Bracalba nigrescens (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 : 24-25

Bracalba nigrescens (Dodd) Figures 36-39Morphbank 23

Chromoteleia nigrescens Dodd 1920: 329 (original description); Masner 1965: 71 (type information).

Bracalba nigrescens (Dodd): Dodd 1931: 80 (generic transfer); Galloway 1976: 88 (type information); Johnson 1992: 354 (catalogued).

Description.

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: with many irregularly transverse rugae. 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: mostly reddish brown, dark at teeth.

Dorsal pronotal area: not set off by carina ventrally. Anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area: weakly rounded anteriorly. Sculpture of posteromedian area of mesoscutum: sparsely foveolate, with large smooth interspaces. Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area: with a semicircular expansion, broadest near midlength. Mesoscutellar sculpture: sparsely foveolate, with large smooth interspaces. 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. Leg color: coxae and at least the last three tarsomeres dark, otherwise yellowish. T7: arched and posteriorly concave.

Diagnosis.

Males: Lateral margin of dorsal axillar area semicircularly expanded; mesosoma weakly rounded anteriorly; mesoscutellum without median carina; metascutellum elongate-trapezoidal with incised apex.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=4128

Material examined.

Holotype, male, Chromoteleia nigrescens : AUSTRALIA: WA, Yallingup, 1.XII-12.XII.1913, R. E. Turner, B.M. TYPE HYM. 9.499 (deposited in BMNH).

Comments.

The male holotype of Bracalba nigrescens cannot be associated with any known female Bracalba . It is very similar to Bracalba laminata even though the two species occur on opposite sides of the Australian continent. These species may be closely related to Bracalba hesperia and Bracalba tridentata .