Baeus ocellatus 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 : 33-34

13. Baeus ocellatus Stevens , sp. nov.

( Figs 12 C, 16C)

Holotype, Ψ, Australian Capital Territory, ' 35.19S 148.51E, Wombat Ck., 6 km NE of Piccadilly Circus, 750 m, ACT, May 1984, Weir, Lawrence, Johnson'; 'Flight intercept window/trough trap' (ANIC).

Paratypes: Queensland: 2 Ψ, Gatton, 9–16.ix.1981 (QDPC); Australian Capital Territory: 4 Ψ, Piccadilly Circus, 35.22S 148.48E, ii.1984, 1.x–15.xi.1984, T. Weir, J. Lawrence & M. Johnson (ANIC); 14 Ψ, Wombat Ck, 35.19S 148.51E, i–iv.1984, T. Weir, J. Lawrence & M. Johnson (ANIC);

Description. Female. Mean length 0.64 mm (0.55–0.69; n = 5); body and head dark brown, legs and antennae lighter, both with darker markings on dorsal surfaces.

Head 1.64 (1.62–1.67) x as wide as inter-ocular distance, and 1.19 (1.05–1.35) x as wide as long; medial ocellus 5 μm in diameter, 50 μm from posterior head margin; lateral ocelli 5 μm from eye margin, 22 (20–30) μm from posterior head margin; posterior ocellar line 1.06 (1.08–1.00) x inter-ocular distance; vertex coriarious, pilosity mostly of moderate density but can have dense patches, length medium; eyes small and sub-triangular in shape, eye height 0.37 (0.35–0.40) x head height, eye width 0.5 x length, pilosity long; frontal carina broad and prominent reaching 0.55 (0.53–0.56) distance to medial ocellus; cristulations of malar region not reaching to within 10 μm of eye margin; in postero-lateral view, anterior and posterior genal margins slightly divergent medially; anterior genal margin in contact with 0.79 (0.67–0.89) of ventral eye margin length; posterior eye margin 18 (10–20) μm from hyperoccipital carina.

Mesosoma. Length 0.76 (0.70–0.79) x width; mesoscutum and mesoscutellum faintly coriarious, pilosity of medium density though can be dense in some patches, and is mostly medium in length though occassional setae can be long; propodeum glabrous medio-dorsally; mesoscutum length 0.55 (0.50–0.59) x width, 0.66 (0.64–0.69) x mesosoma length and 3.13 (3.00–3.33) x mesoscutellum length; mesoscutellum 1.8 (1.5–3.0) x as long as propodeum; sculpturing dorsal mesopleuron and propodeum anterior to spiracle confused, region of lateral propodeum posterior of spiracle bearing two or three short carinae, each with one long bristle posteriorly, region posterior of carinae glabrous; propodeal spiracle opening small and ovoid; dorsal propodeum not delineated from lateral propodeum by distinct, laterally projecting carina, instead dorso-lateral propodeum rounded; posterior margin of metapleuron faint, straight and short, ending well ventral to level of antero-lateral margin of T2, entire posterior margin level with anterior margin of lateral propodeum, depression present medially of posterior metapleuron and lateral anterior propodeal region; hind femoral spine absent.

Metasoma. T2 length 0.95 (0.87–1.05) x length, sculpturing coriarious anteriorly, rest smooth; pilosity long and mostly dense except for irregular patches of moderate density; both T3 and T4 smooth, each bearing one row of setae posteriorly.

Comments. Baeus ocellatus is a readily recognisable species having small distinctively shaped eyes and a relatively pilose appearance. It is recorded from the ACT and south-east Queensland ( Fig 16 C). This species is named after the Latin word ocellatus , meaning little eyes.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Female Baeus spp.: A, B. murphyi lateral habitus. B, B. mymyae lateral habitus. C, B. ocellatus latero-dorsal habitus. D, B. prolatusspissus latero-dorsal habitus. E & F, B. saliens: E, postero-lateral habitus; F, dorsal habitus. Scale lines, A – C, & F = 100 μm; D & E = 200 μm.

FIGURE 16. Distribution maps: A B. matthewi, B. moorei; B B. murphyi, B. mymyae; C B. ocellatus, B. prolatusspissus; D B. saliens, B. scrobiculus.