Ascogaster prolixogaster, Kittel & Austin, 2015

Kittel, Rebecca N. & Austin, Andrew D., 2015, New species of Australian arid zone chelonine wasps from the genera Phanerotoma and Ascogaster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) informed by the ‘ Bush Blitz’ surveys of national reserves, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 211-262 : 227-229

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2015.1074747
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:054A948A-5B2F-4A23-BC77-A8F9239094C0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4332170
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0384A331-D520-6C71-178E-FA3FFCDDAF4F
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Ascogaster prolixogaster
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Ascogaster prolixogaster sp. nov.

( Figures 6a – d View Figure 6 , 15 View Figure 15 )

Description (female)

Body measurements. Length of body 3.65 – 5.8 mm; ratio of antenna to body 0.6 – 0.8; ratio of length of fore wing to body 0.7 – 0.8; ratio of length of metasoma to mesosoma 1.3 – 1.5.

Head. Antenna with 19 antennomeres; ratio of length of third antennomere to fourth 1.1 – 1.2; ratio of length of third, fourth, penultimate and terminal antennomere 10.0, 8.0 – 10.0, 2.0, and 2 – 2.5 times their width, respectively; ratio of length of eye in dorsal view to length of temple 2.5 – 3.2; ocelli isosceles; imaginary line between anterior margins of posterior ocelli is not touching the anterior ocellus; ratio of width of face in anterior view to its height 1.9 – 2.3; ratio of width of clypeus to its height 1.0 – 1.4; clypeus without teeth; ratio of length malar space to base of mandible 1.9 – 2.8; face punctate; frons rugose; eyes glabrous; ratio posterior ocelli:POL:LOL:OOL 1.0:2.6 – 3.6:1.3 – 2.0:2.9 – 4.4.

Metasoma. Middle lobe of mesoscutum punctate; notauli weakly present; mesoscutellum shiny, fine punctate, convex; mesopleuron shiny, punctate; precoxal sulcus present; ratio of height of mesosoma to its length 1.7 – 1.8; hind coxa shiny, fine punctate; ratio of length of hind tibia to hind tarsus 0.9; ratio hind coxa, hind femur, hind tibia and hind tarsus 2.0, 3.0 – 4.0, 4.0 – 5.0 and 14.0 – 16.0 times their width, respectively; ratio of length of posterior spur to length of basal tarsus 0.3 – 0.5; fore wing: 2-R1 absent; ratio of length of 1-R1 to length of pterostigma 0.9; ratio of width of pterostigma to its length 2.7 – 3.0; ratio r:3-SR:SR-1:r-m 1.0:0.8 – 0.9:3.8 – 4.4:0.9 – 1.1; SR-1 completely sclerotised; 1-SR+M emanating from 1+M; 2-SR+M antefurcal.

Metasoma. Shape of metasoma long oval from dorsal view; ratio of width of metasoma to its length 0.4 – 0.5; carapace broadens to posterior end in lateral view and narrows down in dorsal view, with an extended tip for the ovipositor; ratio keel to metasoma length 0.03 – 0.04; carapace rugose.

Colour. Black; femur, tegula, tibia and tarsus dark brown to brown.

Diagnosis

The shape of the carapace with its elongated tip is unique among all Australian Ascogaster . In addition, A. prolixogaster is one of only five species, along with A. ferruginegaster , A. rubriscapa and two undescribed species ( Ascogaster sp. 25 and Ascogaster sp. 28), that has a 3-bp indel in its CO1 sequence at position 271 – 273.

Specimens examined

Holotype, Australia (South Australia): 1 ♀, “ 25 – 28 October 2010; Bon Bon Station 30°'37.56'S, 135°24.18'E, S. Mantel, F. Colombo, R. Kittel & G. Taylor, MT amongst Senna artemisioides, Acacia tetragonophila , Acacia aneura & Acacia victoriae ; Bush Blitz survey 367 Malaise 9 ” ( SAM) . Paratypes, Australia (New South Wales): 1 ♀, Pigeon House Ra . via Nerriga , 25 October 1979, I .D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC); 2 ♀♀, Trangie , 21 October 1949, S .J. Paramonov ( ANIC); 2 ♀♀, 1902, W .W. Frogatt Collection ( ANIC); 3 ♀♀, Trangie , 20 October 1949, E .F. Riek ( ANIC) ; Queensland: 1 ♀, Bundaberg , 18 September 1972, H . Frauca ( ANIC) ; South Australia: 1 ♀, Brookfield Con Pk , 34.19°S, 139.30°E, 2 December 1991 – 2 January 1992, J GoogleMaps . Steiman, S. Williams ( ANIC) ; Victoria: 1 ♀, 15 km S Yarrara , 34.33°S, 141.25°E, 18 October 1983, I GoogleMaps .D. Naumann, J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; Western Australia: 1 ♀, 30°W Coolgardie , 29 October 1958, E .F. Riek ( ANIC); 1 ♀, 12°N Norseman , 25 November 1958, E .F. Riek ( ANIC), 1 ♀, 12 mi WSW of Eucla Motel, 7 October 1968, Key, Upton, Balderson ( ANIC); 1 ♀, 17.7 km S of Nerren Nerren homestead ( HS), N of Galena, North-West Coast Hwy , 27 September 1973, L .P. Kelsey ( ANIC); 1 ♀, Broomehill , 33.51°S, 117.38°E, 11 November 1978, R GoogleMaps .P. Mcmillan ( WAM); 1 ♀, Lake Cronin , 32°23'S, 119°46'E, 19 – 26 September 1978, T GoogleMaps .F. Houston et al. (WAM). Other material, Australia (New South Wales): 1 ♀, 1902, W .W. Frogatt Collection (ANIC); mounted on the same cardboard with a specimen from another braconid subfamily.