Spermatobracon triangulornatus van Achterberg and Ng, 2009

Achterberg, C. van, Hosaka, T., Ng, Y. F. & Ghani, Idris B. A., 2009, The braconid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) associated with seeds of Dipterocarpaceae in Malaysia, Journal of Natural History 43 (11 - 12), pp. 635-686 : 663-664

Spermatobracon triangulornatus van Achterberg and Ng , sp. nov.

( Figure 2A–L )

Holotype

Female, length of body 4.0 mm, length of forewing 3.7 mm.

Head

Antenna incomplete, remaining segments 12, scapus rather slender, dorsally slightly longer than ventrally ( Figure 2C ), length of third segment 1.1 times fourth segment, third and fourth segments 2.6 and 2.4 times their maximum width, respectively; length of maxillary palp 0.5 times height of head; face slightly convex, finely granulate but medially narrowly smooth; clypeus flattened and largely smooth ( Figure 2J ); frons slightly convex, with distinct median groove and nearly smooth but superficially granulate; vertex distinctly convex, smooth and setose; OOL: diameter of posterior ocellus: POL 9: 4: 5; in dorsal view length of eye 1.1 times temple; eye sparsely setose; temples smooth and subparallel behind eyes ( Figure 2K ); length of malar space 1.1 times basal width of mandible.

Mesosoma

Length of mesosoma 1.2 times its height; side of pronotum smooth, but with some fine crenulae anteriorly ( Figure 2D ); mesopleuron smooth, posteriorly and dorsally setose; metapleuron smooth and its flange small; mesoscutum smooth; notauli absent posteriorly, smooth; scutellum rather convex, smooth; metanotum without median carina; propodeum smooth, its median carina absent on anterior 0.4 of propodeum.

Wings

Forewing. r: 3-SR: SR1 7: 13: 46; 2-SR: 3-SR: r-m 12: 13: 8; r-m largely sclerotized; cu-a vertical.

Hind wing. cu-a somewhat reclivous; M+CU: 1-M: 1r-m 11: 35: 12; 1r-m about as long as SC+R1 and about twice 2-SC+R ( Figure 2A ).

Legs

Hind coxa smooth; tarsal claws robust and with wide lobe; lengths of femur, tibia and basitarsus of hind leg 3.4, 8.2 and 6.2 times their maximum width, respectively; hind tibia without pegs; hind tibial spurs 0.4 times as long as hind basitarsus.

Metasoma

Length of first tergite 0.9 times its apical width, its surface smooth but dorsal part of semi-circular medial elevation granulate and with setiferous pimples, flat part of median area with crenulate median groove, lateral area medium-sized and smooth ( Figure 2L ); second metasomal suture deep and smooth; third tergite with median ridge, granulate with setiferous pimples and anterolaterally smooth ( Figure 2A ); following tergites mainly granulate and pimply, with median ridge and with a deep anterior and posterior transverse depression; length of ovipositor sheath 1.30 times forewing, apex of ovipositor normal, with medium-sized nodus and with distinct ventral teeth.

Colour

Yellowish-brown; head (except dorsally), palpi and tegulae brownish-yellow; antenna (but scapus largely brown), telotarsi apically, hind tibia (except basally), hind basitarsus, pimples of first and second tergites, ridges of second tergite and its posterior margin, third and fourth tergites largely medially, ovipositor sheath, pterostigma (but slightly paler basally), parastigma and C+SC+R of forewing dark brown; remainder of metasoma pale yellowish; wing membrane subhyaline.

Variation

The paratype is very similar; length of forewing and of body 3.6 mm and the ovipositor sheath somewhat longer than the forewing; basal half of the pterostigma pale yellowish and the remainder largely dark brown; the median carina of the propodeum reduced and only posteriorly narrowly developed.

Biology

A parasitoid of larvae in seeds of Shorea lepidota . Emergence from earlier aborted fruits suggests that Nanophyes shoreae and/or Nanophyinae sp. may be its host ( Figure 1C ).

Distribution

West Malaysia.

Material examined

Holotype female, ‘‘W. Malaysia, N. Sembilan Pasoh Forest Reserve , 5 June 2002, from Shorea lepidota seeds, Y.F. Ng and Hosaka’ ’, ‘‘Collected (123385)’’, ‘‘B19’’, ‘‘ Centre for Insect Systematics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’ ’ ( UKM) . Paratype: one female, same label data and from same batch, but emerged 27 June 2002 and ‘‘C18’’ ( RMNH) .

Figures

Figure 1. (A) Occurrence of Schizoprymnus spp. A character indicates aborted timing of an individual wasp examined. M, Schizoprymnus mesocaudus; T, Schizoprymnus torreadoroides; ¤, Nanophyes shoreae (Coleoptera: Apionidae); m, Nanophyinae sp. (Coleoptera: Apionidae); e, Alcidodes dipterocarpi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae); Δ, Alcidodes humeralis; *, Andrioplecta shoreae (Lepidotera: Tortricidae); MAC, Shorea macroptera; PAU, Shorea pauciflora; LEPI, Shorea lepidota; PAR, Shorea parvifolia; ACU, Shorea acuminata; MAX, Shorea maxwelliana; LEPR, Shorea leprosula. The number following the tree code stands for flowering event; 1 indicates Flowering 2001, 2 indicates Flowering 2002. For example, ACU2 stands for Shorea acuminata in Flowering 2002.

Figure 2. Spermatobracon triangulornatus, female, holotype. (A) Wings; (B) detail of parastigma and vein 1-SR; (C) scapus and pedicellus, lateral aspect; (D) habitus, lateral aspect; (E) ovipositor; (F) hind leg; (G) mesosoma, dorsal aspect; (H) hypopygium, dorsal aspect; (I) outer hind claw; (J) head, anterior aspect; (K) head, dorsal aspect; (L) first to third metasomal tergites, dorsal aspect. Scale bars: 1.0×(A, D, E, F, H); 1.6×(B, C, J, K); 1.4×(G, L); 2.5×(I).