Phanerotoma witchelinaensis, Kittel & Austin, 2015

Kittel, Rebecca N. & Austin, Andrew D., 2015, New species of Australian arid zone chelonine wasps from the genera Phanerotoma and Ascogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) informed by the ‘ Bush Blitz’ surveys of national reserves, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 211-262 : 258-259

Phanerotoma witchelinaensis sp. nov.

( Figures 14a – d , 16 )

Description

Body measurements. Length of body 2.9 – 3.5 mm females, 3.0 – 3.5 mm males; ratio of length of fore wing to body 0.88; ratio of length of metasoma to mesosoma 1.2.

Head. Ratio of length of third antennomere to fourth 1.2; ratio of length of third and fourth antennomere 2.4 and 2 their width, respectively; ratio of length of eye in dorsal view to length of temple 2.2; ratio of width of face in anterior view to its height 1.7; ratio of width of clypeus to height 1.3; clypeus with two teeth, ratio of length malar space to base of mandible 0.6; face fine rugose; vertex and frons rugose; ratio posterior ocelli:LOL: POL:OOL 1.0:1:0.8:2.4

Mesosoma. Middle lobe of mesoscutum rugose; notauli present; mesoscutellum fine punctate; mesopleuron punctate; precoxal sulcus present; ratio of height of mesosoma to length 1.9; propodeal tubercles absent; blister on mid tibia present; ratio length of hind tibia to hind tarsus 1.0; ratio of length of posterior spur to length of basal tarsus 0.4; ratio hind coxa, hind femur, hind tibia and hind tarsus 1.7, 4.3, 5.7 and 20.0 times their width, respectively; fore wing: 2-R1 absent; ratio of length of 1-R1 to length of pterostigma 1.4; ratio of width of pterostigma to its length 2.6; ratio r:3-SR:SR-1:r-m 1.0:1.3:7.7:1.15; 1-SR+M emanating from parastigma; 2-SR+M postfurcal.

Metasoma. Shape of metasoma oval in dorsal view, narrows down to posterior end; ratio of width of metasoma to its length 0.5; carapace flat in lateral view; ratio of keel to length of metasoma 0.17; carapace longitudinal strigose; both sutures straight; third tergite without lobes or teeth; ratio of the three metasomal tergites 1.0:1.2:1.9.

Colour. Head orange; antenna light brown; mesosoma reddish-brown except mesoscutum and mesosternum orange; legs light brown; first and second tergites beige, gradually darker (reddish-brown) towards posterior end; wing venation dark brown.

Diagnosis

This species differs from all other species by the shape of the carapace. The last tergite of the carapace has a long triangular shape.

Specimens examined

Holotype, Australia (South Australia): 1 ♀, “ 14 October 2010, Witchelina Station 30° 05 ʹ 44 ″ S, 138°08 ʹ 09 ″ E, R. Kittel, sweeping; Bush Blitz survey RK035 on Acacia sp. ” ( SAM) . Other material, Australia (Queensland): 1 ♀, Eurimbula, Miriam Vale distr . Site 4, 27 March 1975, D.K. McAlpine , MV light ( AMS K358188 ); 1 ♀, S .E. Queensland Beerwak, 26.51°S, 152.57°E, 28 September – 29 October 86, B .K. Cantrell, M.T. (WINC); 1 ♂, Bertiehaugh Creek , 12.12°S, 142.22°E, 13 August 1993, P . Zborowski and J. Balderson, LT ( ANIC); 1 ♂, Heathlands, 11.45°S, 142.35°E, 15 – 26 January 1992, I .D. Naumann and T. Weir , LT ( ANIC) ; Western Australia: 1 ♀, Pilganoova Well, 25 May 1953, T .B. Tindale ( SAM); 1 ♀, Kanjini NP, Mt Bruce Rd, Hamersley, 22°37 ʹ 27 ″ S, 118°20 ʹ 47 ″ E, 25 April – 1 May 2003 Lambkin and Weir , MT, 755 m, dry rocky creekbed ( ANIC); 2 ♀♀, Leeuwin Naturaliste NP, Gnarabug Cave , 34°03.014'S, 115°01.501'E, 5 November 2011, Kittel and Krieger , sweep ( WAM SF008307-18 , 19 ) .

Biology

Unknown.

Etymology

Named after the type locality Witchelina Station .

Distribution

Found in South Australia ( Witchelina Station ), Queensland, and Western Australia ( Figure 16 ) .

CO1 sequence

Genbank accession number for this species is KJ438593 .

Figures

Figure 14. Phanerotoma witchelinaensis sp. nov.: (a) habitus lateral, scale line = 1 mm; (b) head dorsal, scale line = 0.5 mm; (c) head, anterior, scale line = 0.5 mm; (d) metasoma dorsal, scale line = 1 mm; all holotype.

Figure 16. Distribution map: Phanerotoma bushblitz sp. nov., black diamond; Phanerotoma lutea sp. nov., grey square; Phanerotoma witchelinaensis sp. nov., black square; Phanerotoma nigriscapulata sp. nov., grey circle; Phanerotoma bonbonensis sp. nov., black circle.