Baeus glenysae, Stevens

Stevens, Nicholas B. & Austin, Andrew D., 2007, Systematics, distribution and biology of the Australian ' micro-flea' wasps, Baeus spp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae): parasitoids of spider eggs, Zootaxa 1499, pp. 1-45 : 19

3. Baeus glenysae, Stevens , sp. nov.

( Figs 8 C & D, 15A)

Holotype, Ψ, Tasmania, ' 42.12S 146.30E, 9 km S Bronte Park, Tas, 15 Jan–3 Feb, 1983, I.D. Naumann and J.C. Cardale, ex pantrap' (ANIC).

Paratypes: Tasmania: 1 Ψ, 42.10S 146.10E, 7 km SW by W, Tas, Derwent bridge, 16.i–2.ii.1983, I.D. Naumann and J.C. Cardale, ex pantrap (ANIC); Western Australia: 3 Ψ, 14.49S 125.50E, Mining camp, Mitchell Plateau, 9–19.v.1983, I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale, ex pantrap (ANIC).

Description. Female. Mean length 0.49 mm (0.47–0.51; n = 5); dorsal mesosomal sclerites, and T2 brown, lateral mesosoma and rest of metasoma light brown, antennae brown, legs similar to lateral mesosoma; head 1.79 (1.73–1.86) x as wide as inter-ocular distance and 2.2 (2.09–2.36) x as wide as long; medial ocellus 10 μm in diameter, 50 μm from posterior head margin; lateral ocelli 7 (5–10) μm from eye margin, 17 (15–20) μm from posterior head margin; posterior ocellar line = inter-ocular distance; vertex coriarious, pilosity generally moderately dense, but dense patches can occur posteriorly, of medium length overall; eyes ovoid, eye height 0.45 (0.45–0.46) x head height, eye width 0.42 (0.38–0.46) x length, pilosity of medium length; frontal carina reaching 0.50 distance to medial ocellus; cristulations of malar region not extending to within 10 μm of eye margin; in postero-lateral view, anterior and posterior genal margins are marginally to strongly divergent medially; anterior genal margin in contact with 0.53 (0.50–0.60) of ventral eye margin length; posterior eye margin contacting hyperoccipital carina.

Mesosoma. Length 0.65 (0.65–0.67) x width; both mesoscutum and mesoscutellum imbricate, pilosity generally moderately dense, anterior region of mesoscutum can have dense patches, of medium length overall; propodeum glabrous medio-dorsally; mesoscutum length 0.51 (0.47–0.56) x width, 0.70 (0.68–0.71) x mesosoma length and 3.11 (3.00–3.33) x mesoscutellum length; mesoscutellum length 2.83 (2.50–3.00) x propodeum length; dorsal mesopleuron scrobiculate, sculpturing ending adjacent to dorsal margin of metapleuron; sculpturing of dorso-lateral propodeum anterior to propodeal spiracle confused; propodeal spiracle small and ovoid; posterior suture of metapleuron straight, dorsal extent of suture equal to or above level of the antero-lateral margin of T2; hind femoral spine reduced.

Metasoma. T2 length 0.81 (0.78–0.84) x width, coriarious, pilosity moderately dense along anterior margin, rest sparse, of medium length overall; T3 and T4 glabrous.

Comments. This species is similar to B. murphyi and B. mymyae . The main features that distinguish B. glenysae from B. murphyi are the posterior ocellar line being equal to the inter-ocular distance, and the pilosity of T2 being mostly sparse. From B. mymyae it differs in the frontal carina being shorter and less distinct, the hind femoral spine present although reduced, and the posterior suture of the metapleuron being longer indicating that the amount of fusion that has occured with the propodeum is less relative to B. mymyae . The sculpturing of the dorsal surface is also less pronounced for this species than for both B. murphyi and B. mymyae . Baeus glenysae is recorded from Tasmania and north-western Australia, indicating that it is widely adapted to varying climates ( Fig. 15 A). It is named after Ms Glenys Wood.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Female Baeus spp.: A & B, B. dux, cresent shaped carina arrowed: A, lateral habitus; B, dorsal mesosoma. C & D, B. glenysae: C, lateral habitus; D, dorsal habitus. E & F, B. hallarakeri: E, lateral habitus; F, dorsal habitus. Scale lines, A – F = 100 μm.

FIGURE 15. Distribution maps: A B. arthuri, B. jenningsi, B. dux, B. glenysae; B B. hallarakeri, B. iqbali; C B. leai; D B. maryae.