Bacuma kayserae, Quicke, Donald L. J., Guy, Travis J., Noort, Simon Van, Broad, Gavin R. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2017

Quicke, Donald L. J., Guy, Travis J., Noort, Simon Van, Broad, Gavin R. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2017, New species of Bacuma Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) from Kenya and West Darfur with a key to species, Zootaxa 4263 (1), pp. 43-71 : 51-55

Bacuma kayserae sp. nov. Quicke & Butcher

( Figs 2 , 3 )

Material examined. HOLOTYPE female, KENYA, Laikipia Maple Research Centre, 05.iv.2015, Coll. T. Guy ( NMK)

PARATYPES. One male same data and depository as holotype

Additional material. The first author collected two specimens of this species in Tsavo National Park (East) in July-August 1977. One of these was used to make a male genitalia preparation ( Quicke 1988).

Description (female). Length of body 12.0 mm, of antenna 8.0 mm, of fore wing 8.5 mm, and of ovipositor (exserted part) 30 mm.

Antenna with 50 flagellomeres. First flagellomere 1.3 × longer than both 2nd and 3rd flagellomeres separately, the latter as long as wide. Width of head: width of face: height of eye = 1.9: 1.0: 1.1. Inter-tentorial distance: tentorio-ocular distance = 1.2: 1.0. Frons deeply impressed postero-medial to antennal sockets, depression bordered antero-laterally by distinct carina running posteriorly from antennal socket. Shortest distance between posterior ocelli: transverse diameter of posterior ocellus: shortest distance between posterior ocellus and eye 1.3: 1.0: 1.9. Length of eye in dorsal view 1.7 x length of head behind eye.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.65 x longer than high. Scutellar sulcus narrow and punctate. Propodeum largely smooth, weakly areolate-rugose near posterior border with metapleuron; lunule smooth.

Wings. Fore wing. Lengths of veins r-rs: 3 RSa: 3RSb = 5.8: 3.6: 1.0. Lengths of veins 2RS: 3 RSa: rs-m = 1.5: 2.7: 1.0. Vein (RS+M)a nearly straight, arising very close to parastigma. Vein 2CUa weakly curved posteriorly, not thickened. Base of hind wing with large glabrous area distal to vein cu-a.

Legs. Lengths of fore femur: fore tibia: fore tarsus = 1.0: 1.0: 1.4. Lengths of hind femur: hind tibia: hind tarsus = 1.0: 1.4: 1.3.

Metasoma. Second metasomal tergite with smooth mid-basal triangular area 2.0 x wider basally than medially long; without mid-longitudinal carina; 1.18 x longer than maximally wide. Median length of 3rd tergite 0.8 x 2nd tergite. Tergites 3 and 4 with smooth, narrow mid-longitudinal line.

Colour. Head yellow, cream lateral to depressed part of frons, paler yellow below eye. Mesosoma largely ochreous yellow, with anterior of middle lobe, and all of lateral lobes of mesoscutum, posterior parts of mesopleuron and mesosternum black; pronotum laterally (except longitudinal groove), lateral parts of scutellum, anterodorsal part of mesopleuron (except mesepisternal groove), posterolateral part of propodeum and posterior part of metapleuron, cream-coloured. Legs largely ochreous yellow, but hind trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus largely black. Metasomal tergites ochreous yellow, the posteriorly converging sublateral grooves of 2nd tergite, and narrow midline of tergites 3 and 4, black. Mestasomal sternites and hypopygium black. Fore wing hyaline with dark brown transverse band basal to pterostigma and a 2nd dark brown band level with apex of pterostigma, distally smokey grey. Pterostigma largely yellow with apical 0.3 black.

Males very similar to female but smaller and with relatively far larger eyes with height of eye>2.0 × width of face and malar region very short. This is the only species known to the authors for which males are known.

Etymology. Named after Elisha Kayser, fiancé of the second author and in recognition of her help with fieldwork in Kenya.

Biological observations on B. kayserae sp. nov. Flower visiting. During a project investigating pollination network structure at Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia, 16 ichneumonoid wasps were collected (out of 2,510 total insects). The ichneumonoid species collected were Bacuma kayserae sp. nov. (2 specimens, visiting Cissus rotundifolia ), Zaglyptogastra seminiger (3 specimens, visiting Euphorbia gossypina ), Serraulax spp. (7 specimens, visiting Cissus rotundifolia ), Glyptomorpha spp. (1 specimen, visiting Helichrysum glumaceum ), and three braconid specimens of unknown genus representing two different morphospecies (2 specimens of one morphospecies visiting Balanites glabra and Cissus rotundifolia and the other morphospecies visiting Balanites glabra ).

Habitat. The Mpala Research Centre collection site of B. kayserae sp. nov. is located in a semi-arid (439 mm rainfall/year) bushland community at c. 1600m. The overstory is dominated by three species of Acacia ( A. mellifera , A. brevispica , and A. ethbaica ) while the understory is discontinuous and consists of grasses and forbs. The soil at the collection site is a red sandy loam. The site in Tsavo N. P. was also on red sandy loam, with scattered bushes of Thylachium thomasii , Maerua sp., Acacia spp., and Boscia .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bacuma kayserae Quicke & Butcher sp. nov., holotype female. A, habitus lateral view; B, head, front view; C, head and mesosoma, lateral view; D, head and mesosoma, dorsal view; E, head, dorsal view.

FIGURE 3. Bacuma kayserae Quicke & Butcher sp. nov., holotype female. A, wings; B, fore leg, anterior view; C, 1 st metasomal segment, lateral view; D, apex of metasoma and hypopygium, lateral view; E, metasoma, dorsal view.