Brachymeria lugubris (Walker, 1871)

Narendran, T. C. & van Achterberg, Cornelis, 2016, Revision of the family Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Vietnam, with the description of 13 new species, ZooKeys 576, pp. 1-202 : 41-43

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chalcididae

Brachymeria lugubris (Walker, 1871) Fig. 51

Chalcis lugubris Walker, 1871: 49 (♀, China (Hong Kong), (BMNH) (lectotype designated by Bouček 1988b).

Brachymeria lugubris ; Joseph, Narendran & Joy, 1973: 302-304.

Chalcis atrata Kirby, 1883: 76. (♀, Australia, (BMNH) (lectotype designated by Bouček 1988) synonymised with Brachymeria lugubris by Bouček 1988b).

Material.

1 ♀ (RMNH), "S. Vietnam: Dóng Nai, Cát Tiên N. P., c. 100 m., 15-20.v.2007, Mal. traps 30-35, Bird trail, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries, RMNH’07”; 1 ♀ (BPBM), "Vietnam, 28.xi.1960, C.M. Yoshimoto".

Diagnosis.

Brachymeria lugubris resembles Brachymeria fiskei (Crawford) in general black colour and in having pre- and post-orbital carinae and apex of scutellum emarginate. However, Brachymeria lugubris differs from Brachymeria fiskei in having 1) scutellum with a median ridge or carina (in Brachymeria fiskei scutellum with only a smooth longitudinal area); 2) hind tibia completely black (in Brachymeria fiskei hind tibia black with base and apex pale); 3) anterior genal angle obtuse (in Brachymeria fiskei anterior genal angle acute) and 4) T1 faintly sculptured (in Brachymeria fiskei T1 smooth and shiny).

Description.

♀, length of body 5.5-6.4 mm.

Colour. Black; tegula black with yellow margins; hind leg black with minute tan spot at apex of hind femur; inner side of fore and mid tibiae blackish brown. Pubescence dense and silvery.

Head. Head with scrobe reaching anterior ocellus; height of malar space 0.3 × height of eye in profile; AOL a little over 0.3 × POL; interocular distance at vertex about 2.8 × POL; POL a little over twice OOL; POL a little over 2.3 × diameter of posterior ocellus. Pre-orbital and post-orbital carinae present; post-orbital carina reaching geno-temporal margin; area below scrobe with a very small (smaller than diameter of anterior ocellus) median smooth portion; lateral ridges of scrobe not produced anteriorly; anterior and posterior genal angles rectangular. Antenna with scape not reaching anterior ocellus; F1 to F5 subequal in size; F6 a little shorter than F5 and a little longer than F7; clava slightly shorter than F6 plus F7 combined, 1.8-2.0 × as long as wide.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma with rounded, umbilicate and close pits; interstices narrower than half diameter of a pit and rugose on pronotum and mesoscutum; interstices on scutellum narrower than diameter of a pit and smooth; scutellum with a median longitudinal ridge or carina; scutellum with apical margin emarginated with dense pubescence.

Wings. Fore wing slightly longer than 2.8 × its width; relative length of CC = 47; SMV = 41; parastigma = 7; MV = 21; PMV = 8; STV = 4.

Legs. Hind coxa without an inner ventro-mesal tooth; hind femur 1.7-1.8 × as long as wide, without an inner basal tooth; outer ventral margin with a row of differently sized 12 teeth.

Metasoma. Length of metasoma subequal to pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum combined, a little less than 1.7 × as long as its height; T1 faintly sculptured; T2 with a few punctures at baso-dorsal part, rest of dorsal side with dense micro-sculpture, lateral part punctate and pubescent; T6 with 5 irregular cross rows of shallow pits, interstices and inside of pits rugulose. Ovipositor sheath visible from above.

Hosts.

Hyperparasitoid in Lepidoptera ( Bombyx mori Linn. ( Bombycidae ), Hyblaea puera Cramer ( Hyblaeidae ), Mahasena corbetti Tams ( Psychidae ), Antheraea proylei Jolly ( Saturniidae ), Atteva fabriciella Swederes ( Yponomeutidae ) and Artona catoxantha Hampson ( Zygaenidae )) with Diptera ( Tachinidae : Bessa remota Aldrich, Eozenillia equatorialis Townesend, Exorista bombycis (Louis), Exorista sorbilans (Wiedemann), Trycholyga bombycis Beck).

Distribution.

Vietnam (new record), Indonesia (Java), China (Hong Kong, Taiwan), Philippines (Joseph, Narendran & Joy 1973); Australia, and Malaysia. ( Noyes 2011).