Serrundabracon maraisai (Braet)

Quicke, Donald L. J. & Butcher, Buntika A., 2015, A new species of the genus Serrundabracon van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae) from Namibia, Zootaxa 4000 (1), pp. 141-146 : 145

Serrundabracon maraisai (Braet)

( Figs 2 , 3 )

Material examined. 1 female, “ NAMIBIA S,. Hardap distr. 7km W Mariental, Koha GH 1250m, 1- 10.01.2012, S.Murzin leg.”.

Notes. Van Achterberg (2003) provided line drawings of S. maraisi to complement the environment chamber electron microscope illustrations in Braet’s original paper ( Braet 1999). It is important to note that the density of sculpturation illustrated for the metasomal tergites, particularly the T2+3 syntergum, differs somewhat in apparent coarseness between the two, such that we initially thought that we had two new species of the genus. Having carefully considered our material and the descriptions, we are confident that we have at hand only the 2nd recorded specimen of S. maraisi plus a second specimen representing a new species, also from Namibia, which we describe below. Further, van Achterberg states that the lower ovipositor valve lacks the typical serrations of ectoparasitoid braconines, but our specimen clearly has numerous small serrations, but we think that van Achterberg missed these because in the type specimen, the lower valve was largely concealed and the serrations fine, whereas in our new specimen the valves have become somewhat separated distally making observation easier. Interestingly, the long series of serrations are very similar to what is found in Zaglyptogastra spathulata (Szépligeti) (see Fig. 36 in Quicke 1991a). Van Achterberg’s description also states that the length of the ovipositor sheath is “about 0.8 × fore wing”, however, from his figures 1 and 7, which are drawn to the same scale according to the figure legend, it is clear that they are of almost exactly equal length. In the specimen at hand, the ovipositor sheath is also almost exactly the same length as the fore wing.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Serrundabracon maraisai (Braet), female. A, habitus, dorsal view; B, mesosoma, dorsal view; C, head, dorsal view, D, face.

FIGURE 3. Serrundabracon maraisai (Braet), female. A, metasoma, dorsal view; B, metasomal tergite 5, detail; C, distal part of ovipositor, oblique dorsal view showing fine serrations of lower valve and long distal arch.