Bracalba propodealis Burks

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 : 30-32

Bracalba propodealis Burks sp. n. Figures 47-50Morphbank26

Description.

Female. Body length 3.62-3.88 mm (n=3). Color of antenna beyond radicle: entirely dark. Radicle color: base lighter than scape. Number of claval segments with ventral gustatory sensilla: 7. Number of ventral gustatory sensilla on A6: 1.

Ocular setae: short and dense. Frontal depression: present as a vague smooth triangle. 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 color: dark basally and at teeth, becoming lighter reddish brown between these areas. 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.

Dorsal pronotal area: not set off by carina ventrally. Anterolateral corner of dorsal pronotal area: weakly rounded anteriorly. Sculpture of posteromedian area of mesoscutum: foveolate with broad longitudinal septa. 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: very short, subrectangular. Dorsal surface of metascutellum: convex. Femoral depression: irregularly foveolate but not crossed by carinae. Leg color: coxae, femora (aside from their apices), and at least the last two tarsomeres dark, otherwise yellowish brown. Anterior corner of lateral propodeal carina: with longitudinal tooth-like crest extending dorsally above level of metascutellum. Posteromedial corner of lateral propodeal area: protruding posteriorly.

Metasoma color: black to dark reddish brown. Median lobe of T1: with 7 or more longitudinal carinae. Metasoma at middle of T4: with metasomal bend and abrupt transition in sculpture. Posterolateral margins of metasomal terga: without protrusions. 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: longer than broad. T6 laterotergite: overlapping S6. S4 median carina: present. Transverse sculptural septa on S5: about as strong as the longitudinal septa. S5 setae: not directed posteriorly, arising from center of sculptural mesh. Lateral carinae of S6: absent. Apex of S6: without notch.

Male. unknown.

Diagnosis.

Female. A6 with 1 large ventral sensillum; 3 mandibular teeth with the middle tooth much smaller than the others; metascutellum subrectangular, very short and broad; anteromedial margins of lateral propodeal area extending dorsally above the metascutellar surface as distinct protrusions; metasomal bend extremely weak; sculpture posterior to metasomal bend with longitudinal septa stronger than those anterior to the bend, transverse septa as strong or slightly weaker than longitudinal septa; T4-T6 and S6 without median carina, S4-S5 with median carina; S6 without apical notch.

Etymology.

An adjective, combining the anatomical term propodeum with the Latin adjectival suffix -alis, referring to its unique propodeum.

Link to distribution map.

http://hol.osu.edu/map-full.html?id=302160

Material examined.

Holotype, female: AUSTRALIA: WA, Mount Cooke, 28.I-17.II.1991, malaise trap, M. S. Harvey & J. M. Waldock, OSUC 227590 (deposited in WAMP). Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 2 females, OSUC 238190 (CNCI); OSUC 227591 (WINC).

Comments.

The propodeum in this species is unique among the specimens studied. It is very difficult to determine in all examined specimens if the metasomal bend is present or not.