Gammabracon abjectivus ( Shenefelt, 1978 )

Quicke, Donald L. J., Hogan, James E., Bennett, Andrew M. R., Broad, Gavin R. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2017, Partial revision of the Indo-Australian braconine wasp genus Gammabracon Quicke (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with descriptions of new species from Indonesia (Mollucas), Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, Journal of Natural History 51 (21 - 22), pp. 1249-1294 : 1278-1281

Gammabracon abjectivus ( Shenefelt, 1978)

( Figures 19 , 20 )

Iphiaulax abjectus Cameron and Strand, 1912: 39 (in Strand, 1912) (nec. Iphiaulax abjectus Cameron, 1887: 259 ).

Iphiaulax abjectivus Shenefelt, 1978: 1750 .

Gammabracon abjectivus: Quicke, 1988: 78 .

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: Female MALAYSIA ( SARAWAK): ‘Lundu, Sarawak, Borneo 21/20 8.00 Micholitz’, ‘ Iphiaulax abjectivus Sreand det. Cam. & Strd.’, ‘ Iphiaulax abjectivus Cam. type’. (Berlin)

Additional features. Antenna with 65 flagellomeres; width of head:width of face:height of eye = 2.0:1.05:1.0.

Comments. This species appears indistinguishable from G. forticarinata ( Cameron, 1902) , G. nigriseta (Enderlein, 1920) and G. rugifrons ( Smith, 1858) based on the few, old specimens available. These four species can be distinguished from all other species of Gammabracon by combination of the following characters: (1) wing membrane uniformly dark brown; (2) 4th metasomal tergite without strong carination.

Additional fresh material is required prior to any taxonomic decision on the relative status of these four species.

Unplaced specimens aff. G. abjectivus, forticarinata , nigriseta and rugifrons

1 female: BRUNEI, Temburong J . Ismay ( BMNH) . Length of body 8 mm, of antenna 10 mm, of forewing 7 mm, of ovipositor 15 mm. Antenna with 63 flagellomeres.

1 female: MALAYSIA, Sabah, Quoin Hill , 15–22 April 1973, K .M. Guichard ( BMNH) . Length of body 13.5 mm, of antenna 12 mm, of forewing 12 mm, of ovipositor 25 mm . Antenna with 68 flagellomeres .

1 female: MALAYSIA, Selangor, Bukit Kutu , April 1915, 3457 ʹ ( BMNH) . Length of body 13.5 mm, of antenna 13 mm, of ovipositor 27 mm.

2 females: MALAYSIA, S . W. Sabah, nr Long Pa Sia, Long Bayor , c 1040 m, 30 November 1987, Ladand, C . van Achterberg ( RMNH) . Length of body 14.5 mm, of forewing 15 mm, of ovipositor 30 mm .

1 female: MALAYSIA, S . W. Sabah, nr Long Pa Sia ( West ), 1200m, 2–14 April 1987, Mal . Trap 7, C . van Achterberg ( RMNH) . Length of body 9.5 mm, of antenna 8.5 mm, of forewing 9.5 mm, of ovipositor 17 mm . Antenna with 55 flagellomeres .

1 female: MALAYSIA, Sabah, Danum Valley ( RMNH) . Length of body 10 mm, of antenna 9.5 mm, of forewing 10.5 mm, of ovipositor 16.5 mm. Antenna with 62 flagellomeres.

1 female: INDONESIA, South Sumatra Province, Pagaralum , June 1937 ( MCZ) .

Length of body 9.5 mm, of antenna 10 mm, of forewing 9.5 mm, of ovipositor 15.5 mm. Antenna with 61 flagellomeres.

1 female: INDONESIA, N .E. Sumatra, Tandjong, Morawa Serlang , [no date], Dr . B. Hagen ( RMNH) . Length of body 11 mm, of antenna 10.5 mm, of forewing 11.5 mm, of ovipositor 23 mm .

1 female, MALAYSIA, Sabah, Quoin Hill , 15–22 April 1973, K .M. Guichard ( BMNH)

1 female, MALASIA, West Malaysia , Pasoh Forest Res ., Negri S., 12.v.[19]78 ʹ ‘for. gap.’, P & M. Becker ( CNCI); 1 female, as previous but 3 April [1978] ( EMUS) .

1 female: MALAYSIA, Sabah, Bettotan , nr . Sandakan, July 1937 ( BMNH) . The striae on T4 are fairly strong in this specimen but otherwise it appears identical to the preceding ones.

Figures

Figure 19. Gammabracon abjectivus sp. nov., holotype female. (a) Habitus, dorsal view. (b) Head dorsal view. (c) Head and anterior mesosoma, lateral view. (d) Face, frontal view. (e) Scutellum. (f) Forefemur and tibia.

Figure 20. Gammabracon abjectivus sp. nov., holotype female. (a) Central part of forewing. (b) Base of hind wing. (c) Metasomal tergites 2–4.