Brachymeria subconica Bouček, 1992

Delvare, Gérard, Heimpel Hannes Baur, George E., Chadee, Dave D., Martinez, Raymond & Knutie, Sarah A., 2017, Description of Brachymeria philornisae sp. n. (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), a parasitoid of the bird parasite Philornis trinitensis (Diptera: Muscidae) in Tobago, with a review of the sibling species, Zootaxa 4242 (1) : -

Brachymeria subconica Bouček, 1992

( Fig. 9 A −G)

Pseudochalcis conica Ashmead, 1904: 407 . Original description ♀. BRAZIL: Santarem. Brachymeria (Pseudobrachymeria) conica (Ashmead) ; Burks, 1960: 270 −271 [redescription]. Brachymeria subconica Bouček, 1992: 92 [replacement name for B. conica ( Ashmead, 1904) nec B. conica (Fabricius, 1798) ];

Aquino et al., 2015: 298−299.

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♀ ( USNM type #8061, examined). Other material. VENEZUELA. Aragua, Chroni , La Sabaneta , 120 m, ex pupae of Carmenta sp. [ Lepidoptera : Sesiidae ] on Theobroma cacao , 10.i.1999, Garcia J. -L. & Montilla R. leg. (2 ♀) (in CIRAD).

Diagnosis. Mandibles brown subapically ( Fig. 9 B). Prepectus and upper half of epicnemium, black. Black ring on mesotibia complete. Head 1.07× as broad as mesosoma. Gena, lower face and supracoxal stripe of metepimeron moderately setose ( Fig. 8 B). Clypeus with 4 large punctures on either side mostly arranged in one dorsal row ( Fig. 8 C). Adtorular carinae and subtorular swellings well visible but incomplete ( Fig. 8 C). Antennal scrobes not reaching lower margin of median ocellus ( Fig. 8 A). Lateral ocellus bordered with large fovea on outer side ( Fig. 8 A). Ocellar ocular distance nearly as great as median ocellus diameter ( Fig. 8 A). Clava tapering with small area of micropilosity. Mesosoma more slender than in alternate species, 1.45−1.55× as long as broad. Edge of frenal carina distinctly emarginate mesally ( Fig. 8 D). Basal fold of fore wing with 28−34 setae arranged in several rows at base ( Fig. 8 E, F). Metasoma 2.09−2.16× as long as broad. Apex of hypopygium hardly emarginate mesally ( Fig. 8 G).

Recognition. This species is easily recognizable through a number of characters. Aquino et al. (2015) noted the upper edge of the antennal scrobes not reaching the base of the median ocellus and the hardly emarginate hypopygium. One can also add the less transverse head, figured in the quantitative analysis as the ratio head breath: head height. Also, the ocellar-ocular distance is hardly less than the diameter of the median ocellus versus much more reduced in the rest of the species (Tab. 4 and Fig. 4). The dense setation of the basal fold is shared with Brachymeria 'Brassolis'.

Host. The series examined was most probably reared from Carmenta theobromae (Busck) ( Lepidoptera : Sesiidae ) because this species was quoted as a pest of cocoa in Venezuela by Franklin et al. (2009). The parasitoid record was quoted by Garcia & Montilla (2010).

Distribution. Brazil and Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Brachymeria subrugosa Blanchard ♀. A, head in frontal view. B, head in anterolateral view. C, lower face in frontal view. D, pedicel and base of flagellum. E, clava in apicolateral view. Abbreviations: atrc, adtorular carina; stsw subtorular swelling.

FIGURE 9. Brachymeria subconica Bouček ♀. A, frontovertex in dorsal view. B, head in frontal view. C, lower face in frontal view. D, scutellum in dorsal view. E, fore wing. F, fore wing base. G, apex of metasoma in lateral view. Abbreviations: atrc, adtorular carina; bf, basal fold; stsw subtorular swelling.