Bracalba clavata 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 : 14-16

Bracalba clavata Burks sp. n. Figures 14-18Morphbank18

Description.

Female. Body length 3.25-3.38 mm (n=2). Color of antenna beyond radicle: mostly dark, ventral parts of pedicel apex, A4-A12 variably lighter. Radicle color: base lighter than scape. Number of claval segments with ventral gustatory sensilla: 6. Number of ventral gustatory sensilla on A6: 0.

Ocular setae: short and dense. Frontal depression: with many irregularly transverse rugae, or smooth dorsally, ventrally with oblique carinae converging on a longitudinal ruga. Smooth depression extending dorsolaterally from antennal foramen: present. Dorsal clypeal margin: forming a complete connection between antennal foramina medially. Clypeal median carina: absent. 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: deeply reticulate-rugose with some septa much stronger than others, forming distinct rows differing in height.

Dorsal pronotal area: not set off by carina ventrally. Anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area: weakly rounded anteriorly. Sculpture of posteromedian area of mesoscutum: foveolate with broad longitudinal septa. Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area: triangularly expanded or with posterior tooth, broadest posteriorly. Mesoscutellar sculpture: densely foveolate but with smooth central area. Metascutellum in dorsal view: strongly transverse, subrectangular. Dorsal surface of metascutellum: flat, or convex. Femoral depression: centrally smooth, peripherally foveolate. Leg color: coxae, femora (aside from their apices), and at least the last two tarsomeres dark, otherwise yellowish brown. Anterior corner of lateral propodeal carina: flat, without tooth. Posteromedial corner of lateral propodeal area: not protruding posteriorly.

Metasoma color: black to dark reddish brown. Median lobe of T1: with 7 or more longitudinal carinae. Metasoma at middle of T4: with very weak bend. Posterolateral margins of metasomal terga: with tooth-like protrusions. T5 median carina: absent. Longitudinal sculptural septa on T5: strong, sharply raised. Transverse sculptural septa on T5: about as strong as the longitudinal septa. T5 setae: directed posteriorly, arising from anterior edge of sculptural mesh. T6: as broad or broader than long. T6 laterotergite: overlapping S6. S4 median carina: present. Transverse sculptural septa on S5: weak or absent, much weaker than the longitudinal septa. S5 setae: directed posteriorly, arising from anterior edge of sculptural mesh. Lateral carinae of S6: absent. Apex of S6: without notch.

Male. Body length 2.75-3.25 mm (n=5). Flagellomere length: A3 over 1.5 × as long as broad, most others as long or longer than broad. T7: flat and posteriorly truncate.

Diagnosis.

Female. A6 without large ventral sensilla, separate and much smaller than A7 (therefore only 6 distinct claval segments present); 3 mandibular teeth with the middle tooth much smaller than the others; metascutellum subrectangular and very short; metasomal bend present but very weak; sculpture posterior to metasomal bend with longitudinal and transverse septa of about equal strength and hardly different from those anterior to the bend; T4-T6 without longitudinal carina; S4-S6 with longitudinal carina; T6 about as long as broad; S6 without apical notch. This species is very similar to Bracalba pinnula and to some species without a T4 bend. It differs in the unusual antenna, short metascutellum, and in its shorter wings that reach only to the middle of T4.

Etymology.

Latin adjective meaning “clavate,” named for the clavate antenna with its distinct separation between the 6-segmented club and the basal flagellomeres.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=302166

Material examined.

Holotype, female: AUSTRALIA: SA, Brookfield Conservation Park, 34°21'S, 139°29'E, 24. XI– 26.XI.1992, yellow pan trap, I. Naumann & J. C. Cardale, OSUC 384555 (deposited in ANIC). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 2 females, 6 males, OSUC 230820, 367520, 384556, 384558-384559, 384564-384566 (ANIC).