Balcha cylindrica Walker, 1862

Gibson, Gary A. P., 2005, The world species of Balcha Walker (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eupelmidae), parasitoids of wood-boring beetles, Zootaxa 1033 (1), pp. 1-62 : 17-20

Balcha cylindrica Walker ( Figs. 10 , 29, 30, 39)

Balcha cylindrica Walker, 1862: 395 . Type data: [ South Africa], Port Natal, discovered by M. Gueinzius. Lectotype female designated by Bouček, 1976: 351 (BMNH type no. 5.953, examined).

Eusandalum cylindrica ; Hedqvist, 1961: 109. Change of combination by inference through synonymy of Balcha Walker with Eusandalum Ratzeburg.

Calosota rugosopunctata Hedqvist, 1970: 417–418 . Type data: [ South Africa], Cape Pr., Pondoland, Port St. Johns, 6­25 Febr. 1924, Leg. R.E. Turner (Brit. Mus. 1924­136). Holotype male by original designation (BMNH type no. 5.2145, examined). Synonymy by Bouček, 1976: 351.

Polymoria cylindrica ; Hedqvist, 1970: 441. Change of combination.

Balcha cylindrica ; Gibson, 1989: 67. Combination reestablished.

Additional material examined. AFROTROPICAL. KENYA: Eastern Prov. Kibwesi Forest , 2°27'.90'S 37°54.91'E, 7­12.VIII.1999 (1♀ RCPC), 4­11.IX.1999 (1♂ RCPC), R. Copeland. SOUTH AFRICA: E. Trans. Guernsey Farm, 15 km. E. Klaserie, 19.XII.1985 ,

M. Sanborne (5♀ CNCI). Port St. John, Pondoland , I.1924 (11♀, 8♂ BMNH), 29.I.­ 5.II.1924 (2♀, 12♂ BMNH), 6­25.II.1924 (5♀, 3♂ BMNH), 1­17.III.1924 (2♀ BMNH) , R.E. Turner. Willowmore, Capland, [?] 15 11 99, Dr. R. Brauns (1♂ MCZC). TANZANIA: Zanzibar, nr. Mnazi Moja , 20.VIII­24.IX, H.J. Snell (1♂ BMNH) . ZAIRE: Yangambi , I.1960, J. Decelle (1♀ MRAC) . ZAMBIA: Kitwe, Chati , 30.VII.1979 (1♀ BMNH, 1♀ NHRS), 14.V.1980 (1♀ BMNH) , K. Löyttyniemi.

Description. FEMALE. Length, 5.5–9 mm. Antenna dark except scape, pedicel, Fl 1 and usually base of Fl 2 yellowish; scape widened apically but spindlelike and with outer surface uniformly setose; Fl 1 about 1.4–1.6 x as long as apical width and about 0.5–0.7 x as long as pedicel; Fl 2 about 1.3–1.7 x as long as clava. Head with punctures on parascrobal region green to blue or purple in contrast to dark, coppery or reddish interstices (cf. Fig. 2), the lower face more uniformly green to purple under some angles of light, at least near oral margin; ocellar region and vertex dark with coppery to reddish luster under most angles of light, and posterior surface of head usually dark except occiput and along outer orbit with green to blue luster under some angles of light. Face with setiferous punctures (Figs. 29, 30), the punctures on lower face shallow, closely crowded and with distinct granular to reticulate­punctulate subsculpture so as to appear more or less rugulose toward oral margin, but more widely separated by punctulate­reticulate to slightly cristate interstices on parascrobal region at least near torulus, this sculpture more dorsally comprising a variably long and distinct, low convex, bare region between band of setiferous punctures along scrobal depression and single, often obscure line of setiferous punctures along inner orbit (Figs. 29, 30). Scrobal depression with scrobes smoothly merging into channel; scrobes shiny and dark; channel dorsally often narrowly dark or with slight coppery or greenish luster adjacent to anterior ocellus, but at least with similar colored, broader band medially separating more distinctly green to blue dorsal and ventral regions, mostly smooth and shiny to distinctly rugulose­punctate and at least sparsely setose near anterior ocelli.

Pronotum dark anteriorly and green posteriorly and laterally; distinctly coriaceous to coriaceous­reticulate. Tegula yellowish to brown. Mesoscutum green to purple laterally and posterodorsally, but otherwise extensively dark or with variably bright reddishcoppery luster except for green band between notauli and line of green to bluish punctures partly or completely separating notaular and parapsidal bands, the parapsidal band extending towards margin of mesoscutum lateral to parapsidal line and tapered posteriorly to extend to or almost to inner angle of axilla, and with notaular band extending broadly to base of scutellum ( Fig. 10 ). Mesoscutum ( Fig. 39 ) alveolate laterally, dorsally the punctures smaller, particularly between notauli and near parapsidal line; without distinct depression anterior to level of inner margin of axilla; with white to brownish hairlike setae dorsally as well as more conspicuous, slightly lanceolate white setae dorsomedially within notaular band and laterally along margin of mesoscutum. Scutellum dark green or purple to mostly reddish­coppery under different angles of light, but without well delineated dark and bright metallic regions ( Fig. 10 ); reticulate, the longitudinal interstices sometimes partly aligned anteriorly but not forming evident rugae ( Fig. 39 ). Metanotum dark with green to purple luster under some angles of light; dorsellum thick, with crenulate dorsal surface ( Fig. 39 ) and coriaceous, setose, posterior surface (cf. Fig. 48 ); precrenular region of panel with single line of setae near anterior margin. Acropleuron ( Fig. 39 ) punctatealveolate anteriorly, the punctures becoming smaller posteriorly toward minutely coriaceous­granular subalar region, and postalar region extensively punctulate between subalar region and variably broad coriaceous­aciculate band along posterior margin; variably green to purple, usually most distinctly blue to purple below acropleural sulcus and in postalar region, but also under some angles of light anterodorsally and often mesally in prealar region. Lower mesepimeron coriaceous to shallowly punctatereticulate. Metapleuron distinctly coriaceous except for crenulate posterior margin and narrowly rugulose along anterior margin ventrally. Propodeum green to purple except plical region dark or with coppery luster under some angles of light; paraspiracular region bare, the setae anterior to spiracle extending mesally only to about level of inner margin of spiracle; callus with fine coriaceous subsculpture between setal pores; plical region bare, with carinate margin of foramen ­like recurved to anterior margin of propodeum as variably distinct median carina, the region lateral to median carina also with variably distinct and extensive crenulae. Forewing always hyaline behind marginal vein to level about equal with apex of marginal vein, but often with at least slight brownish infusion in region behind stigmal vein and sometimes with more distinct brownish band narrowed from uncus and postmarginal vein beyond stigmal vein toward medial vein at level equal to about base of marginal vein, and with medial fold sometimes also brownish; vannal area with subcubital setal line extending over about apical half. Legs variably extensively dark brown beyond coxae, but at least with knees, apex of protibia, meso­ and metatibia medially, and tarsi lighter­colored to white, often with trochanters and bases of meso­ and metafemur also lighter colored, and sometimes meso­ and metatibiae entirely light­colored except for narrow subbasal dark band.

Petiole ( Fig. 39 ) composed almost entirely of vertically raised, smooth and shiny rim. Gaster in dorsal view mostly dark brown or with coppery or reddish luster under some angles of light, with syntergum and penultimate tergum sometimes bright coppery to variably extensively greenish, and in lateral view all terga with at least some metallic green to purple and often coppery lusters; about 1.3–1.5 x as long as head and mesosoma combined. Syntergum only about 0.2–0.25 x as long as remaining gaster and in lateral view about 2.5–3.3 x as long as high; uniformly setose, sculptured and tapered posteriorly, with cercus at basal margin.

MALE. Similar to female except as follows: length 4.5–7.5 mm; petiole and propodeal plical region longer, the plical region with inverted Y­ shaped median carina and obliquely angled, irregular carinae extending anteriorly from carina along foramen.

Biology. Unknown.

Discussion. Balcha cylindrica is the only species of the genus known from mainland Africa, though I have seen a male of B. elegans from the island of Zanzibar. Both sexes are distinguished from all other species of the genus by the unique sculpture pattern of the parascrobal region, which dorsally has a slightly convex, though variably large and conspicuous reticulate­punctate bare region between lines of setiferous punctures (Figs. 29, 30). The differentiated region is superficially similar to the upper parascrobal region of some Archaeopelma Gibson ( Gibson 1989, figs. 3, 4) and Eusandalum .

Figures

FIGURES 9–18. Mesosoma dorsal: 9, Balcha laciniosa; 10, B. cylindrica; 11, B. elegans; 12, B. indica (N. Am.); 13, B. eximia; 14, B. eximiassita; 15, B. dictyota; 16, B. reticulata; 17, B. anemeta; 18, B. splendida (nob = notaular band, pnb = paranotaular band, ppb = parapsidal band).

FIGURES 39–46. 39–42. Mesosoma, dorsal: 39, Balcha cylindrica; 40, B. splendida; 41, B. camptogastra; 42, B. enoptra. 43–46. Metanotum and propodeum: 43, B. levicollis; 44, B. punctiscutum; 45, B. enoptra (cal = callus, dor = dorsellum, pcr = precrenular region of metanotal panel, ppr = propodeal plical region, psr = paraspiracular region); 46, B. elegans.

FIGURES 47–54. 47. Metanotum and propodeum: Balcha eximia. 48. B. indica (N. Am.): dorsellum and propodeal plical region. 49 and 50. Mesosoma, lateral: 49, B. punctiscutum; 50, B. indica (N. Am.). 51–54. Posterior half of acropleuron: 51, B. indica (holotype); 52, B. eximiassita; 53, B. anemeta; 54, B. levicollis (sar = subalar region of acropleuron).