broad medially. Middle basitarsus slightly longer than tarsomeres 2-3 combined. Claw fairly long and downcurved, with small basal lobe, pectinate (Fig. 69).
Forewing as long as body. Pterostigma (Fig. 70) 3.8 times as long as wide and issuing r proximally from its middle, r shorter than width of pterostigma. Second submarginal cell long and relatively narrow, 3-SR 2.7 times as long as 2-SR; SR1 almost straight, somewhat longer than 3-SR and approaching tip of wing. First discal cell wide, 1-M 1.3 times as long as m-cu, 1-SR-M evenly curved and 1.4 times as long as 1-M (Fig. 71). -Hind wing: marginal cell distally narrowing , i.e. 1-2SR approaching tip of wing (Fig. 72, see arrow); cu-a straight.

Taxonomic position:
Plaxopsis pulchricaudis is near to P. bifasciatus (Szépligeti) (Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, Zaire) owing to their lamelliform protuberance on the face, the two species are separated by the features keyed: 1 (2) Eye in dorsal view slightly shorter than temple, temple moderately rounded (Fig. 64). First tergite 1.2 times as long as broad behind; second tergite less transverse, 1.2 times as broad behind as long laterally (Fig. 75). Pterostigma issuing r clearly proximally from its middle, length of r shorter than width of pterostigma; 3-SR 2.7 times as long as 2-SR, SR1 clearly longer than 3-SR and reaching tip of wing (Fig. 70). Marginal cell of hind wing approaching tip of wing (Fig. 72). Third segment of maxillar palp less flattened (Fig. 67). Scape twice as long as broad and less broadening apically (Fig. 63) Szépligeti, 1913 Serraulax conradti (Szépligeti) Iphiaulax conradti Szépligeti, 1913: 384, female(s) type locality: "Kamerun", female lectotype (designated as "holotype" by Quicke et Koch 1990: 223)  The female specimen was labelled as holotype. A redescription was published, illustrated with six line-drawn figures, and together with a further nine species its unambiguous recognition made possible by an identification key (Papp 2011: 49-51, 67-70).