Bracalba laminata Dodd

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 : 21-22

Bracalba laminata Dodd Figures 28-31Morphbank21

Bracalba laminata Dodd 1931: 78 (original description); Galloway 1976: 88 (type information); Johnson 1992: 354 (catalogued).

Description.

Female. Number of claval segments with ventral gustatory sensilla: 7. Number of ventral gustatory sensilla on A6: 2.

Male. Body length = 3.38 mm (n=1). Flagellomere length: A3 over 1.5 × as long as broad, most others as long or longer than broad. Ocular setae: long and dense. Frontal depression: densely foveolate. Smooth depression extending dorsolaterally from antennal foramen: present. Dorsal clypeal margin: absent between antennal foramina. Clypeal median carina: absent. Ventral clypeal margin: with a small median point. 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. Mandibular color: dark basally and at teeth, becoming lighter reddish brown between these areas.

Dorsal pronotal area: not set off by carina ventrally. Anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area: truncate anteriorly. Sculpture of posteromedian area of mesoscutum: foveolate with slightly stronger longitudinal septa. Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area: with a semicircular expansion, broadest near midlength. Mesoscutellar sculpture: densely foveolate with a longitudinal carina. Metascutellum in dorsal view: elongate-trapezoidal but with incised apex. Dorsal surface of metascutellum: apex protruding dorsally. Femoral depression: crossed by rounded carinae. Anterior corner of lateral propodeal carina: flat, without tooth. Posteromedial corner of lateral propodeal area: protruding posteriorly. T7: arched and posteriorly concave.

Diagnosis.

Males: Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area semicircularly expanded; mesosoma broadly truncate anteriorly; mesoscutellum with median carina; metascutellum elongate-trapezoidal with incised apex.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=4127

Material Examined.

Holotype, female: AUSTRALIA: QLD, Gogango, 40mi W Rockhampton, III-1928, A. P. Dodd, QMBA HY4732H (deposited in QMBA). Allotype: AUSTRALIA: 1 male, QMBA HY4732A (QMBA). Other material: AUSTRALIA: 3 males, OSUC 365210-365212 (UQIC).

Comments.

Only the antenna and a few legs of the female holotype of Bracalba laminata remain. The syntopic allotype male strongly resembles the holotype of Bracalba nigrescens , but differs in the presence of a partial median carina on the mesoscutellum, the anteriorly truncate mesosoma, and denser sculpturing on the thoracic dorsum. No other female specimens are known aside from the holotype. The allotype shares characteris tics with Bracalba hesperia , Bracalba magnirubra , and Bracalba tridentata , but differs enough that it cannot definitively be associated with any of these species.

Because the antenna and some legs of the holotype remains, they now represent the holotype. A neotype cannot be properly designated without first requesting that the existing holotype be set aside. This was considered unnecessary, as the antenna clearly belongs to Bracalba , based on the number and arrangement of ventral sensilla. Therefore, there is no doubt that the holotype agrees with our concept of Bracalba . There is also no reason to conclude that the allotype male would be from a different species than the female, based on its morphology compared with Dodd’s (1931) description of the now lost parts of the female’s body.