Brachymeria aurea (Girault, 1915)

Narendran, T. C. & van Achterberg, Cornelis, 2016, Revision of the family Chalcididae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Vietnam, with the description of 13 new species, ZooKeys 576, pp. 1-202 : 25-27

Taxon classification Animalia Hymenoptera Chalcididae

Brachymeria aurea (Girault, 1915) Figs 27-28

Chalcis area Girault, 1915a: 321 (♀ (?), Australia, Queensland (QMB)).

Chalcis delli Girault, 1924b: 176 (♀ (?), Australia, Queensland (OMB); synonymised with Brachymeria aurea (Girault) by Bouček 1988b).

Brachymeria auratopubescence Joseph, Narendran & Joy, 1972: 345 (holotype ♀, BPBM) India; synonymised with Brachymeria aurea (Girault) by Narendran 1989).

Material

(RMNH, IEBR). 2 ♀, "S. Vietnam: Dóng Nai, Cát Tiên N. P., ca 100 m, 14-20.v.2007, Mal. traps 20-23, Lagerstroemia tr[ail], C. v. Achterberg & R. de Vries, RMNH’07”; 2 ♀, id., but 13-20.v.2007.

Diagnosis.

This species comes near Brachymeria megaspila Cameron in the key to species by Narendran (1989), but differs from that species in having: 1) golden yellow pubescence on body (in Brachymeria megaspila pubescence silvery white); 2) post-orbital carina weakly represented (in Brachymeria megaspila post-orbital carina strongly represented) and 3) metasoma as long as mesosoma (in Brachymeria megaspila metasoma shorter than mesosoma).

Description

(based on female from Cát Tiên N. P.). ♀, length 6.1 mm.

Colour. Black with following parts as follows: eye dull yellow; ocelli pale reflecting yellow; apex and base of scape pale brownish yellow; radicula pale brownish yellow; tegula yellow with basal margin dark reddish brown; all coxae concolorous with mesosoma; all femora black with apical half or apex yellow; fore and mid tibiae yellow with a black patch on outer middle part; hind tibia yellow with a dark brown strip each on inner and outer side at base (leaving a yellow strip at middle); all tarsi yellow; claws yellow except dark apex; arolium dark brown with pale yellow pads at apex. Pubescence on vertex, mesoscutum, scutellum and on metasoma golden yellow; pubescence on face, metapleuron and femora pale white.

Head. Width of head in anterior view 1.3 × its height (23:18); in dorsal view 2.3 × its length, subequal to width of mesosoma; POL twice OOL; interocular space about 3 × POL. Vertex with close setigerous pits, interstices narrower than diameter of a pit, micro-sculptured; setigerous pits on face closer and interstices carinate; scrobe reaching anterior ocellus, margins carinate; height of malar space 0.3 × height of eye in profile; eye height 1.7 × its length in profile; pre-orbital carina absent; post-orbital carina present reaching geno-temporal margin though broken at middle by a pit; area below scrobe slightly raised at middle, without an impunctate area (though interstices smooth and shiny in the raised part); lateral margins of scrobe faintly produced anteriorly beyond antennal toruli; anterior genal angle slightly acute; hind genal angle subrectangular. Antenna stout; radicula about 0.3 × length of scape; scape almost reaching anterior ocellus; ratios L:W of antennal segments: scape = 10:3; pedicel = 2:2; F1 = 3:3; F2 = 4:4; F3 = 3:4; F4 = 3:4; F5 = 3:4; F6 = 3:4; F7 = 3:4; clava = 4:4.

Mesosoma. Pronotum 3.2 × as broad as its median length (including collar), with close setigerous, umbilicate pits, interstices carinate and micro-sculptured, anterior carina separating collar obsolescent at middle; posterior margin of pronotum concave with a row of golden yellow setae directed posteriorly; middle lobe of mesoscutum punctate as in pronotum, a little broader than long (18:16); scutellum as broad as its length, with a distinct, dense row of golden yellow pubescence around margin; apex bi-lobed; scutellum fairly high in profile gently sloping towards apex but perpendicular tooth weakly developed; facies femoralis sunken; metapleuron with close setigerous pits, interstices carinate.

Wings. Fore wing 2.9 × longer than wide; relative length of CC = 27; SMV = 21; parastigma = 4; MV = 14; PMV = 6; STV = 3.

Legs. Hind coxa smooth and shiny dorsally, closely pitted and pubescent on ventral side, ventro-mesal tooth absent, 0.6 × as long as hind femur; hind femur 1.8 × as long as broad, outer disc closely pitted and pubescent, outer ventral margin a row of 11 differently sized teeth; first proximal tooth larger than others; hind femur with inner basal tooth absent.

Metasoma. Metasoma as long as mesosoma, 1.8 × as long as its height; T1 4 × as long as T2 in dorsal view, smooth and shiny, with a small area of pubescence at apical part latero-dorsally; T2 with dense setigerous pits and pubescence on sides and anterior part, remaining part densely micro-sculptured except on distal admarginal area. T6 with 8-9 cross rows of setigerous pits; ovipositor sheath slightly visible in dorsal view.

Male. Unknown.

Host.

Delias argenthona (F.) ( Lepidoptera : Pieridae ) ( Bouček 1988b).

Distribution.

Philippines, Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi), Burma, Vietnam (new record) and Australia ( Narendran 1989).

Variation.

In Australian specimens the golden yellow pubescence is more brilliant and dense than in the Vietnamese or Indian specimens. Area below scrobe is without distinct smooth raised impunctate region in Vietnamese specimens. The colour of the hind femur is slightly variable. The yellow colour at apex of hind femur extends to base through dorsal side in many specimens but in Vietnamese specimens it does not reach the posterior yellow basal part.