Bracalba magnirubra Burks

Burks, Roger A., Masner, Lubomir, Johnson, Norman F. & Austin, Andrew D., 2012, Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s. l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia, ZooKeys 236, pp. 1-53 : 22-24

Bracalba magnirubra Burks sp. n. Figures 32-35Morphbank22

Description.

Female. Body length 6.50-6.88 mm (n=3). Color of antenna beyond radicle: mostly dark, extreme base of scape becoming reddish. Radicle color: lighter than scape. Number of claval segments with ventral gustatory sensilla: 7. Number of ventral gustatory sensilla on A6: 1.

Ocular setae: long and sparse. Frontal depression: medially smooth, torular triangle sparsely foveolate. Smooth depression extending dorsolaterally from antennal foramen: present. Dorsal clypeal margin: interrupted by a median areole below interantennal process. Clypeal median carina: present. Ventral clypeal margin: with a small median point. Mandibular color: dark basally and at teeth, becoming lighter reddish brown between these areas. Mandibular teeth: three, but middle tooth tiny. Smooth area obliquely posterior to lateral ocellus: present. Genal sculpture: reticulate-rugose without any strong carinae.

Dorsal pronotal area: not set off by carina ventrally. Anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area: protruding anteriorly. Sculpture of posteromedian area of mesoscutum: densely foveolate. Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area: with a semicircular expansion, broadest near midlength. Mesoscutellar sculpture: densely foveolate. Metascutellum in dorsal view: elongate-trapezoidal but with incised apex. Dorsal surface of metascutellum: apex protruding dorsally, or convex. Femoral depression: crossed by rounded carinae. Leg color: reddish but with at least last two tarsomeres dark. Anterior corner of lateral propodeal carina: flat, without tooth. Posteromedial corner of lateral propodeal area: protruding posteriorly.

Metasoma color: reddish, with last segment variably dark. Median lobe of T1: with 7 or more longitudinal carinae. Metasoma at middle of T4: with metasomal bend and abrupt transition in sculpture. Posterolateral margins of metasomal terga: with tooth-like protrusions. T5 median carina: present. Longitudinal sculptural septa on T5: strong, sharply raised. Transverse sculptural septa on T5: weak or absent, much weaker than the longitudinal septa. T5 setae: not directed posteriorly, arising from center of sculptural mesh. T6: longer than broad. T6 laterotergite: overlapping S6. S4 median carina: present. Transverse sculptural septa on S5: weak or absent, much weaker than the longitudinal septa. S5 setae: not directed posteriorly, arising from center of sculptural mesh. Lateral carinae of S6: not meeting apically. Apex of S6: with notch.

Male. Body length 4.75-5.00 mm (n=5). Flagellomere length: A3 over 1.5 × as long as broad, most others as long or longer than broad. T7: arched and posteriorly concave.

Diagnosis.

Female. A6 with 1 large ventral sensillum; 3 mandibular teeth with middle tooth smaller than the others; metascutellum trapezoidal and relatively long, with a truncate or slightly incised apex; metasomal bend present; sculpture posterior to metasomal bend with strong longitudinal septa but without transverse septa; T4-T6 and S4-S6 with median carina; T6 longer than broad; S6 with apical notch.

Etymology.

Compound adjective using the Latin adjectives magnus and ruber.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=302156

Material examined.

Holotype, female: AUSTRALIA: SA, 32km N Renmark, Amalia Dam, xeric mallee scrub, MT 4, ROM 2000040, Bookmark Biosphere Reserve, 33°53'S, 140°43'E, 263m, 15. II– 15.IV.2000, malaise trap, D. C. Darling, OSUC 148715 (deposited in SAMA). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 4 females, 6 males, OSUC 365208, 367506-367507 (ANIC); OSUC 238112, 238117-238119, 238121-238122, 238178 (CNCI).

Comments.

This is the largest-bodied species of Bracalba known. It resembles Bracalba sculptifrons and Bracalba sparsa , but differs from both in a large number of characters.