Bracalba cuneata 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 : 8-10

Bracalba cuneata Dodd Figures 3-6Morphbank15

Bracalba cuneata Dodd 1931: 80 (original description); Galloway 1976: 87 (type information); Galloway and Austin 1984: 99 (figure of antenna); Johnson 1992: 354 (catalogued).

Description.

Female. Body length 3.25-4.00 mm (n=29). Color of antenna beyond radicle: yellowish-brown. Radicle color: same as scape. Number of claval segments with ventral gustatory sensilla: 7. Number of ventral gustatory sensilla on A6: 2.

Ocular setae: short and dense. Frontal depression: smooth dorsally, ventrally with longitudinal carina and with additional carinae arising from medial margins of antennal foramina. Smooth depression extending dorsolaterally from antennal foramen: present. Dorsal clypeal margin: but without other sculpture. Clypeal median carina: absent. Ventral clypeal margin: with a small median point. Mandibular teeth: two, separated by narrow incision. Smooth area obliquely posterior to lateral ocellus: present. Genal sculpture: reticulate-rugose with strong dorsoventral carinae. 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 broad longitudinal septa. Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area: triangularly expanded or with posterior tooth, broadest posteriorly. Mesoscutellar sculpture: densely foveolate. Metascutellum in dorsal view: trapezoidal with broad 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. Leg color: yellowish-brown except for dorsal external part of coxae and sometimes tarsomeres 2-5.

Metasoma color: black to dark reddish brown. Median lobe of T1: with 7 or more longitudinal carinae, or with median smooth area interrupting carinae. Metasoma at middle of T4: without bend. T5 median carina: absent. Longitudinal sculptural septa on T5: weak, blunt and hardly raised. Transverse sculptural septa on T5: about as strong as the longitudinal septa. T5 setae: directed posteriorly, arising from anterior edge of sculptural mesh. T6: as broad or broader than long. T6 laterotergite: overlapping S6. S4 median carina: absent. Transverse sculptural septa on S5: weak or absent, much weaker than the longitudinal septa. S5 setae: directed posteriorly, arising from anterior edge of sculptural mesh. Lateral carinae of S6: absent. Apex of S6: without notch.

Male. Body length 3.12-3.80 mm (n=15). Flagellomere length: A3 over 1.5 × as long as broad, most others as long or longer than broad. T7: flat and posteriorly truncate.

Diagnosis.

Female. A6 with 2 large ventral sensilla; 2 mandibular teeth; anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area truncate anteriorly; metascutellum trapezoidal in dorsal view, with a broad apex, protruding dorsally; metasomal bend absent; T4-T6 without median carina, S4-S6 without median carina; T6 broader than long; S6 without apical notch.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=4126

Associations. Collected near flowering Scaevola spinescens R. Br.: [ Asterales : Goodeniaceae ]

Material examined.

Holotype, female: AUSTRALIA: QLD, Chinchilla, 8.II.1928, A. P. Dodd, QMBA HY4733 (deposited in QMBA). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 2 females, OSUC 238448-238449 (ANIC). Other material: AUSTRALIA: 32 females, 20 males, OSUC 238516 (BMNH); OSUC 238120, 238123-238128, 238130-238153, 238159-238166, 238171-238173, 238176, 238180-238181, 238188, 238201-238202 (CNCI); OSUC 376915 (MCZC); OSUC 238451, QM Reg. No. T35161 (QDPC); OSUC 231779 (WINC).

Comments.

Bracalba cuneata is the most commonly collected species of its genus. Our concept of this speciesincludes some slight variation in metascutellar length and pronotal sculpture. This variation included many intermediates and did not correlate with other characters or with collection locality.