Eadya falcata Huddleston & Short, 1978

Ridenbaugh, Ryan D., Barbeau, Erin & Sharanowski, Barbara J., 2018, Description of four new species of Eadya (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), parasitoids of the Eucalyptus Tortoise Beetle (Paropsis charybdis) and other Eucalyptus defoliating leaf beetles, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 64, pp. 141-175 : 151-155

Eadya falcata Huddleston & Short, 1978 Figs 8A-C ; 9A-E

Diagnosis.

Eadya falcata can be distinguished from all other members of Eadya by the following combination of characters: Clypeus flanged at ventral margin, with two medial tubercles projecting outward (Fig. 9A ); frons with inter-antennal and lateral carina flanged (Fig. 9A, B ); occipital carinae simple (Fig. 9B ); occiput normal (Fig. 9B ); notaulus impressed towards anterior margin of mesoscutum, crenulate at apex (Fig. 9C ); scutellar sulcus divided into two distinct foveae with short longitudinal carina ending before reaching anterior margin (Fig. 9C, E ); sternaulus crenulate (Fig. 9D ); propodeum rounded in appearance from lateral angle, without transverse carina, and not creating a distinct posterior face when viewed laterally (Fig. 8A ); propodeal spiracle elliptical; head orange except for antenna, apex of mandible, and ocellar triangle black (Fig. 9A, B ); pronotum orange expect for lateral posterior margins black (Figs 8A ; 9B, C ); propleuron orange; hindwing infuscate with dark brown veins except for anal, basal, discal, and subbasal cells hyaline (Fig. 8C ); legs black except for foreleg orange with femur, tibia, and tarsus black (Fig. 8A, B ).

Description.

Female. Body Length 5.26mm. Ovipositor Length 1.80mm.

Color. Head orange except for antenna, apex of mandible, and ocellar triangle black; pronotum orange expect for lateral posterior margins black (Fig. 9A, B ); propleuron orange; mesothorax black (Figs 8A, B ; 9C, D ); metathorax black (Figs 8A, B ; 9D, E ); forewing infuscate with dark brown veins except for anal, basal, and subbasal cells hyaline (Fig. 8C ); hindwing infuscate with dark brown veins except for anal, basal, discal, and subbasal cells hyaline (Fig. 8C ); legs black except for foreleg orange with femur, tibia, and tarsus black (Fig. 8A, B ); abdomen black except for ovipositor orange (Fig. 8A ).

Head. Clypeus simple, smooth with scattered setae, flanged at ventral margin, with two medial tubercles projecting outward (Fig. 9A ); mandibles overlapping, dorsal tooth longer than ventral (Fig. 9A ); face finely punctate with associated setae (Fig. 9A ); frons smooth, inter-antennal and lateral carina flanged, starting at the toruli and reaching the ocellar triangle (Fig. 9A, B ); vertex smooth with scattered setae (Fig. 9B ); occipital carina simple, reaching hypostomal carina (Fig. 9B ); hypostomal carina strongly flanged, meeting the mandible and bending around to the mandibular condyle; occiput smooth, normal.

Mesosoma. Pronotum exposed in dorsal view, pronope and subpronope absent, smooth (Fig. 9B ); mesoscutum with median mesonotal lobe smooth (Fig. 9C ); notaulus impressed towards anterior margin of mesoscutum, crenulate at apex (Fig. 9C ); scutellar sulcus divided into two distinct foveae with short longitudinal carinae ending before reaching anterior margin (Fig. 9C, E ); sternaulus crenulate (Fig. 9D ); propodeum rugose and pubescent (Fig. 9E ), rounded in appearance from lateral angle (Fig. 8A ), without transverse carinae and not creating a distinct posterior face when viewed laterally; propodeal spiracle elliptical; coxa, trochanter, trochantellus, and femur covered in setae, tibia and tarsus pubescent; tarsal claws simple (Fig. 8A, B ).

Forewing. r-m curved slightly towards stigma before reaching the junction of 3Rsa and 3RSb.

Hindwing. R1a with three hamuli.

Metasoma. Metasomal tergite 1 petiolate, spiracle protruding as a tubercle at about the middle of the segment, dorsal and lateral surface punctate with associated setae; ovipositor curved downward (Fig. 8A ).

Male. Same as female.

Host.

Unknown.

Variations.

Paratype with foreleg coxa orange and trochanter, trochantellus, femur, tibia, and tarsus black.

Distribution.

Western Australia.

Remarks.

The crenulation at the apex of the notaulus is difficult to see in the holotype due to damage caused by pinning (Fig. 9C ). However, this character is much better preserved in the paratype.

Type material examined.

Holotype, Female ( ANIC), "18 miles W. of Mogumber, WA. 13 April 1968, I.F.B Common & M.S. Upton, 039, Eadya falcata , Female, Holotype, det. T.Huddleston, 1977, Aust. Nat. Ins. Coll.". Paratype, Male ( ANIC), "18 miles W. of Mogumber, WA. 13 April 1968, I.F.B Common & M.S. Upton, Eadya falcata , Male, Paratype, det. T.Huddleston, 1977, Aust. Nat. Ins. Coll.".

Figures

Figure 8. Eadya falcata holotype. A Lateral habitus B Dorsal habitus C Fore and hindwing. All scale bars are 1 mm in length.

Figure 9. Eadya falcata holotype. A Head, frontal view B Head, dorsal view, arrow pointing to emarginate occipital carinae C Head and mesoscutum, dorsal view D Mesopleuron, lateral view E Propodeum, dorsal view.