Kiwigaster Fernández-Triana, Whitfield and Ward, 2011

Fernandez-Triana, J. L., Ward, D. F. & Whitfield, J. B., 2011, Kiwigaster gen. nov. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from New Zealand: the first Microgastrinae with sexual dimorphism in number of antennal segments, Zootaxa 2932 (1), pp. 24-32 : 25

Kiwigaster Fernández-Triana, Whitfield and Ward , gen. nov.

( Figures 1–9 ).

Type species. Kiwigaster variabilis sp. nov, by present designation.

Diagnosis. Sexual dimorphism in the number of antennal flagellomeres (17 in females and 18 in males). Anterior tentorial pits enlarged. Lateral face of the scutellum almost completely smooth and polished, with only very small striations on the dorsal edge. Mesoscutum mostly smooth, with notauli well defined as deep, thin sulci that run from the anterior edge of the mesoscutum to the scuto-scutellar sulcus. Fore wing with a large areolet that is more than half as large as the stigma. Metatibial spines extremely short, 0.2X or less as long as the first metatarsus segment.

Description. Head. Anterior tentorial pits enlarged; clypeus semicircular in shape and half as high as wide; antenna with 17 flagellomeres in females, 18 in males. Mesosoma. Pronotum laterally with only the lower furrow; mesoscutum with notauli well defined as deep sulci throughout most of the mesoscutum length, meeting posteriorly; notaular sulci with bridging costulae along its entire length; scutellar lateral face with polished area occupying most of the face height, with striated area barely visible. Fore wing with areolet large, quadrangular, its height subequal to that of stigma and its width half the stigma length. Legs. Metacoxae small, less than 3X as large as mesocoxae and shorter than first metasomal tergite; metatibial spurs very small, 0.2X or less the length of metatarsomere 1. Metasoma. Mediotergite 1 parallel-sided and elongate; mediotergite 2 transverse, subtriangular in shape; hypopygium mostly sclerotized and inflexible, but folded in the ventral 1/3 along the middle line, setting off a more translucent and flexible area; ovipositor sheaths fully setose and about the same length as metatibia.

Distribution. Only known from New Zealand, where it is widely distributed ( Fig. 10).

Biology. Unknown.

Putatives autapomorphies. Sexual dimorphism in number of flagellomeres and enlarged tentorial pits.

Comments. The most commonly used key to genera of Microgastrinae in New Zealand is that of Austin and Dangerfield (1992). Kiwigaster can be distinguished based on the number of antennal flagellomeres (17 in females and 18 in males). The rest of Microgastrinae have a fixed number of 16 flagellomeres.

Etymology. The name refers to the geographical distribution of the genus, which is only known from New Zealand. The gender of the genus name is masculine.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Kiwigaster variabilis. Figure 1: Head, frontal. Arrow shows anterior tentorial pit. Figure 2: Head and pronotum, lateral. Arrow shows lower pronotal furrow. Figure 3: Mesoscutum, dorsal. Arrow shows beginning of the notauli. Figure 4: Mesosoma, dorso-lateral. Arrow shows lateral face of scutellum.

FIGURES 5–8. Kiwigaster variabilis. Figure 5: Partial mesosoma and base of hind wing, dorso-lateral, Arrow shows vannal lobe. Figure 6: Fore wing, dorsal. Figure 7: Partial metatibia and two first segments of metatarsus, dorso-lateral. Arrow shows metatibial inner spur. Figure 8: Meso and metasoma, dorsal. Arrows show metacoxa and metatibial spur.