Stantonia gulliveri, Braet & Quicke, 2004

Braet, Yves & Quicke, Donald, 2004, A phylogenetic analysis of the Mimagathidini with revisionary notes on the genus Stantonia Ashmead, 1904 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Orgilinae), Journal of Natural History 38 (12), pp. 1489-1589 : 1550-1551

Stantonia gulliveri sp. n.

Etymology. From the name of Jonathan Swift’s character ‘Gulliver’ because it is the largest species known of the genus.

Type material. HOLOTYPE, ” ( AEI), Brazil: Mato Grosso, Sinop , 12 ‡ 31’S, 55 ‡ 37’W, October 1976, M. Alvarenga . PARATYPES: Brazil ( AEI): „, topotypic, but February 1976. Costa Rica ( UWIM): ”, Puntarenas, Peninsula Osa, Puerto Jimenez , October–November 1991 (Malaise trap, 10 m, grassy disturbed site, P. Hanson) and with a second label ‘ Stantonia sp. det. S. R. Shaw, 1997’. Ecuador ( TAMU): ”, Sucumbios, Rio Napo, Sacha Lodge, 26 March 1994 (0 ‡ 30’S, 76 ‡ 30’W, 220–230 m, P. Hibbs, Malaise trap). French Guiana (FUSAGx): ”, Roura, Montagne de Kaw, Relais Patawa , July 1999 (Malaise trap; AEI guyane, J. Cerda); ” and „, idem but: ‘ August 1999 ’; ”, idem but: ‘ September 1999 ’; „, idem but: ‘ October 1999 ’. Surinam ( ZMA): „, Kabelstation, 6 January 1951 (Stat. No. 33; D. Piet) .

Holotype, ”, length of body 15.0 mm, of fore wing 14.8 mm.

Head. Antenna with 62 segments, length of third segment 1.5 times fourth, length of third, fourth and penultimate segments 3.75, 2.5 and 2 times their maximum widths, respectively, apical segment three times its maximal width; maxillary palp equal to height of head; eyes glabrous; length of eye in dorsal view 2.8 times temple; temple directly narrowed posteriorly, smooth and shiny, only weakly coriaceous ventrally; OOL: diameter of ocellus: POL~3.0:3.0:4.0; frons smooth medially; vertex convex; face weakly convex in lateral view, punctate, smooth between punctures with long setae; clypeus convex in lateral view; length of malar space equal to basal width of mandible; malar suture present; occipital flange medium sized, rounded posteriorly.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.3 times its maximum height; side of pronotum crenulate medially and anteriorly, remainder smooth; pronope present but small; surface of mesopleuron, mesosternum, metapleuron, mesoscutum, scutellum smooth and shiny with sparse punctuation; precoxal sulcus complete and crenulate; notauli crenulate; scutellar sulcus with a median longitudinal carina and fine crenulae posteriorly; propodeum medially flat in lateral view, smooth and shiny with sparse long setae; mid-longitudinal carina of propodeum present anteriorly; transverse irregular carina of propodeum present; metapleural flange present and acute.

Wings. Fore wing: r: SR1z3-SR~13:56; 2-SR: r-m~3.0:2.0; second submarginal cell petiolate; subbasal cell glabrous anteriorly; 3-CU1 twice than vein CU1b. Hind wing: 2-M pigmented, membrane largely glabrous basally and subbasal cell with few setae.

Legs. Hind coxa smooth and shiny, with coarse parallel rugae dorsotransversely; length of hind femur, tibia and basitarsus 4.5, 5.9 and 12.5 times their maximal widths, respectively; tibial spurs 0.5 and 0.4 times basitarsus; hind tibia with four apical teeth and several bristles between setae.

Metasoma. First tergite 3.2 times its maximal width, smooth and shiny, strongly convex basally and rather flattened in lateral view; spiracles protruding, presence of a rounded angle before spiracles; apex of first tergite, second tergite laterally and apically and dorsal surface of third to seventh tergites with numerous setae; second tergite smooth with a clear medio-basal convexity in lateral view; length of second tergite 1.3 times length of third tergite; second suture straight; ovipositor sheath 0.15 times fore wing length.

Colour. Brownish yellow; stemmaticum, nearly all sutures and carinae of mesosoma blackish; outer stripe of scapus, maxillary palp, lateral lobes of mesonotum (except laterally), middle lobe of mesoscutum (except laterally and a fine median stripe) dark brownish; humeral plate, metanotum medially, first tergite apically, second tergite laterally and apically, third to seventh tergites and their respective epipleura, patch on first and second tergites brownish; inner side of hind femur and hind tibia orange.

Male. Similar of female.

Remarks. This species is easily to separate from all other Stantonia species, because of its size and by blackish margins of nearly all carinae and sutures of mesosoma. One specimen has vein r-m of fore wing with a short stub of a vein medially.