Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Braconidae

Pseudofornicia van Achterberg gen. n. Figs 1, 2-10, 11, 12-20, 21, 22-30

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from “pseudos” (Greek for “fallacy”) and the generic name Fornicia Brullé, because it is similar to that genus. Gender: feminine.

Type species.

Pseudofornicia nigrisoma van Achterberg & Long, sp. n.

Diagnosis.

Height of head 0.5-0.7 × height of mesosoma in lateral view (Figs 1, 11) and width of head 0.8-0.9 × width of mesoscutum; scapus moderately oblique apically; prepectal carina absent; axilla curved up over base of hind wing; metanotum with lobe-shaped protuberance postero-dorsally; medio-longitudinal carina of propodeum absent (Fig. 13); vein r-m of fore wing absent (Figs 2, 22); vein 1-SR of fore wing 0.3-0.4 × as long as vein 1-M (Figs 2, 12); inner middle tibial spur as long as basitarsus and curved (Fig. 1); three anterior tergites of metasoma forming a flattened carapace covering most of metasoma dorsally (Figs 4, 14, 24); first tergite movably joined to second tergite (Fig. 4); dorsal carinae of first metasomal tergite united into median carina posteriorly and with a lamella separating dorsal and anterior face of tergite (Figs 13, 23), anterior face smooth and flat; second suture of metasoma sinuate, crenulate and together with lateral grooves of medial area forming a more or less X-shaped figure (Figs 3, 13, 23); third tergite 1.1-1.6 × as long as second tergite medially (Figs 2, 13, 23); fourth-sixth tergites more or less sclerotized; ovipositor short and decurved; ovipositor sheath largely glabrous, narrow and only apically with some long setae; hypopygium of female fully sclerotized and acute apically. Males unknown.

Distribution.

Indo-Australian.

Biology.

Unknown, but the species of the very similar genus Fornicia are koinobiont endoparasitoids of limacodid caterpillars (Yu et al. 2012).

Comments.

The genus will run in the key to world genera of Microgastrinae by Mason (1981) to the genus Fornicia Brullé . The new genus can be separated as follows:

Key to species of the genus Pseudofornicia