Teresirogas billbrysoni Quicke

Quicke, Donald L. J., Shaw, Mark R., Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Bland, Keith P., Butcher, Buntika A., Lyszkowski, Richard & Zhang, Y. Miles, 2014, A new Australian genus and five new species of Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), one reared as a gregarious endoparasitoid of an unidentified limacodid (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 3881 (3), pp. 237-257 : 245

Teresirogas billbrysoni Quicke & van Achterberg sp. nov.

( Figs 5–6 )

Holotype ♀, Australia, “Canberra, ACT, 7 Mar. 1988, L. Barton-Browne, ex Doratifera pupa” ( ANIC).

Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: 3♀, 4♂, with same label data as holotype (2♀, 3♂, ANIC; 1♀, 1♂ RMNH); 22 ♀, 6 ♂, “Ludlow, WA, 6 Jan. 1987, G. Tribe, ex cocoon under bark of E [ucalyptus]. rudis ” (16♀, 4♂, ANIC; 6♀, 2♂, RMNH); 1♀, “NE section of Yarratt State Forest, NE. [of] Wingham, 23 Feb. 1982, G. & T. Williams, at U/V light”, “in dry sclerophyll forest” (AMS); 1♀, CSIRO Exp. Fm, Witton, NSW, 4:1:1969, V.J. Robinson” (AMS); 11♀, 3♂, “Canberra, ACT, 16 Feb. 1960, E.F. Riek” (8♀, 2♂, ANIC; 3♀, 1♂, RMNH); 1♀, Como West, NSW, near Sydney, 21 Feb. 1972, L.S. Willan, MV light” ( ANIC).

Female. Body length 6.9 mm, fore wing length 6.6 mm.

Antennae with 46–57 flagellomeres (even among females from the same series as the holotype, flagellar segment numbers were broadly spread across this range). Palpi of male vesiculate, of female somewhat widened. Median carina of propodeum distinct. Fore wing vein 1cu-a postfurcal, vein 2-CU1 less curved than in T. prestonae . Tarsal claws with large, pointed, black basal lobes.

Etymology. Named after the William Bryson, author of “Down Under” about a trip through Australia as well as many other entertaining works.

Biology. The two series of reared specimens and their data would seem to suggest that they are gregarious parasitoids, though there were no associated host remains with them.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Teresirogas billbrysoni gen. et. sp. nov. A, habitus; B, head (female), front view; C, head (male), front view; D, head (female), dorsal view.

FIGURE 6. Teresirogas billbrysoni gen. et. sp. nov. A, fore wing; B, head and anterior of mesosoma, lateral view; C, propodeum, metasoma, mid- and hind legs, lateral view; D, propodeum and metasomal tergites 1 and 2, dorsal view.