Bracalba

Notice:

This page is derived from the original publication listed below, whose author(s) should always be credited. Further contributors may edit and improve the content of this page and, consequently, need to be credited as well (see page history). Any assessment of factual correctness requires a careful review of the original article as well as of subsequent contributions. If you are uncertain whether your planned contribution is correct or not, we suggest that you use the associated discussion page instead of editing the page directly. This page should be cited as follows (rationale): Burks R, Masner L, Johnson N, Austin A (2012) Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia. ZooKeys 236 : 1–53, doi. Versioned wiki page: 2012-11-02, version 28284, https://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Bracalba&oldid=28284 , contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers. Citation formats to copy and paste BibTeX: @article{Burks2012ZooKeys236, author = {Burks, Roger A. AND Masner, Lubomír AND Johnson, Norman F. AND Austin, Andrew D.}, journal = {ZooKeys}, publisher = {Pensoft Publishers}, title = {Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia}, year = {2012}, volume = {236}, issue = {}, pages = {1--53}, doi = {10.3897/zookeys.236.3434}, url = {http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/3434/abstract}, note = {Versioned wiki page: 2012-11-02, version 28284, https://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Bracalba&oldid=28284 , contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers.} } RIS/ Endnote: TY - JOUR T1 - Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia A1 - Burks R A1 - Masner L A1 - Johnson N A1 - Austin A Y1 - 2012 JF - ZooKeys JA - VL - 236 IS - UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.236.3434 SP - 1 EP - 53 PB - Pensoft Publishers M1 - Versioned wiki page: 2012-11-02, version 28284, https://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Bracalba&oldid=28284 , contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers. M3 - doi:10.3897/zookeys.236.3434 Wikipedia/ Citizendium: <ref name="Burks2012ZooKeys236">{{Citation | author = Burks R, Masner L, Johnson N, Austin A | title = Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia | journal = ZooKeys | year = 2012 | volume = 236 | issue = | pages = 1--53 | pmid = | publisher = Pensoft Publishers | doi = 10.3897/zookeys.236.3434 | url = http://www.pensoft.net/journals/zookeys/article/3434/abstract | pmc = | accessdate = 2024-12-13 }} Versioned wiki page: 2012-11-02, version 28284, https://species-id.net/w/index.php?title=Bracalba&oldid=28284 , contributors (alphabetical order): Pensoft Publishers.</ref> See also the citation download page at the journal.

Taxonavigation

Ordo: Hymenoptera
Familia: Platygastridae

Name

Bracalba Dodd – Wikispecies link – ZooBank link – Pensoft Profile

• Bracalba Dodd 1931: 78 (original description. Type: Bracalba laminata Dodd, by original designation); Muesebeck and Walkley 1956: 336 (citation of type species); Masner 1976: 22, 23 (description, key to separate Baryconus Förster, Bracalba Dodd, Chromoteleia Ashmead, Oxyscelio Kieffer); Galloway and Austin 1984: 8, 13 (diagnosis, list of species described from Australia, keyed); Johnson 1992: 354 (catalog of world species); Austin and Field 1997: 18, 68 (structure of ovipositor system, discussion of phylogenetic relationships, genus misplaced in Baryconini).

Diagnosis

Eye setose; frontal depression present; antenna 12-segmented; netrion present; postmarginal vein of fore wing present, longer than marginal and stigmal veins; mesotibia and metatibia each with 1 spur; metascutellum setose dorsally and ventrally; ovipositor Scelio-type.

Description

Body length: 2.75–6.88 mm (n=78).
Head. Head shape in dorsal view: transverse. Hyperoccipital carina: absent. Occipital carina: present laterally, broadly interrupted medially; present, complete medially. Occipital carina sculpture: crenulate. OOL: lateral ocellus nearly contiguous with inner orbits, OOL < 0.5 OD. Upper frons: convex, without frontal shelf. Scrobe shape: frons with shallow unmargined depression above antennal foramina. Frons sculpture: areolate rugose, transversely striate within scrobe; areolate rugose, scrobe sparsely punctate. Submedian carina: absent. Orbital carina: absent. Inner orbits: diverging ventrally. IOS/EH: IOS slightly less than EH. Interantennal process: triangular in lateral view, well-developed. Central keel: absent. Antennal foramen opening: nearly anteriorly. Lower frons striae: absent. Malar sulcus: present. Compound eye size: of normal proportions, not significantly reduced. Compound eye setation: densely setose; sparsely setose. Gena: narrow, weakly convex, receding behind posterior orbit. Clypeus shape: transversely rectangular. Apical margin of clypeus: rounded; with a small median point. Anteclypeus: absent. Postclypeus: absent. Labrum: not visible. Mandible shape: moderate. Mandibular teeth: apex with 2, acute, subequal teeth; apex tridentate, teeth acute, middle tooth distinctly shortest. Arrangement of mandibular teeth: transverse. Number of maxillary palpomeres: 4. Shape of maxillary palpomeres: cylindrical. Number of labial palpomeres: 2.
Antenna. Number of antennomeres in female: 12. Number of antennomeres in male: 12. Insertion of radicle into A1: parallel to longitudinal axis of A1. Shape of A1: more or less cylindrical, not flattened. Length of A3 of female: distinctly longer than A2. Number of clavomeres in female antenna: 8. Claval formula of female antenna: A12-A7/1-2-2-2-2-2; A12-A6/1-2-2-2-2-2-2; A12-A6/1-2-2-2-2-2-1. Arrangement of doubled multiporous plate sensilla on female clava: in longitudinal pairs. Tyloid distribution on male antenna: A5 only. Shape of male flagellum: filiform.
Mesosoma. Mesosoma shape in dorsal view: longer than wide. Mesosoma shape in lateral view: longer than high. Medial portion of transverse pronotal carina: absent. Posterior apex of pronotum in dorsal view: straight, bifid apically to articulate with tegula. Vertical epomial carina: absent. Dorsal epomial carina (lateral portion of transverse pronotal carina of Vilhelmsen et al. (2010)): absent. Central pronotal area: vertical, not visible in dorsal view. Lateral face of pronotum: weakly concave below position of dorsal epomial carina. Netrion: present. Netrion shape: moderately wide, closed ventrally. Anterior portion of mesoscutum: vertical, flexed ventrally to meet pronotum. Mesoscutum shape: pentagonal in outline, posterolateral corner rounded. Skaphion: absent. Notauli: present, percurrent. Parapsidal lines: absent. Admedial lines: absent. Transscutal articulation: well-developed, crenulate. Shape of mesoscutellum: quadrate to trapezoidal. Armature of mesoscutellum: absent. Surface of mesoscutellum: convex throughout. Median longitudinal furrow on mesoscutellum: absent; present. Shape of axillula: small, dorsal margin sinuate. Metascutellum in dorsal view: clearly differentiated. Metascutellar armature: produced into flattened plate. Metascutellar setation: setose dorsally and ventrally. Metapostnotum: not defined externally. Extent of metasomal depression of propodeum: percurrent, extending anteriorly to anterior margin of propodeum. Lateral propodeal projection: well-developed, extending clearly beyond anterior margin of T1. Mesopleural carina: absent or strongly abbreviated, present only near mid coxa. Mesal course of acetabular carina: projecting anteriorly, but too short to intercede between fore coxae. Mesopleural pit: absent. Sternaulus: absent. Posterodorsal corner of mesopleuron: rounded anteriorly.
Legs. Number of mid tibial spurs: 1. Number of hind tibial spurs: 1. Dorsal surface of hind coxa: smooth. Hind tibia shape: cylindrical, ecarinate. Trochantellus: indicated by transverse sulcus on femur.
Wings. Wing development of female: macropterous. Wing development of male: macropterous. Tubular veins in fore wing: present. Bulla of fore wing R: absent. Extent of marginal venation of fore wing: distinct marginal or postmarginal veins developed. Origin of r-rs in fore wing: arising at junction of R/R1 with costal margin. Development of basal vein (Rs+M) in fore wing: nebulous, weakly pigmented. Development of R in hind wing: elongate, extending to costal margin.
Metasoma. Number of external terga in female: 6. Number of external sterna in female: 6. Number of external terga in male: 8. Number of external sterna in male: 7. Shape of metasoma: acuminate, widest submedially. Laterotergites: present, narrow. Laterosternites: present. T1 of female: raised medially into low, rectangular or subelliptical platform, laterally depressed. Relative size of metasomal terga: T2–T4 largest, subequal in size. Terga with basal crenulae: T1–T4. Sublateral carinae on terga: absent. Median longitudinal carina on metasomal terga: absent; present. Distribution of felt fields: absent. Ovipositor type: Scelio-type (Austin and Field 1997).

Etymology

Dodd did not specify the source of the name for this genus, but presumably it is derived the name of the Queensland town of Bracalba. (Dodd also used the names of Merriwa, NSW and Nyleta, QLD for other genera.) He originally combined this name with two species epithets of variable gender, both coined in feminine form: Bracalba cuneata and Bracalba laminata, clearly indicating that he intended Bracalba to be a feminine noun.

Distribution

Bracalba has been collected only from Australia (Fig. 1), and has seldom been collected north of the Tropic of Capricorn. The furthest north that any Bracalba has been collected was at 24°39'S, and only two species have been found north of Alice Springs, NT. Location records show that the highest species diversity occurs in the Pilbara and south-western regions of Western Australia.

Biology

The hosts of Bracalba are unknown but the structure of the ovipositor (Scelio-type; Austin and Field 1997) and specimens reared from eggs confirm that the genus is associated with orthopteran hosts. These eggs could not be identified beyond the ordinal level.

Relationships among species

The implicit enumeration search found two optimum trees of 166 steps (strict consensus: Fig. 2). Bracalba was monophyletic with respect to the Chromoteleia outgroup (bootstrap = 100). Intuitively-based species groups were not monophyletic in the analysis, but this was likely due to homoplasy resulting from inclusion of many sculptural and coloration characters that have mainly descriptive value. Species with a bend at metasomal segment 4 in females did not form a monophyletic group, but this was complicated by the smooth transition in this character from being distinctively present to clearly absent. One feature that was helpful in determining species group, but which was not reported in the key because it was too difficult to accurately and consistently assess, was the lateral margin of the dorsal axillar area. In the cuneata-group, the dorsal axillar area was essentially triangular, broadening posteriorly, with the lateral margin sometimes forming a posterior tooth. In the laminata-group the dorsal axillar area was generally more nearly semicircular, broadest at midlength, and with the lateral margin not forming a posterior tooth. Apparent variation, and difficultly in observing this character with confidence, caused us to omit it from the key.

Key to species of Bracalba

Note: It is imperative to consult figures when using the below key, as shape features of the metascutellum and metasoma are very important in identifying Bracalba species with any hope of accuracy.

Key to species of Bracalba — R. Burks , L. Masner , N. Johnson , A. Austin

1		Mandibles bidentate with no hint of a third tooth (Fig. 11), teeth narrowly separated and of nearly the same length. Females: T4 without bend or hump (Figs 4, 7); fore wings extending to middle of T5 or beyond when folded over body    2 (cuneata-group)
–		Mandibles either tridentate with a small middle tooth (Fig. 40) or very rarely bidentate, but with teeth broadly separated and/or dorsal tooth much longer than ventral tooth (Figs 52, 58). Females: T4 with or without bend or hump (bend: Fig. 33, hump: Fig. 56); fore wings extending only to middle or apex of T4 when folded over body    4 (laminata-group)
2		Metascutellum flat (Figs 12–13), not projecting dorsally. Male: A3 short: 1.1–1.2× as long as broad (Fig. 13)    Bracalba plana Burks, sp. n.
–		Metascutellum projecting dorsally (Figs 4, 7). Male: A3 over 1.5× as long as broad    3
3		Mesoscutellum sparsely foveolate, with smooth interspaces (Fig. 8). Mesoscutum smoothly and regularly convex anteriorly and posteriorly (Figs 7–8)    Bracalba globosa Burks,sp. n.
–		Mesoscutellum densely foveolate, interspaces with irregular longitudinal rugae (Fig. 3). Mesoscutum abruptly convex only anteriorly, flattened or irregularly convex posteriorly (Figs 3–4)    Bracalba cuneata Dodd
4		Propodeum with sharp protrusions (from lateral propodeal area) protruding dorsally immediately posterior to metascutellum, reaching at least the same height as the dorsal surface of metascutellum (Figs 47–48). Males unknown    Bracalba propodealis Burks,sp. n.
–		Propodeum without such protrusions    5
5		Metascutellum strongly narrowed apically (Figs 28, 32, 36, 40, 55), tapering to an incised or narrowly truncate apex that is narrower than the maximum metascutellar length; metasomal bend or hump present in females (Figs 33, 56)    6
–		Metascutellum with apex broadly truncate, as broad or broader than total metascutellar length (Figs 14, 19, 24, 43, 47, 60); metasomal bend present or absent in females    10
6		Mesosoma truncate anteriorly (Figs 28, 32), with antero-lateral pronotal corners protruding anteriorly. Metascutellum incised apically    7
–		Mesosoma smoothly rounded anteriorly (Fig. 36), with antero-lateral pronotal corners much weaker, more rounded, and not protruding anteriorly. Metascutellar apex variable    8
7		Mesoscutellum without median carina (Fig. 32). Females with a mostly reddish metasoma and very large body (at least 6.5 mm long)    Bracalba magnirubra Burks,sp. n.
–		Mesoscutellum with median carina (Fig. 28). Color of metasoma in females unknown. Female body length 4.25 mm [using Dodd’s (1930) description, which is probably an underestimate]    Bracalba laminata Dodd
8		Antennal scrobes crossed by transverse carinae that meet at torular triangle (Fig. 38). Females unknown    Bracalba nigrescens (Dodd)
–		Antennal scrobes foveolate or smooth. Females with hump near midlength T4 (Figs 41, 56)    9
9		Antennal scrobes smooth and distinct. Clypeus with blunt median carina (Fig. 42). Female: S6 without apical incision (Fig. 42); T5, S5 with many strong longitudinal carinae (Figs 40, 42)    Bracalba parvirubra Burks,sp. n.
–		Antennal scrobes foveolate and indistinct (Fig. 57). Clypeus without median carina (Fig. 58). Female: S6 with strong apical incision (Fig. 59); T5, S5 with at most a median carina (Figs 55, 59)    Bracalba sparsa Burks,sp. n.
10		Frontal depression with strong longitudinal carina that is crossed by a strong transverse carina dorsally. Clypeus with median carina and transverse dorsal carina (Fig. 53). Metascutellum broadly trapezoidal (Fig. 51). Females: metasoma reddish, T5 and S5 with many longitudinal carinae, S6 without apical notch (Fig. 54)    Bracalba sculptifrons Burks, sp. n.
–		Frontal depression without such a set of carinae. Clypeus with weaker or no carinae (Figs 20, 45, 64). Metascutellum variable (Figs 19, 62). Females: metasoma brown to black, T5, S5, and S6 variable    11
11		Metascutellum elongate-trapezoidal with concave lateral margins (Fig. 62). Female: S6 with strong apical notch (Fig. 65); T5, S5 with distinct longitudinal carinae (Figs 62, 65). Males unknown    Bracalba tridentata Burks, sp. n.
–		Metascutellum broadly trapezoidal with straight lateral margins (Figs 19, 43, 60), or subrectangular to weakly convex with irregular lateral margins (Figs 14, 24). Female: S6 without apical notch (Figs 17, 23, 46); T5, S5 variable    12
12		Mesoscutellum with a set of incomplete median longitudinal grooves (Fig. 19). Middle mandibular tooth almost as long as the other two (Fig. 20). Clypeus with weak median carina. Female: S5 with longitudinal carinae (Fig. 23). Males unknown    Bracalba hesperia Burks ,sp. n.
–		Mesoscutellum without median grooves (Fig. 43). Middle mandibular tooth tiny, much smaller than the other two (Figs 16, 26, 45). Clypeus without median carina. Female: S5 with or without carinae    13
13		Mesoscutellum sparsely foveolate, with broad interspaces (Fig. 60). Female: S5 with longitudinal carinae (Fig. 61)    Bracalba tricorata Burks, sp. n.
–		Mesoscutellum densely foveolate (interspaces very narrow) except sometimes a small smooth antero-median area (Figs 14, 24, 43). Female: S5 finely foveolate, without longitudinal carinae (Figs 17, 46)    14
14		Metascutellum trapezoidal in dorsal view, with straight lateral margins (Fig. 43). Female: Antenna with seven apical segments bearing large ventral sensilla, forming a more or less distinct 7-segmented club that includes A6    Bracalba pinnula Burks, sp. n.
–		Metascutellum in dorsal view irregularly subrectangular or cushion-like, with irregular margins (Figs 14, 24). Female: Antenna with large ventral sensilla on only the six apical segments, these expanded into a 6-segmented club that is distinct from A6 (Figs 14–15)    15
15		Mesoscutellum with fine wrinkles or carinae in interspaces between foveolae (Fig. 14). Female: T6 broader than long (Fig. 14)    Bracalba clavata Burks, sp. n.
–		Mesoscutellum with smooth interspaces between foveolae (Fig. 24); occasionally smaller foveolae may be present in the interspaces, or the interspaces themselves could be raised to form large wrinkles. Female: T6 longer than broad (Fig. 24)    Bracalba intermedia Burks, sp. n.

Taxon Treatment

• Burks, R; Masner, L; Johnson, N; Austin, A; 2012: Taxonomic revision of Bracalba Dodd (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae s.l.), a parasitoid wasp genus endemic to Australia ZooKeys, 236: 1-53. doi

Images

Figure 1. Collection events for each Bracalba species. * = species known from only one locality.  Figure 2. Strict consensus phylogram of two most parsimonious trees for species of Bracalba using implicit enumeration (branch-and-bound exact search), score = 166. Bootstrap support values found using TNT new technology search (set initial level = 95). Bremer support values above 1, and bootstrap values about 50% indicated on branches.  Figures 3–6. Bracalba cuneata Dodd, holotype female (QMBA HY4733). 3 Dorsal habitus 4 Lateral habitus, female (OSUC 238135) 5 Head, anterior view 6 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank15  Figures 7–11. Bracalba globosa sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 148612). 7 Lateral habitus 8 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 9 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view 11 Head, ventral view, holotype female (OSUC 148701) 10 Head, anterior view. Morphbank16  Figures 12–13. Bracalba plana sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 230804). 12 Dorsal habitus, paratype male (OSUC 148706) 13 Dorsal habitus. Morphbank17  Figures 14–18. Bracalba clavata sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 384555). 14 Dorsal habitus 15 Lateral habitus, paratype female (OSUC 384558) 16 Head, ventral view, paratype female (OSUC 384559) 17 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view, paratype male (OSUC 384556) 18 Dorsal habitus. Morphbank18  Figures 19–23. Bracalba hesperia sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 148713). 19 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 20 Head, ventral view 21 Lateral habitus; 22 Metasomal terga 5–6, dorsal view 23 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank19  Figures 24–27. Bracalba intermedia sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 180713). 24 Dorsal habitus 25 Ventral habitus, paratype female (OSUC 148707) 26 Head, ventral view, paratype male (OSUC 227576) 27 Dorsal habitus. Morphbank20  Figures 28–31. Bracalba laminata Dodd, allotype male (QMBA HY4732A). 28 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 29 Head, anterior view 30 Metasomal terga 6–8, posterior view, holotype female (QMBA HY4732H) 31 Antenna, ventral view. Morphbank21  Figures 32–35. Bracalba magnirubra sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 238178). 32 Dorsal habitus 34 Head, ventral view, holotype female (OSUC 148715) 33 Lateral habitus, paratype female (OSUC 238112) 35 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank22  Figures 36–39. Bracalba nigrescens (Dodd) holotype male (B.M. TYPE HYM. 9.499). 36 Head and mesosoma, dorsal view 37 Metasomal terga 6–8, postero-lateral view 38 Head, anterior view 39 Head, ventral view. Morphbank23  Figures 40–42. Bracalba parvirubra sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 238194). 40 Dorsal habitus 41 Lateral habitus 42 Ventral habitus. Morphbank24  Figures 43–46. Bracalba pinnula sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 231794). 43 Dorsal habitus 45 Head, ventral view, holotype female (OSUC 231797) 44 Lateral habitus 46 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank25  Figures 47–50. Bracalba propodealis sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 227590). 47 Dorsal habitus, paratype female (OSUC 227591) 48 Lateral habitus, paratype female (OSUC 238190) 49 Head, ventral view 50 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank26  Figures 51–54. Bracalba sculptifrons sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 148704). 51 Dorsal habitus 53 Head, ventral view 54 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view, holotype female (OSUC 231799) 52 Lateral habitus. Morphbank27  Figures 55–59. Bracalba sparsa sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 231798). 55 Dorsal habitus 56 Lateral habitus 58 Head, ventral view, paratype female (OSUC 238205) 57 Head, anterior view 59 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view. Morphbank28  Figures 60–61. Bracalba tricorata sp. n.,holotype female (OSUC 238541). 60 Dorsal habitus 61 Ventral habitus. Morphbank29  Figures 62–65. Bracalba tridentata sp. n.,paratype female (OSUC 238116). 62 Dorsal habitus 64 Head, ventral view, metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view 65 Metasomal sterna 5–6, ventral view, holotype female (OSUC 238113) 63 Lateral habitus. Morphbank30