Corresponding author: Donald L. J. Quicke (
Academic editor: Stefan Schmidt
A new species,
The
During searching of the braconid accessions collection in the Natural History Museum, London, three 100 years old specimens of a small braconine were found, each mounted above a small leaflet with what superficially looked like a white egg-mass. However, on closer examination, these white masses were found to be the distinctive bubble-like ornamentation of the cocoon of a gracillariid moth. The specimens were labelled as having been reared from
The wasps were all rather dirty, and too fragile to attempt all but the most superficial of cleaning. Nevertheless, they were in sufficiently good condition to be described. The three possess a combination of characters used to describe a putatively monophyletic group of genera referred to as the
In the key to the
The type specimens of the three oriental species described by
Holotype. Female, “19.vi.1911, Parasite on
Paratypes. 2 females, same data as holotype.
In
1 | Propodeum with complete midlongitudinal carina. Body yellowish brown | 2a |
– | Propodeum with incomplete midlongitudinal carina. Body brown or blackish brown | 3 |
2a | Metasoma entirely yellowish. Face with midlongitudinal ridge which is produced to form knob between antennal sockets [Afrotropical] |
|
– | Metasoma with distinct pattern of dark marks. Face without midlongitudinal ridge [Oriental] | 2b |
2b | Antenna with 21 flagellomeres. Dark posterior marking on tergite 2 and anterior of tergite 4 entire |
|
– | Antenna with 24 flagellomeres. Dark posterior marking on tergite 2 and anterior of tergite 4 completely divided medially by pale brown yellow zone giving rise to ‘H’-shaped pattern |
Length of body 2.9 mm, of forewing 2.6 mm and of antenna 2.8 mm.
The type series of
We are grateful to David Lees, David Notton and Martin Honey (all BMNH) for (independently) confirming the host identity and stage. The Animal Systematic Research Unit and Integrated Ecology Lab, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University kindly allowed use of their Cell^D® imaging facility.