Brachycyrtus walkleyae Gauld & Ward, 2000

Nascimento, Alexsandra C. & Fernandes, Daniell R. R., 2024, Synopsis of Brachycyrtus Kriechbaumer, 1880 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Brachycyrtinae) from Brazil, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5430 (1), pp. 1-62 : 50-54

Brachycyrtus walkleyae Gauld & Ward, 2000

( Figs. 51, 52)

Brachycyrtus walkleyae Gauld & Ward, 2000: 31 . Holotype female, Costa Rica (EMUS) [Entomology Museum, Utah State University, Logan , Utah, USA].

Material examined. 30 ♀ ♀ and 1 ♂. BRAZIL. RJ [Rio de Janeiro]: Teresópolis / PARNASO [Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos], Altitude : 703m, 22°28’37.4”S, 42°59’45”W / viii.2015; Malaise pto [spot] 5A / R.F. Monteiro e col. [collectors] (1 ♀, UFRJ) ; same, except 22°28’37.5”S, 42°59’45.1”W / pto [spot] 5B (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Altitude : 1068m / 22°27’09”S, 42°59’30.8”W / xi.2014; pto [spot] 8B / (1 ♀, UFRJ) ; same, except Altitude : 877m / 22°28’11.5”S, 43°00’06.0”W / vii.2015; pto [spot] 6B / (1 ♀, UFRJ) ; Guapimirim / PARNASO [Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos], Altitude : 332m / 22°29’40.5” S, 42°59’52.6” W / viii.2015; Malaise pto [spot] 3A / R. F. Monteiro e col. [collectors] (1 ♀, UFRJ) ; same, except Altitude : 549m / 22°28’36.4”S, 42°59’30.7”W / 2.2015; {,} Malaise pto 4A / R.F. Monteiro e col. [collectors] (1 ♀, UFRJ) . ES [Espírito Santo]: Alfredo Chaves / Matilde, RPPN [Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural] Oiutrem / 20°33’S, 40°48’W, 600-800m / 14-21.x.2009, Malaise / C.O. Azevedo & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 75697 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75967 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75883 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75858 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75819 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75804 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75653 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except UFES n° [number] 75629 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Picadão, Mata , 714m / 20°27’53”S, 40°42’35”W, 08-15.x.2007, Malaise / C. O. Azevedo & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 67767 (1 ♀, UFES) ; Laranja da Terra, Joatuba – Faz. [Fazenda] Betzel , 280- 430 / 19°50’25”S, 40°49’40”W / 05-12.x.2012, Malaise B-10 / M.T. Tavares & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 133617 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except B-3 // UFES n° [number] 134226 (1 ♀, UFES) ; Dom. Martins / Mata Pico do Eldorado / 20°22’17”S, 40°39’29”W / 03-10.xi.2004, Malaise T7 / Tavares, M. T. & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 65118 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except 26-xi-03.xi.2004, Malaise T1 // UFES n° [number] 107913(1 ♀, UFES) ; Santa Teresa, Res. [Reserve] Biol. [Biological] Augusto Ruschi / Trilha da Cachoeira , 812m / 19°54’29” S, 40°33’19” W / 10-17.xi.2012, Malaise 7 / Azevedo C. O. e eq. [team]. col. [collector] // UFES n° [number] 144538 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Malaise 8 // UFES n° [number] 144709 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Malaise 12 // UFES n° [number] 145659 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Malaise 1 // UFES n° [number] 142817 (1 ♀, UFES) ; same, except Est. [estação] Biológica de Santa Lúcia / 06-09.xi.2009, Malaise B1 / Tavares, Azevedo & eq. [team] col. [collector] // UFES n° [number] 72877 (1 ♀, UFES) ; Vila Valério / Sítio Benincá , 18°58’S, 40°27” W / 14-28.ix.2011, Malaise / C. O. Azevedo & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 121852 (1 ♀, UFES) ; Sta. [santa] M. [Maria] Jetibá, Faz. [fazenda] Clarindo Krüger / 20°04’27.9” S, 40°44’51.3” W / 29.xi-06.xi.2002, Malaise T6 / Tavares, Azevedo & eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 94632 (1 ♀, UFES) ; Conceição da Barra, Res. [Reserve] Biol. [Biological] Córrego / Grande , 18°14’S, 39°49’W / 17-30.iv.2013, Malaise / Tavares, M.T. e eq. [team] col. [collectors] // UFES n° [number] 142114 (1 ♀, UFES) . PA [Pará]: Tucuruí / Morro do Senador / 03°59’23”S / 49°44’45”W / Malaise, 01.xi.2001 / J.A. Rafael & J. Vidal leg. [collector] // Brachycyrtus walkleyae, D. R. R. Fernandes det. [determinant] 2019 (1 ♀, INPA) ; Tucuruí / Morro do Senador / 03°59’23”S / 49°44’45”W / Malaise, 01.xi.2001 / J.A. Rafael & J. Vidal leg. [collector] (2 ♀♀, INPA) . BA [Bahia]: Jequié, Módulo de / Odontologia / 13°49’54,8”S / 40°04’30,1”W / UESB – Campus 2, Malaise / 08.vi.2007, Alves, F. P. leg. [collector] (1 ♂, INPA) .

Diagnosis. Brachycyrtus walkleyae can be differentiated from other Neotropical Brachycyrtus by the combination of the following characters: propodeum smooth and polished with sparse setae, area anterolateral black, area superomedia confluent with area petiolaris, anterior transverse carina complete to pleural carina, area posteroexterna closed, posterior transverse carina present lateromedially, lateral longitudinal carina present posteriorly, so that the area dentipara, lateral and coxalis forms a single area ( Figs. 51D, 51G, 52E–F).

Description of Male. Body length 5.06 mm. Head. Antenna length must be 3.33 mm longer (antenna broken at the height of the flagellomere 19); flagellomeres slender. Dorsal view ( Fig. 52D), ocelli forming an equilateral triangle; ocellus diameter 0.28 mm; distance between the anterior and posterior ocellus 0.03 mm; shortest distance between the posterior ocellus and the compound eye 0.12 mm; distance between the posterior ocellus 0.08 mm. Front view ( Fig. 52C), eye height 0.60 mm. Frons width 0.47 mm, smooth, polished with sparse setae and convex. Face width 0.42 mm, polished, Punctate with sparse fine setae. Malar space 0.05 mm. Basal mandible width 0.11 mm, bidentate. Mesosoma. Dorsal view ( Fig. 54B), mesoscutum with notaulus absent. Lateral view ( Fig. 54A), propleuron smooth with fine setae. Pronotum with epomia. Epicnemial carina ascending about halfway up the anterior margin of the mesopleuron and ventrally approaching the posterior sternal carina. Metapleuron smooth and polished. Wings. Fore wing length 3.42 mm; 2m-cu with two bullae. Hind wing length 2.17 mm; abscissa CU spectral. Metasoma. Length tergite 1 0.82 mm; basal width tergite 1 0.17 mm; apical width tergite 1 0.23 mm. Length tergite 2 0.60 mm; basal width tergite 2 0.25 mm; apical width tergite 2 0.49 mm. Length tergite 3 0.50 mm; basal width tergite 3 0.49 mm; apical width tergite 3 0.58 mm.

Variation (n=31). Body length 4.59 mm. Antenna length 7.10– 5.50 mm, 31 flagellomeres. Basal mandible width 0.11–0.14 mm. Ocellus diameter 0.25–0.37 mm; shortest distance between the posterior ocellus and the compound eye 0.05–0.12 mm; distance between the anterior and posterior ocellus 0.03–0.04 mm; distance between the posterior ocellus 0.08–0.14 mm. Frons width 0.47–0.49 mm. Face width 0.40–0.45 mm. Eye height 0.60–0.92 mm. Malar space 0.03–0.05 mm. Fore wing length 3.42–5.19 mm; Hind wing length 2.17–3.24 mm. Length tergite 1 0.66–1.20 mm; basal width tergite 1 0.17–0.25 mm; apical width tergite 1 0.23–0.40 mm; Length tergite 2 0.60–0.89 mm; basal width tergite 2 0.25–0.43 mm; apical width tergite 2 0.49–0.75 mm; Length tergite 3 0.50–0.83 mm; basal width tergite 3 0.49–0.69 mm; apical width tergite 3 0.58–0.74 mm. Length ovipositor 1.27–1.72 mm. Mesosoma can be predominantly whitish-yellow with mesoscutum with three light-brown or dark-brown longitudinal band; scuto-scutellar groove can be light-brown or dark brown; scutellum can be light-brown or dark brown; tegula can be reddish-brown; mesopleuron can have a light-brown or dark-brown diagonal central band and a second light-brown or dark-brown spot anteriorly; propodeum can have the light-brown or dark-brown spots on the areas anterolateral near the spiracles; fore leg and mid legs can be whitish-yellow.

Geographical records. Brazil (Pará, Bahia, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro * and Espírito Santo *), Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago ( Gauld & Ward 2000; Onody et al. 2009; Yu et al. 2016; Fernandes et al. 2023) ( Fig. 53).

Biological note. The host of this species is so far unknown.

Discussion. Brachycyrtus walkleyae is morphologically similar to B. obelix , ocelli forming an equilateral triangle and mainly in the set of carinae of the propodeum, area basalis septate and not delineated laterally, propodeum polished with coarse punctures and sparse setae laterally, area externa and area spiracularis confluent, anterior transverse carina complete to pleural carina, area superomedia confluent with area petiolaris, area posteroexterna closed, posterior transverse carina present lateromedially, lateral longitudinal carina present posteriorly, area posteroexterna closed, area coxalis not anteriorly delineated, area dentipara and area lateralis confluent, but differ in the coloration of the area anterolateral spot and the coloration of the metanotum, in B. walkleyae both the anterolateral spot and the coloration of the metanotum, can be black, light-brown or dark-brown, apex of ovipositor truncated with one ventral notch, two teeth and without nodus ( Fig. 51F). In contrast, in B. obelix these spots are absent, apex of ovipositor truncated with three teeth and without nodus ( Fig. 38F).

Remarks. Additional characters from the material examined of the states of Pará, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo ( Brazil) (n=31) (♀ and ♂) are the following: Head. Antenna slender. Dorsal view ( Fig. 51C), ocelli forming an equilateral triangle. Front view ( Fig. 51B), frons smooth, polished with sparse setae and convex. Face polished, punctate with sparse fine setae. Mandible bidentate. Mesosoma. Dorsal view ( Fig. 51E), mesoscutum with notaulus absent. Lateral view ( Figs. 51A, 52A), propleuron smooth with fine setae. Pronotum with epomia. Mesopleuron smooth, polished with fine setae; epicnemial carina ascending about halfway up the anterior margin of the mesopleuron and ventrally approaching the posterior sternal carina; sternaulus short. Metapleuron smooth and polished. Wings. Fore wing 2m-cu with two bullae. Hind wing abscissa CU spectral. Metasoma. Apex of ovipositor truncated with one ventral notch, two teeth and without nodus ( Fig. 51F).