(Figs 2–12)
Type material. Holotype: female, 1♀, Russia, Primorsky kray, 10 km SE Partizansk, Novitskoye, forest, glades, 3– 4.VIII.2013, S.A. Belokobylskij (ZISP). Paratypes: 27 ♀, 2 ♂: Russia: Amur Oblast, S.A. Belokobylskij: Khingan Nature Reserve, forest, forest edges, glades, 1 ♀ (RMNH), 2 ♀, 17–20.VII.2003; env. Arkhara, oakery, meadow, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 25.VII.2003; Primorsky kray: Chernigovka District, 10 km SE Chernigovka, forest, 3 ♀ (ZISP), 20– 21.V.1979, S.A. Belokobylskij; Dalnegorsk Urban Okrug, 25 km N Rudnaya Pristan, oakery, 1 ♀ (RMNH), 2 ♀ (ZISP), 7.VIII.1979, S.A. Belokobylskij; env. Vladivostok, Okeanskaya, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 11.VIII.1963, I.M. Kerzhner; Khasan District, S.A. Belokobylskij: 10 km N Posyet, forest, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 29–30.V.1979; 10 km ENE Posyet, Gvozdevo, forest, glades, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 6, 9.VIII.2013; Golubiny Utes, forest, 1 ♂ (ZISP), 27.V.1979; 25 km SSW Slavyanka, Gorshkov Bay, oakery, forest edges, shrubs, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 16–18.VIII.2001; Lazovsky District, 18 km SE Lazo, Lazovsky Nature Reserve, cordon America, forest edges, clearings, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 24–29.VIII.2006, S.A. Belokobylskij; Nadezhdinsky District, env. Tavrichanka, shrubs, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 26.VIII.1978, S.A. Belokobylskij; Nakhodka Urban Okrug, 20 km SW Nakhodka, Dushkino, forest, glades, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 1 ♀ (ZISP), 1.VIII.2013, S.A. Belokobylskij and A.S. Lelej; Partizansk District, S.A. Belokobylskij: 15 km NW Partizansk, forest, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 13.7.1979; 10 km SE Partizansk, Novitskoye, forest, glades, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 22.7.1984; oakery, 3 ♀ (ZISP), 3 – 4.8.2013; Pogranichny District: Barabash-Levada, oakery, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 2.9.1979, S.A. Belokobylskij; Spassk District, S.A. Belokobylskij: env. Spassk-Dalny, forest, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 2.9.1979; 30 km N Spassk-Dalny, forest, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 4.9.1979; Spassk-Dalny: shrubs, forest, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 13.9.1987; forest, glades, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 1.7.2013; Ussurisky Nature Reserve, 1 ♂ (ZISP), 12.7.1973, A.S. Lelej; Ussuriysk Urban Okrug, env. Ussuriysk: Gorno-Tayozhnoye: 1 ♀ (ZISP), 1 ♀ (ZISP), 1 and 2.8.1963, I.M. Kerzhner; forest, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 31.8.1978, S.A. Belokobylskij; Sakhalin Island, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Novo-Aleksandrovsk, forest, 2 ♀ (ZISP), 26.7.1978, S.A. Belokobylskij; Kuril Islands, Kunashir Island, Sernovodsk, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 26.8.1973, D.R. Kasparyan; Japan, Hokkaido, 35–40 km S Sapporo, Shikotsu Lake, 1 ♀ (ZISP), 4.9.1999, S.A. Belokobylskij.
Etymology. The specific name is given in honor of D.R. Kasparyan, an eminent researcher of Ichneumonidae, who made a great contribution to the study and collection of the hymenopteran fauna of the Russian Far East.
Description. Female. Body length 2.3–3.3 mm; fore wing length 2.5–3.6 mm.
Head. Width of head (dorsal view) 1.75–1.95× its median length. Head rounded behind eyes (dorsal view). Transverse diameter of eye (dorsal view) 1.5–1.8× longer than temple. Eyes with sparse short setae. OOL 2.15– 2.55× Od; POL 1.30–1.65× Od; OOL 1.55–1.80× POL. Frons with moderately impressed medio-longitudinal groove. Longitudinal diameter of eye in lateral view 1.55–1.65× larger than its transverse diameter. Transverse diameter of eye (lateral view) 1.6–2.3× longer than minimum width of temple; hind margins of eye and temple weakly diverging ventrally. Face width 1.5–1.6× combined height with face and clypeus, 2.1–2.3× larger than width of hypoclypeal depression. Longitudinal diameter of eye 2.9–3.4× longer than malar space (front view); malar space 0.75–0.90× as long as base of mandible. Malar suture weakly impressed. Width of hypoclypeal depression 1.2–1.4× larger than distance from depression to eye. Clypeus flattened, with very weak ventral rim, height of clypeus 0.30–0.35× width of hypoclypeal depression.
Antenna with 24–28 antennomeres, 0.8–0.9× as long as fore wing. First flagellomere 1.5–2.0× longer than its apical width, 0.9–1.1× longer than second flagellomere. Middle flagellomeres 1.3–1.6× longer than their width. Penultimate flagellomere 1.5–1.7× longer than wide.
Mesosoma 1.4–1.5× longer than its maximum height. Transverse oblique pronotal sulcus deep and crenulate anteriorly, smoothened posteriorly. Mesoscutum 1.2–1.4× wider than its median length (dorsal view). Notauli impressed anteriorly, smoothened posteriorly, not united. Median lobe of mesoscutum glabrous. Scutellar sulcus crenulate, 0.08–0.13× as long as scutellum. Mesepimeral sulcus smooth. Middle area of metanotum (dorsal view) with incomplete longitudinal carina. Metapleural sulcus smooth. Mid-longitudinal keel on propodeum absent or very short.
Wings. Fore wing 1.05–1.20× longer than body, 2.5–2.7× longer than its maximum width. Pterostigma 2.7–3.2× longer than broad. Vein r arising from its middle. Vein 1-R1 1.3–1.5× longer than pterostigma. Marginal cell 5.1–7.7× longer than distance from its apex to apex of wing. Vein 3-SR 1.75–2.30× longer than vein r, 0.58– 0.67× as long as vein SR1, 1.2–1.4× longer than vein 2-SR. Vein 1-M 0.75–0.85× as long as vein 1-SR+M, 1.8– 2.2× longer than vein m-cu and 2.2–3.3× longer than vein cu-a. Vein 2-SR+M 0.2–0.3× as long as vein 2-SR, 0.3– 0.6× as long as vein m-cu. Vein 1-CU1 (posterior margin of discal cell) 2.5–3.5× longer than vein cu-a. Vein cu-a interstitial or weakly postfurcal. Vein 2-1A of hind wing (almost) absent; vein r-m antefurcal.
Legs. Hind femur 3.25–3.85× longer than wide. Hind tibia 1.4–1.6× longer than hind femur, its inner spur 0.37–0.47× as long as hind basitarsus. Hind tarsus 0.85–0.90× as long as hind tibia. Fifth segment (without pretarsus) of hind tarsus 0.5–0.6× as long as hind basitarsus and 0.95–1.05× as long as second segment. Basal lobes of claws large, angularly pointed.
Metasoma 1.00–1.15× as long as mesosoma. Median length of first tergite (measured from petiolar tubercle) 0.75–1.05× as large as its apical width. Median area of first tergite separated by deep crenulate furrow and lacks dorsolateral arcuate carinae, 0.60–0.75× as wide as apical width of tergite. Second tergite without distinct mediobasal area and sublateral impressions, medially 0.8–1.0× as long as third tergite and 0.8–0.9× (sometimes 0.6–0.7 times) as large as apical width of first tergite. Basal width of second tergite 2.0–2.6× median length. Suture between second and third tergites deep, sinuate and smooth. Apical margins of third to sixth tergites thick, without transverse subapical grooves. Ovipositor sheath 0.18–0.20× as long as fore wing. Apex of ovipositor with dorsal nodus and ventral serration.
Sculpture. Body mainly smooth. Frons and face weakly granulate. First tergite antero-laterally weakly rugulose or smooth.
Colour. Body mainly black. Head with sharp reddish-yellow spots along eye margins. Apical parts of femora and basal parts of tibiae rusty brown (hind legs lighter-coloured; hind tibia basally yellowish). Tegulae dark-brown to black. Wing membrane brownish darkened, pterostigma and veins yellowish-brown. Lateral margins of second to fifth metasomal tergites and ventral side of metasoma reddish-yellow.
Male. Body length 2.2–3.2 mm; fore wing length 2.4–2.9 mm. Width of head (dorsal view) 1.9–2.0× its median length. Longitudinal diameter of eye 3.3–3.8× longer than malar space (front view). Width of hypoclypeal depression 1.1–1.3× larger than distance from depression to eye. Penultimate flagellomere 1.9× longer than wide. Median length of first tergite (measured from petiolar tubercle) 1.15–1.25× as large as its apical width. Second tergite medially 1.1× longer than third tergite and 0.95–1.10× as large as apical width of first tergite. Hind tibia rusty brown with brown apex. Otherwise similar to female.
Distribution. Russia: Amur Oblast, Primorsky kray, Sakhalin and Kuril Islands; Japan, Hokkaido Island.
Comparative diagnosis. Bracon kasparyani is related to three species attributed to the subgenus Foveobracon Tobias (Papp 1998). These closely related species, B. belokobylskiji Papp, B. pinguis Papp and B. plugarui Tobias, are considered here together as an aggregate of species, because their taxonomic status cannot be resolved on the basis of currently available material and require a special revision. Because it has the malar suture impressed, B. kasparyani sp. nov. should be compared also with B. gilvus Papp and B. trilateris Papp. The differences between these species are listed in the key below.
1 Vein 3-SR 0.4–0.5× as long as vein SR1 (Fig. 13). First flagellomere 2.7–3.6× longer than its apical width (Fig. 15).—Malar suture more or less distinct.............................................................................. 2
- Vein 3-SR 0.6–0.7× as long as vein SR1 (Figs 2, 14). First flagellomere 1.5–2.0× longer than its apical width (Figs 2, 19)... 3
2 Metasoma completely sculptured, first to third metasomal tergites striate-rugulose, third to sixth tergites fingerprint-like punctuate. Transverse diameter of eye (lateral view; Fig. 15) 2.6× longer than temple. Mesosoma 1.2× longer than its maximum height. Propodeum with complete high mid-longitudinal keel. Vein 3-SR 2.2× longer than vein r. Length of first tergite measured from spiracles 0.6× as large as its apical width (Fig. 15). Basal width of second tergite 2.5× its median length. Ovipositor sheath 0.33× as long as fore wing, 1.3× as long as hind tibia. Body length 2.1 mm................... Bracon gilvus Papp
- Metasomal sculpture smoothened (Fig. 52 in Papp 1998), second metasomal tergite weakly rugulose, third and fourth tergites with very weak fingerprint-like sculpture. Transverse diameter of eye (lateral view) 1.4–1.7× longer than temple. Mesosoma 1.6–1.7× longer than its maximum height. Propodeum with short mid-longitudinal keel posteriorly. Vein 3-SR 1.6–1.7× longer than vein r. Length of first tergite measured from spiracles 0.75–0.85× as large as its apical width (as on Fig. 17). Basal width of second tergite 1.6–1.8× its median length. Ovipositor sheath 0.24× as long as fore wing, 0.8× as long as hind tibia. Body length 1.6–2.2 mm.................................................................... Bracon trilateris Papp
3 Malar suture distinct (Fig. 3). Second metasomal tergite and second metasomal suture smooth (Fig. 12). Middle flagellomeres 1.30–1.60× longer than their width (Fig. 2). Ovipositor sheath 0.18–0.20× as long as fore wing, 0.62–0.72× as long as hind tibia.—Third to fifth tergites always without transverse subapical furrows. Body length 2.3–3.3 mm.................................................................................................... Bracon kasparyani sp. nov.
- Malar suture absent. Second metasomal tergite at least medially sculptured; second metasomal suture crenulate (Fig. 18). Middle flagellomeres 1.75–1.90× longer than their width (Fig. 19). Ovipositor sheath 0.22–0.24× as long as fore wing, 0.75–0.90× as long as hind tibia. Body length 2.3–3.0 mm....................................... Bracon (superspecies plugarui)