Billmasonius cienci Fernandez-Triana & Boudreault, 2018

Fernandez-Triana, Jose L & Boudreault, Caroline, 2018, Seventeen new genera of microgastrine parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from tropical areas of the world, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 64, pp. 25-140 : 47

Billmasonius cienci Fernandez-Triana & Boudreault sp. n.

Fig. 11

Holotype.

Female, Thailand, QSBG.

Holotype labels.

THAILAND, Chiang Rai,/Doi Luang Nat. Park,/Namptok Champatong, Phayao,/19.217, 99.733, 620 m/CNCH2057. Second label: CNCH2057.

Holotype locality.

THAILAND, Chiang Rai Province, Doi Luang National Park, Namptok Champatong, Phayao, 19.217, 99.733, 620 m.

Diagnosis.

This is the only known species in the genus so far, thus the generic diagnosis works as the species diagnosis as well.

Description.

Female. Head and mesosoma dark brown to black; metasoma mostly light brown (but T1 with yellow and white areas, and T2 dark brown); scape and pedicel yellow, flagellomeres brown; legs yellow (except for darker metatarsomeres); wings with veins mostly brown. Head and mesosoma mostly smooth, at most with areas with sparse and shallow punctures. Eyes, on frontal view, slightly convergent ventrally. Scutoscutellar sulcus relatively deep and with seven strong costulae. Posteromedian band of scutellum smooth. Propodeum entirely smooth but with partial median carina defined posteriorly. Fore wing with small, slit-shaped areolet. Hind wing with vannal lobe entirely setose. Unusual T1 shape (better illustrated in Figs 11D-E ), with relatively wide anterior 0.6 and strongly narrowed posterior 0.4, so that the widest part of the tergite (near its anterior margin) is around 3.0 × its narrowest width (along its posterior 0.4). Anterior 0.6 of T1 mostly desclerotized (only with lateral margins and narrow central strip sclerotized), a totally unique pattern within Microgastrinae . T2 trapezoidal (subtriangular), its median length 0.3 × its width at posterior margin. Area surrounding spiracles on laterotergite 2 partially sclerotized and same color than T2, giving the impression of T2 having "three peaks" (the largest and central one being the actual T2, the two smallest and lateral ones being the area surrounding spiracles on laterotergites (better illustrated in Figs 11E-F ). T4-7 with thin desclerotized area medially near posterior margin, giving the appearance of terga being pushed forward medially (Fig. 11E ). Hypopygium medially desclerotized, with several pleats. Ovipositor sheaths 0.7 × metatibia length. Body measurements (mm). F2 L: 0.20; F3 L: 0.18; F14 L: 0.09; F15 L: 0.08; Malar sulcus L: 0.04; Mandible W: 0.08; T1 L: 0.38; T1 W at posterior margin: 0.08; T1 maximum W: 0.21; T2 W at anterior margin: 0.05; T2 W at posterior margin: 0.34; T2 L: 0.11; Metafemur L: 0.63; Metafemur W: 0.35; Metatibia L: 0.78; Inner spur L: 0.19; Outer spur L: 0.15; First segment of Metatarsus L: 0.34; Ovipositor sheaths L: 0.58; Body L: 1.89; Fore wing L: 2.26.

Male. Unknown.

Biology.

Host unknown.

Distribution.

Thailand.

Molecular data.

The DNA barcode of the holotype specimen (BIN BOLD:AAH1264) is very unique, 10.4% different from the closest Microgastrinae sequence in BOLD.

Etymology.

Named after the Canadian National Collection of insects in Ottawa, Canada, in recognition of the outstanding and important collection of 18+ million insect specimens that institution holds, including what is probably the larg est and most complete Microgastrinae collection in the world. The acronym " CNC", which is widely used to refer to that institution, is pronounced in English as “Cee-En-Cee”, approximately the same as the pronunciation in Latin of the species name " Billmasonius cienci " would be.

Figures

Figure 11. Billmasonius cienci female holotype. A Habitus B Head frontal C Fore wing D Head, mesosoma and tergite 1, dorsal E Metasoma dorsal F Propodeum and Tergites 1 to 2.