Bracon phytophagus, Quicke, 2005

Rodríguez-Sánchez, Edna, Giraldo-Kalil, Laura J., Quicke, Donald L. J. & Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro, 2022, Two new species of the braconid wasp genus Bracon (Braconinae) from Los Tuxtlas region in Veracruz, Mexico, reared from fruits of three species of Lauraceae, Zootaxa 5162 (1), pp. 67-77 : 74

Phytophagus species-group of Bracon

Our two described species are morphologically similar to the two described Neotropical species of Bracon that are known to be phytophagous, B. phytophagus and B. zuleideae . We therefore propose a new species-group for these four species, the B. phytophagus species-group. Members of this group can be morphologically distinguished from other species of Bracon by having the following combination of external morphological features: 1) second metasomal tergite having an elongate raised median area extending to near the posterior tergal margin, 2) second metasomal terga with a pair of dorsolateral longitudinal grooves, 3) third tergum with weak but distinct anterolateral triangular areas, and 4) exceptionally narrow ovipositor relative to body size with a darkened tip.

Bracon laurae sp. nov. and B. rosamondae sp. nov. share some external morphological features with other species of Bracon described from Mexico and Central America. However, their body colour varies considerably from yellow to dark brown and black, whereas in the remaining described species from the region it is reddish, rufo-testaceous or orange. The two new species are morphologically similar to B. erythrostoma Cameron, 1886 and B. apicipennis Cameron, 1886 , both occurring in Central America, but they differ from them by their smooth or slightly coriaceous face with a median carina, respectively ( Figures 2B , 3B ; coarsely and rugosely reticulated with three median carinae in B. erythrostoma , and rugosely punctured with two carinae in B. apicipennis ). The new species can also be easily distinguished from other species of its genus by their second tergite with an almost quadrangular or drop-shaped area followed by two wide and almost joint carinae ( Figures 2C , 3C ). Some species have similar features; for instance, B. bugabensis Cameron, 1886 , B. foxii and B. rhyssaliformis also have an area followed by a carinae, but they exhibit a triangular-like shape delimitated by lateral grooves (oblique in B. bugabensis ), which sometimes is followed by one or two carinae (one in B. rhyssaliformis , two in B. foxii , absent in B. bugabensis ). Similarly, B. caroli Cameron, 1905 also has a median carina in the second tergite that is wide at the base.

Some braconid species could also be distinguished by their hosts and associated plants. Our observations about the biology of the two new species represent a new association of the genus for the tree genera Damburneya and Nectandra . There are two previous reports in Mexico of unidentified Bracon species associated with Lauracea species, i.e. avocado ( Persea ameriana ) fruits. These fruits were attacked by the Curculionidae beetles Heilipus lauri Boheman, 1845 ( García-Arellano 1962), and Conotrachelus persea (Barber) ( Becerril-Garduño 2017) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bracon laurae sp. nov. (female, holotype) reared from Damburneya salicifolia fruits.A) habitus in lateral view; B) head, frontal view; C) head and mesosoma, lateral view; D) head and mesosoma, dorsal view; E) first metasomal tergum, dorsal view (paratype); F) fore and hind wings.

FIGURE 3. Bracon rosamondae sp. nov. (female, holotype) reared from Damburneya salicifolia fruits. A) habitus in lateral view; B) head, frontal view; C) head and mesosoma, lateral view; D) head and mesosoma, dorsal view; E) first metasomal tergum, dorsal view; F) fore and hind wings.