Brachymeria subrugosa Blanchard, 1942

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 subrugosa Blanchard, 1942

( Fig. 8 A −E)

Brachymeria subrugosa Blanchard, 1942: 116 −117. Original description ♀. ARGENTINA: Charata.

Brachymeria subrugosa ; De Santis 1967: 209 [host Pectinophora gossypiella and Patelloa (Tachinidae) ]; De Santis 1979: 63 [host Eucelatoriopsis sp. ( Tachinidae )]; Aquino et al. 2015: 297 [lectotype designation].

Material examined. PARAGUAY. Colonel Delgado , ex Alabama argillacea [ Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ] on Gossypium hirsutum , 30.v.1985, adult emergence 06.vii.1985, Michel B. leg. (1 ♀) [Ref. Cirad 5246] (in CIRAD).

Diagnosis. Mandibles brown subapically ( Fig. 8 B). Epicnemium and prepectus black, only ventral prepectus on sides of medioventral projection dark brownish. Black ring on mesofemur complete. Head about as broad as mesosoma. Gena, lower face and supracoxal stripe of metepimeron moderately setose ( Fig. 8 A, B). Clypeus with irregularly distributed points ( Fig. 8 B). Adtorular carinae thin, appearing as irregular rugae ( Fig. 8 A, B). Antennal scrobes reaching lower margin of median ocellus, virtually as high as eye (0.97×) their upper edge at level with upper ocular line ( Fig. 8 A). Eyes separated by 0.9× their own height ( Fig. 8 A). Ocellar ocular distance much shorter than median ocellus diameter (as in Fig. 5 A). Clava tapering with small area of micropilosity ( Fig. 8 E). Mesosoma 1.35−1.4× as long as broad. Basal fold of fore wing with 12 or 13 setae. Metasoma 2.01−2.26× as long as broad. Apex of hypopygium emarginate mesally (as in Fig. 5 J).

Recognition. This species is easily separated from B. subconica and Brachymeria 'Brassolis' by the smaller number of setae on the basal fold. It is distinguished from B. philornisae and B. costalimai by the antennal scrobes being virtually as high as the eye such that the upper edge is about level with the upper ocular line.

The ratios provided by the LDA extractor are also useful (Tab. 4 and Fig. 4). The ratios of head breath: frontovertex breath and mesoscutellum breath: median ocellus diameter readily separate it from B. subrugosa while the ratios of metasoma length: mesosoma length and head breath: eye height distinguish it from most specimens of B. costalimai .

Hosts. The type series and the female examined were both from Alabama argillacea (Hübner) ( Lepidoptera : Noctuidae ). The tachinid hosts quoted by De Santis (1967, 1979) must be checked because of the past confusion concerning the identity of the species. This species was erroneously quoted as B. subconica by Silvie et al. (2014) and at least some of the hosts cited by the authors are probably erroneous because the species was mixed with B. costalimai as noted above.

Distribution. Argentina and Paraguay.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Brachymeria philornisae Delvare sp. nov. ♀. (A − I paratype TRMO # 1, 10 paratype TRMO # 10). A, head in dorsal view. B, mesosoma in dorsal view. C, sculpture of mesonotum. D, mesosoma in lateral view. E, propodeum in posterolateral view. F, hind leg. G, sculpture of metafemur. H, hind telotarsus. I, metasoma in dorsal view. J, apex of metasoma in lateral view. Abbreviation: fsa, falcate seta.

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.