Baeus iqbali, Stevens

Stevens, Nicholas B. & Austin, Andrew D., 2007, Systematics, distribution and biology of the Australian ' micro-flea' wasps, Baeus spp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae): parasitoids of spider eggs, Zootaxa 1499, pp. 1-45 : 20-22

5. Baeus iqbali, Stevens , sp. nov.

( Figs 7 C, 9A & B, 15B)

Holotype: Ψ, Queensland, ' 17.27S 145.29E, 1150 m, GS3 Hugh Nelson Rd, QLD, 4. Feb–6. Mar. 1995, P. Zborowski, F. I. trap JCU (East)' (ANIC).

Paratypes: Queensland: 2 Ψ, same data as holotype (WINC); 2 Ψ, Windsor Tableland via Mt Carbine, 26.xii.1983 – 24.i.1984, Storey & Halfpapp (QDPC); 1 Ψ, Julatten, 10.vii–10.ix.1987, A. Walford-Huggins (ANIC); 1 Ψ, 17.37S 145.39E, 1000 m, Lake Eacham, 15.ii–2.iii.1988, P. Zborowski (ANIC); New South Wales: 1 Ψ, Lansdowne/Taree, 3 km N, 7.ix.–25.x.1987, G. Williams (ANIC); Australian Capital Territory: 1 Ψ, 35.19S 148.51E, Wombat Ck, 6 km NE of Piccadilly Circus, 750 m, ii.1984, Weir, Lawrence & Johnson (ANIC); 1 Ψ, 35.22S 148.50E, Blundells Ck, ii.1987, D. H. Colless (ANIC)

Description. Female. Mean length 0.68 mm (0.67–0.71; n = 5); body and vertex dark brown, almost black, frons and gena slightly lighter, legs and antennae generally light brown with darker markings on dorsal surfaces of large segments, femur, tibia, scape, pedicel and clava.

Head. 2.0 x as wide as inter-ocular distance, and 2.05 (1.95–2.13) x as wide as long; medial ocellus 10 μm in diameter, 70 μm from posterior head margin; lateral ocelli touching eye margin, 20 μm from posterior head margin; posterior ocellar line equal to inter-ocular distance; vertex coriarious, pilosity generally of moderate density, but can be dense in patches towards posterior margin, is of medium length overall; eyes large and ovoid, eye height 0.6 x head height, eye width 0.56 (0.53–0.59) x eye length, pilosity of medium length; frontal carina prominent, reaching 0.58 (0.53–0.61) distance to medial ocellus; cristulations of malar region are faint laterally, extending to within 10 μm of eye margin; in postero-lateral view, anterior and posterior genal margins diverge medially; anterior genal margin in contact with 0.74 (0.70–0.80) of ventral eye margin length; posterior eye margin touching hyperoccipital carina.

Mesosoma. Length 0.61 (0.58–0.67) x width; both mesoscutum and mesoscutellum coriarious, pilosity mostly of moderate density, but can be dense in anterior parts of the mesoscutum, of medium length for both sclerites; medio-dorsally, propodeum glabrous, however, may have a few small carinae present in region posterior to latero-posterior mesoscutellum; mesoscutum length 0.49 (0.45–0.55) x width, 0.68 (0.67–0.69) x mesosoma length and 3.47 (3.33–3.67) x mesoscutellum length; mesoscutellum length 1.50 x propodeum length; sculpturing of dorsal mesopleuron scrobiculate; sculpturing of propodeum directly anterior to spiracle confused, region posterior to spiracle generally smooth, but may have two carinae emanating from dorsal and ventral margins of propodeal spiracle; propodeal spiracle small and ovoid; dorso-lateral propodeum bearing two ridges running from posterior margin of mesopleuron, between spiracle and dorsal extremity of metapleuron, towards posterior margin of propodeum, ventral ridge reaching posterior margin, delineating dorsal propodeum from lateral propodeum, making posterior dorso-lateral propodeal margin pointed, dorsal ridge may, or may not extend to posterior margin; posterior suture of metapleuron curving slightly medially, extending dorsally above level of antero-lateral margin of T2, metapleuron surface having consistent shallow furrows, except for ventral region, posterior margin elevated from anterior region of lateral propodeum; ventral area of mesopleuron bearing similar sculpturing to metapleuron; hind femoral spine absent.

Metasoma. T2 length 0.80 (0.75–0.83) x width, faintly coriarious, pilosity in medial anterior region generally mixture of dense to moderately dense, remainder of T2, setae sparsely scattered, length medium overall; T3 smooth, bearing one row of setae; T4 glabrous.

Comments. Baeus iqbali is found in north Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (Taree) ( Fig. 15 B). This species is named after Mohammed Iqbal.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Female Baeus spp.: lateral mesosoma. A, B. arthuri; B, B. hallarakeri; C, B. iqbali; D, B. leai, cresent shaped carina arrowed; E, B. scrobiculus, pronotal protuberance arrowed; F, B. tropaeumusdensus. Scale lines, A, C – F = 100 μm; B = 50 μm.

FIGURE 15. Distribution maps: A B. arthuri, B. jenningsi, B. dux, B. glenysae; B B. hallarakeri, B. iqbali; C B. leai; D B. maryae.