Notogaster sucklingi Fernandez-Triana & Ward, 2020

Fernández-Triana, Jose L. & Ward, Darren F., 2020, Notogaster, a new genus of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 4801 (2), pp. 251-279 : 268-271

Notogaster sucklingi Fernandez-Triana & Ward , sp. nov.

( Figs 17 A–G)

Holotype. Female ( NZAC), NEW ZEALAND, CO, Watts Rock, -45.1627 169.0714, sweeping in tussock and grasses, 22/1/1981, JS Noyes & EW Valentine. Voucher code: NZAC04045208 .

Paratypes. 31 Females, 2 Males ( CNC, LUNZ, NHM, NZAC) . 15 Females, BR , St Arnaud , 650m, 12/12/1980, JS Noyes, EW Valentine, AK Walker, NHM ; 1 Female, BR , St Arnaud , 650m, 12/12/1980, JS Noyes, EW Valentine, AK Walker, NZAC04049874 ; 5 Females, BR , St Arnaud , 650m, 12/12/1980, JS Noyes, EW Valentine , AK Walker , CNC841339 , CNC1180113 , CNC1180121 , CNC1180103 , CNC1180111 ; 1 Female , CO, Rock & Pillar Range, McPhees Rock , 1280m, 12/2/1986, JW Early, RM Emberson , subalpine tussock litter, LCNZ 86 / 2, LUNZ; 1 Female , CO, Old Man Range , 1340, 31/1/1996, BIP Barratt, Malaise trap, NZAC04049465 ; 1 Female , CO, Rock & Pillar Range, 1030m, 29/2/1996, BIP Barratt, Malaise trap, NZAC04049116 ; 1 Female , CO, Old Man Range , 1340m, 9/1/1996, BIP Barratt, Malaise trap, NZAC04049661 ; 1 Female, FD , Fiordland National Park , Murchison Mts, E. McKenzie Burn, 1110m, 4/12/1983, CA Muir , fern and litter under Hebe scrub, LCNZ 83 / 10, LUNZ; 1 Female, MC , Arthur’s Pass , 900m, 31/12/1983, L Masner, Sweeping, GOU 0477 ; 2 Females , OL, Coronet Peak , 1450m, 27/1/1996, BIP Barratt, Malaise trap, NZAC04198786 , NZAC04045128 ; 2 Females , OL, Glenorchy State Forest , Dart River, 21/1/1981, JS Noyes & EW Valentine, Sweeping, NZAC04044096 , NZAC04198784 ; 1 Male , OL, Summit Coronet Peak , 1645m, 14/2/1976, G Ramsay, Sweeping, Tussock, NZAC04045038 ; 1 Male , OL, Coronet Peak , 1450m, 27/1/1996, BIP Barratt, Malaise trap, NZAC04048780 .

Diagnostic description. Mesosoma entirely to mostly dark (dark brown or black), lighter areas very small and localized; metasoma dorsally entirely dark (brown or black); gena with relatively large and clear pale spot; tegula dark (one specimen with pale tegula); first two pairs of legs mostly dark (brown to black), very rarely lighter coloured; metacoxa dark (rarely partially pale); metafemur varying from mostly dark (brown or black) in some specimens to mostly pale (yellow, orange or light yellow-brown) in other specimens; metatibia mostly mostly yellow (very rarely mostly dark brown); T 2 usually mostly sculptured. See Table 1 for additional morphological measurements. N. suckling is morphologically similar to N. avilai , as both species are mostly dark in coloration (including most of mesosoma and metasoma, as well as most of the first two pairs of legs). However, suckling specimens have the gena with pale spot clearly distinguishable, T 2 tends to be mostly sculptured, and the metafemur and metatibia usually are completely or partially yellow, clearly lighter in color than metacoxa (in N. avilai the gena lacks a pale spot, T 2 is smooth at least on posterior 0.5, and the metafemur and metatibia are usually mostly brown and similar in colour to metacoxa).

Molecular data. There are no DNA barcode sequences in BOLD for this species.

Distribution. BR, CO, FD, MC, OL ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. Named after Max Suckling for his contribution to entomology in New Zealand.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Notogaster sucklingi sp. nov., paratype, female: A—habitus, lateral; B—head, frontal; C—fore wing; D—head and mesosoma, dorsal; E—propodeum and metasoma, dorsal; F—metasoma and ovipositor, lateral; G—mesosoma, dorsal.

FIGURES 1−9. Distribution maps of Notogaster spp.: 1—N. avilai sp. nov.; 2—N. charlesi sp. nov.; 3—N. macdonaldae sp. nov.; 4—N. martini sp. nov.; 5—N. poultonae sp. nov.; 6—N. sucklingi sp. nov.; 7—N. toddae sp. nov.; 8—N. walkeri sp. nov.; 9—N. withersae sp. nov. (star), N. wornerae sp. nov. (circle).