Brachymeria podagrica (Fabricius, 1787)

Narendran, T. C. & van Achterberg, Cornelis, 2016, Revision of the family Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Vietnam, with the description of 13 new species, ZooKeys 576, pp. 1-202 : 51-54

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chalcididae

Brachymeria podagrica (Fabricius, 1787) Figs 59, 60-61

Chalcis podagrica Fabricius, 1787: 272 (♀, India, Tamil Nadu, Tranquebar, (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (ZMUC)).

Chalcis Fonscolombei Dufour, 1841: 11-19 (♀, France, (lectotype designated by Burks 1936) (MNHN) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis Alphius Walker, 1846: 108. (♂, lectotype (designated by Bouček 1972), India (HDOU) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis xerxena Walker, 1846: 83 (♀, Philippines (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis Amenocles Walker, 1846: 83-84 (♀, Sierra Leone (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis restituta Walker, 1862: 351-352 (♀, Jamaica, (lectotype designated by Bouček and Delvare 1992) (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček and Delvare 1992)).

Brachymeria pulchripes Holmgren, 1868: 436 (♂, Philippines (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis mansueta Walker, 1871: 48 (♀, Hong Kong (lectotype selected by Bouček 1972) (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis callipes Kirby, 1883: 75 (♀, Japan, (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis mikado Cameron, 1888: 117 (♀, Japan (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis ecentrica Cameron, 1897: 39 (♂, India (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (HDOU) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972).

Chalcis borneanus Cameron, 1905: 52 (Borneo (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Chalcis dipterophaga Girault & Dodd (in Girault), 1915a: 320-321 (♂, Australia (QMB) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1988b)).

Chalcis garutianus Gunther (in Haller & Gunther), 1936: 73 (♂, Java (lectotype designated by Bouček 1972) (SFTD) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1972)).

Brachymeria becari Masi, 1929a: 142 (♀, Somalia (BMNH) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Narendran 1985)).

Chalcis neglecta Masi, 1916: 84 (♀?, Italy (DEI?) (synonymised with Brachymeria fonscolombei (Dufour) by Masi 1951)).

Tumidicoxides kurandaensis Girault, 1913b: 86 (♀, Australia (QMB) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1988b)).

Tumidicoxides paucipunctatus Girault, 1915a: 326 (♀, Australia (QMB) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1988b)).

Chalcis vegai Girault, 1924b: 175 (♀, Australia (QMB) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Bouček 1988b)).

Brachymeria (Matsumurameria) aligharhensis Husain & Agarwal, 1982b: 499-501 (♀, India, (ZDAMU) (synonymised with Brachymeria podagrica by Narendran 1989)).

Material.

2 ♀ (RMNH, IEBR), "S. Vietnam: Ninh Thuân, Núi Chúa N. P., northeast part, 90-150 m, 23-30.v.2007, Malaise trap, C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries, RMNH’ 07"; 1 ♀ (RMNH), "S. Vietnam: Dóng Nai, Cát Tiên N. P., Dong trail, Mal. traps, c. 100 m, 1-8.iv.2007, Mai Phu Quy & Nguyen Tanh Manh, RMNH’07”; 15 ♀ (BPBM), "Vietnam, [locality unknown], 8-26.xi.1960 & 11.xii.1960, C.M. Yoshimoto"; 2 ♀ (BPBM) "Vietnam, [locality unknown], 13.v.1960, S. Quate"; 1 ♀ (BPBM), "Vietnam, [locality unknown], 6.vii.1961, N.R. Spencer".

Diagnosis.

This species is very close to Brachymeria minuta considering the head and the mesosoma and the colour pattern of the hind tibia. However, it differs from Brachymeria minuta in having: 1) hind femur 1.8-2.1 × as long as wide (in Brachymeria minuta hind femur less than 1.7 × as long as wide); 2) dorsal side of hind femur in lateral view dilated straightly from base to widest part, hence also straightly contracted towards apex so that the dorsal side is weakly angulate (in Brachymeria minuta the dorsal side of hind femur in lateral view not dilated but rounded from base to apex); and 3) the apical whitish patch on hind femur is generally limited on outer dorsal side, not extending on to inner side (in Brachymeria minuta apical yellow patch extend also to inner side).

Description.

♀, length of body 5-7 mm.

Colour. Black with following parts as follows: mandibles brown or dark brown with base and apex often reddish brown; antenna black or blackish brown or reddish sometimes partially or wholly; funicle sometimes faintly reddish; tegulae almost white or pale yellow; fore and mid coxae almost shiny black; hind coxa black or reddish brown; trochanters black or brown or reddish; fore and mid femora black or brownish red with tips pale yellow or creamy white; hind femur brownish red with apex white or yellow, white colour usually not extending to inner side; fore and mid tibiae reddish brown with pale yellow or white at base and apex; hind tibia reddish brown or black with yellow or white subbasally and apically.

Head. Head with pre- and post-orbital carinae present; post-orbital carina reaching geno-temporal margin; scrobe reaching anterior ocellus; area below interantennal projection smooth medially; POL a little over twice OOL; AOL 0.3 × POL; minimum interocular distance at vertex 2.7 × POL. Malar ridge present, height of eye in profile 2.4-3.3 × height of malar space in lateral view; anterior and posterior genal angles rectangular or subrectangular. Antenna: scape not exceeding anterior ocellus, as long as combined length of F1 to F4 or a little shorter; pedicel almost as long as wide; F1 almost as long as wide; F2 to F7 slightly increasing in width and decreasing in length; clava more than twice as long as F7.

Mesosoma. Mesosoma distinctly pitted dorsally; pits generally becoming somewhat larger and sparse posteriorly; interstices rather carinate on pronotum but almost flat and smooth on other parts; scutellum rather gently declined posteriorly, apex somewhat widely explanate and reflexed, distinctly emarginate and bi-lobed; propodeum with postspiracular tooth on either side present.

Wings. Fore wing 2.6-2.7 × as long as wide. MV 0.5-0.6 × as long as SMV; PMV one-fourth as long as MV, twice as long as STV or somewhat less.

Legs. Hind coxa with distinct dense punctures and pubescence on ventral side, without an inner ventro-mesal tooth; hind femur 1.8-2.1 × as long as wide; with one inner basal tooth or protuberance; outer ventral margin with a row of 9-11 differently sized teeth.

Metasoma. Metasoma slightly longer than pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum combined, widest at middle; T1 smooth; T2 with sparse minute setigerous punctures on baso-dorsal part except narrow part at middle, punctures extending posteriorly at latero-dorsal parts, on dorsal half of lateral parts punctures denser and larger, micro-sculpture distinct; T3 and T4 with transverse line of several setae dorsally with rather dense punctures and setae dorsally of sides, micro-sculpture distinct dorsally and on dorsal half of lateral part; T6 shallowly pitted, micro-sculpture distinct; ovipositor sheath visible in dorsal view.

Male. Length of body 3.5-5.0 mm. Legs somewhat darker in colour than in female; funicle with trichoid sensillae on ventral side.

Hosts.

Primary parasitoid of blowflies ( Sarcophagidae ) and other Diptera viz., Calliphoridae , Muscidae , Tephritidae and of Lepidoptera ( Psychidae , Yponomeutidae and Lymantriidae ).

Distribution.

Cosmopolitan (and known from Vietnam).

Variation.

The size of the interstices of pits on mesoscutum and scutellum are very variable in this species from carinate to wider than diameter of pits. In some very rare cases the hind femur is black with apex yellow and in such cases it is likely to be confused with Brachymeria minuta (Linnaeus).