Balcha reburra, Gibson, 2005

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2005, The world species of Balcha Walker (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), parasitoids of wood-boring beetles, Zootaxa 1033 (1), pp. 1-62 : 44-46

Balcha reburra n. sp.

Type material. Holotype (♀, BMNH): [ MALAYSIA, Malaya] “ PAHANG, F.M.S., Cameron Highlands, 5000–5500ft., 12.6.1935 / Holotype Balcha reburra Gibson ”; mounted on rectangular block by pin through posterior of mesoscutum anterior to scutellum, scutellum with small hole, and right antenna, left antenna beyond Fl 1, and left hind wing missing.

Etymology. Formed from the Latin word reburrus (one with bristling hair), in reference to the setation of the metanotal lateral panel, which differentiates this species from other cylindrica ­group species.

Description. FEMALE. Length, 12.2 mm. Antenna with scape yellowish­orange, pedicel, Fl 1 and undoubtedly remaining flagellum dark brown; scape widened apically but spindlelike and with outer surface uniformly setose; Fl 1 with dorsal length about as long as apical width and half as long as pedicel. Head with punctures greenish to blue in contrast to dark or coppery to reddish interstices at least on parascrobal region (cf. Fig. 2), the lower face more uniformly green under some angles of light and parascrobal region dorsally with large green spot covering most of coriaceous region; ocellar region, vertex and occiput dark or with coppery to reddish luster under some angles of light, but more distinctly green to purple along outer orbit. Face with setiferous punctures (cf. Fig. 21), the punctures on lower face closely crowded and finely coriaceous similar to interstices, but distinct even near oral margin, dorsally more widely separated by mostly flat, finely coriaceous interstices, except about dorsal third of parascrobal region quite abruptly flat, coriaceous, and uniformly setose with white setae. Scrobal depression with low, V­ shaped greenish­blue ridge separating scrobes from channel; scrobes purple, shiny and only obscurely transversely sculptured; channel with coppery to reddish luster above ridge and setose dorsally.

Pronotum dark anteriorly and green posteriorly to blue or violaceous laterally under some angles of light; finely coriaceous to coriaceous­aciculate. Tegula yellow. Mesoscutum mostly green laterally but violaceous to brown dorsolaterally anterior to axilla and with broad, dark to reddish­violaceous parapsidal and notaular bands forming distinct ­like pattern, the bands separated anteriorly by green paranotaular band, the parapsidal band angulate posteriorly so as to extend narrowly toward violaceous region anterior to axilla, and notaular band apparently extending broadly to base of scutellum. Mesoscutum alveolate laterally, the punctures dorsally somewhat smaller and shallower, particularly between notauli and near parapsidal lines; pin obliterating sculpture and setal pattern posteromedially, but probably without depression anterior to axilla and apparently with white to brownish hairlike setae, the setae slightly longer and more distinctly white laterally but not lanceolate. Scutellum reddish­violaceous to green depending on angle of light but without well defined pattern; reticulate­coriaceous, the reticulations aligned into longitudinal concentric pattern but without distinct rugae. Metanotum green; dorsellum thick, with crenulate dorsal surface and coriaceous, entirely setose posterior surface (cf. Fig. 48 ); precrenular region of panel uniformly setose. Acropleuron with obscure, minutely coriaceous subalar region separating extensively punctate­alveolate prealar region from finely coriaceous­aciculate postalar region (cf. Fig. 50 ); prealar region graduating from purple anteriorly to greenish medially and violaceous posteriorly, and subalar and postalar regions greenish­blue with violaceous luster under some angles of light (cf. Fig. 8). Lower mesepimeron punctate­reticulate. Metapleuron distinctly coriaceous except about ventral third reticulate­rugulose and with crenulate furrow along posterior margin and anterior margin ventrally. Propodeum dorsally green except for dark plical region and with paraspiracular area partly and vertical surface of callus more distinctly purple; postspiracular region bare, the setae anterior to spiracle extending mesally only to about inner margin of spiracle; callus with fine, coriaceous subsculpture between setal pores, most distinctly laterally toward metapleuron; plical region bare, with carinate margin of foramen ­like recurved to anterior margin of propodeum as median carina similar in appearance to crenulae lateral to median carina. Forewing hyaline; vannal area with subcubital setal line extending over about apical half. Legs uniformly yellowishorange beyond coxae.

Petiole composed of anterior carina and slightly granular though quite shiny lunate horizontal surface. Gaster in dorsal view dark brown, but in lateral view all terga except syntergum green dorsally to violaceous ventrally under some angles of light; about 2.5 x as long as combined length of head and mesosoma. Syntergum elongate­slender, in lateral view about 0.7 x length of remaining gaster and 10 x as long as greatest height; uniformly setose, sculptured and tapered posteriorly, with cercus at basal margin.

MALE. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Discussion. Females of B. reburra are distinguished from the other two members of the cylindrica ­group, B. cylindrica and B. indica , by their entirely setose metanotal precrenular region. Females are superficially more similar to B. indica because of similarly sculptured parascrobal regions (Fig. 21), but the syntergum of the single B. reburra female is much longer than for known B. indica females, the lower face has more distinctly delimited punctures, and although the measured difference is slight, the scutellum is distinctly longer than wide as opposed to quadrate to slightly wider than long in B. indica ( Figs. 33, 34 ). The latter two features may also assist in differentiating males of B. reburra from those of B. indica .

Figures

FIGURES 47–54. 47. Metanotum and propodeum: Balcha eximia. 48. B. indica (N. Am.): dorsellum and propodeal plical region. 49 and 50. Mesosoma, lateral: 49, B. punctiscutum; 50, B. indica (N. Am.). 51–54. Posterior half of acropleuron: 51, B. indica (holotype); 52, B. eximiassita; 53, B. anemeta; 54, B. levicollis (sar = subalar region of acropleuron).

FIGURES 31–38. Mesosoma dorsal: 31, Balcha anemeta; 32, B. punctiscutum; 33, B. indica (N. Am.); 34, B. indica (holotype); 35, B. elegans; 36, B. laciniosa (not = notaulus, pl = parapsidal line); 37, B. eximiassita; 38, B. reticulata.