Mannokeraia nigrita van Achterberg

Achterberg, Cornelis van, Quicke, Donald L. J. & Boring, C. Andrew, 2017, A revision of the tribe Planitorini van Achterberg (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae), with description of a new genus from Australia, ZooKeys 718, pp. 35-64 : 40-42

Mannokeraia nigrita van Achterberg sp. n. Figs 28, 29-38, 39-44

Mannokeraia sp. 1-3 Saranowski et al., 2011: 555, 559.

Type material.

Holotype, ♀ (ANIC), "Australia: Victoria, Bendae-Bonan, SE: Bonang Hwy, 56 km NNE Orbos, MT. in tree ferns in gully, 11.i.-12.ii.2005, 135 m, bulk no. 2619, 34°15'42"S 148°43'49"E, C. Lambkin, N. Starick, ANIC", "DNA Voucher # BJS104, Hymenoptera Institute, University of Kentucky". Paratypes: 3 ♂ (ANIC), same label data, but voucher numbers # BJS100, BJS100S and BJS105.

Diagnosis.

Antenna of ♀ with 19+ segments and medially rather widened (Fig. 38), and basal 7 segments dark brown and apical 12 segments strongly moniliform, of ♂ blackish (Fig. 44); palpi grey; with transverse space between clypeus and closed mandibles; head moderately enlarged behind eyes in dorsal view (Figs 35, 43); length of malar space equal to basal width of mandible (Fig. 34); mesosoma of ♀ normal, with mesoscutum far above upper level of pronotum (Fig. 30); pronotum and mesoscutum black; propodeum rugose medially (Fig. 31); legs blackish or dark brown; setose part of ovipositor sheath 0.7 times as long as hind tibia; both sexes macropterous.

Description.

Holotype, ♀, length of fore wing 3.6 mm, and of body 5.1 mm.

Head. Antenna with 19+ segments (apical segment(s) missing), pedicellus short (Figs 35, 38), length of third segment 1.3 times fourth segment, third and fourth segments 1.3 and 1.0 times as long as wide, respectively (Fig. 38) and with apical 9+ segments pedunculate, medially antenna slightly wider than subbasally and apically distinctly narrowed (Fig. 38); length of maxillary palp 0.9 times height of head; occipital carina complete, comparatively low dorsally (Fig. 36), strongly curved ventrally and joining hypostomal carina below mandible and occipital flange curved and elongate; eye 1.1 times as long as temple in dorsal view; temples subparallel-sided behind eyes; OOL:diameter of posterior ocellus:POL = 14:5:15; vertex and frons smooth (but vertex with some punctures) and moderately shiny, with some long setae, convex, without median groove, and anteriorly flattened; face sparsely coarsely punctate and with some superficial rugae (Fig. 34); clypeus truncate (resulting in steep ventral face) and smooth ventrally, without ventral rim, dorsally weakly convex and with some coarse punctures; with wide transverse space between closed mandibles and clypeus; length of malar space equal to basal width of mandible; mandible flattened medially and coarsely striate, both apical teeth large.

Mesosoma. Length of mesosoma 1.9 times its height; dorsal pronope and antescutal depression absent; side of pronotum rugose, but medially and dorsally largely smooth; mesopleuron coarsely punctate dorsally; precoxal sulcus complete, rather narrow crenulate-punctate (Fig. 30); remainder of mesopleuron smooth except for a few punctures; mesosternal suture rather deep and coarsely crenulate; postpectal carina distinct medio-ventrally, straight; notauli complete, anteriorly a narrow row of punctures and posteriorly widely crenulate (Fig. 31); remainder of mesoscutum slightly convex, strongly shiny, and largely smooth, except for some coarse striae and punctures medio-posteriorly (Fig. 31), mesoscutum glabrous laterally and with few medium-sized setae medially; scutellar sulcus with five costae; scutellum flat, smooth (except for some setiferous punctures) and shiny; metapleuron entirely coarsely vermiculate-rugose; propodeum entirely moderately reticulate-rugose (Fig. 31), its median carina absent, its posterior face medially rather differentiated and without tubercle postero-laterally (Fig. 31).

Wings. Fore wing: pterostigma wide (Fig. 29); 1-M nearly straight; 1-SR short (Fig. 29); marginal cell closed anteriorly; 1-R1 1.5 times longer than pterostigma and direct after pterostigma hardly pigmented (as apex of pterostigma: Fig. 29); vein r emitted far after middle of pterostigma; r:3-SR:SR1 = 5:18:83; vein SR1 straight; 2-SR:3-SR:r-m = 28:18:19; 2-M much longer than 3-SR; m-cu slightly postfurcal; 1-CU1 oblique and narrow, about as long as cu-a; 1-CU1:2-CU1 = 5:31; basal and subbasal cells of fore wing similarly setose as other cells. Hind wing: marginal cell parallel-sided apically (Fig. 29); M+CU:1-M:1r-m = 32:15:10; basal and subbasal cells less densely setose than other cells.

Legs. Hind coxa largely rugose, dorso-basally transversely rugose; tarsal claws with wide truncate lamelliform lobe (Fig. 37); length of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.4, 5.5 and 5.2 times as long as their maximum width; fore femur inflated and ventrally flattened, 3.0 times longer than wide and apically rounded (Fig. 37); fore and middle tarsi rather flattened (Figs 33, 37); hind tibia distinctly striate.

Metasoma. First tergite 2.2 times longer than its apical width, petiolate basally and gradually widened apically (Fig. 32), coarsely striate but smooth posteriorly, dorsal carinae unite to form a median carina (Fig. 32), basal half of tergite closed ventrally and sternite differentiated; laterope absent; second tergite smooth; ovipositor sheath subparallel-sided and apically obtuse (Figs 28, 33), its setose part 0.26 times as long as fore wing and 0.73 times hind tibia; ovipositor with minute subapical notch, compressed and basally widened (Fig. 28).

Colour. Black; antenna and legs blackish or dark brown; palpi pale brown; tegulae, pterostigma (but apex pale), most veins of fore wing and metasoma (except black first tergite) dark brown; wing membrane weakly infuscate.

Male. Rather different (Fig. 39) from female holotype: clypeus more or less protruding medio-ventrally and with a weak rim ventrally, precoxal sulcus moderately to widely rugose (Fig. 40), distinctly curved postpectal carina, slender tarsi (Figs 39, 42, 44) and more pronounced sculpture of body. Length of fore wing 4.0-4.3 mm, and of body 4.3-4.6 mm; antenna with 31(2) or 32(1) segments; fore and middle tarsal segments slender; first tergite 2.2-2.3 times longer than wide apically and dorsope absent or slightly indicated.

Etymology.

Named after its blackish antenna ( “niger” is black in Latin).

Distribution.

Australia (Victoria). Collected in January–February.