Apanteles doreenwatlerae Slater-Baker, Fagan-Jeffries, Fernández-Triana, Portmann & Oestmann, 2025

Slater-Baker, Mollie-Rosae, Fagan-Jeffries, Erinn P., Oestmann, Katherine J., Portmann, Olivia G., Bament, Tiahni M., Howe, Andy G., Guzik, Michelle T., Bradford, Tessa M., McClelland, Alana R., Woodward, Alice, Clarke, Sylvia, Ducker, Nathan & Fernández-Triana, José, 2025, DNA barcoding, integrative taxonomy, citizen science, and Bush Blitz surveys combine to reveal 34 new species of Apanteles (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) in Australia, ZooKeys 1227, pp. 1-128 : 1-128

Apanteles doreenwatlerae Slater-Baker, Fagan-Jeffries, Fernández-Triana, Portmann & Oestmann sp. nov.

Fig. 5 C ( distribution), Fig. 32 (holotype )

Type material.

Holotype. Australia • ♀; QLD, Kuranda ; - 16.814, 145.643; 395 m; 26 Jul. – 26 Aug. 2020; M. S. Moulds leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: OZBOL 431-21 ; QM: T 261203 . Paratypes. Australia • ♀; QLD, Kuranda ; - 16.8135, 145.643; 317 m; 12 Feb. – 6 Apr. 2020; M. S. Moulds leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 1491-24 ; QM: T 261204 . • ♂; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 1506-24 ; QM: T 261206 . • ♂; QLD, Kuranda ; - 17.0564, 145.786; 19 May – 8 Aug. 2017; M. S. Moulds leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 1294-24 ; QM: T 261205 .

Diagnostic description.

Size: Total body length: 2.6 mm; fore wing length: 2.4 mm. Head: anterior scape colour much paler, dramatically different colour than head; F 2 L / W ratio: 2.9; F 14 L / W ratio: 1.4. Mesosoma: scutoscutellar sulcus with seven pits; mesoscutellar disc mostly smooth, or with very shallow scattered indentations; propodeal areola complete, or mostly so; propodeum mostly smooth; coxae colour (pro, meso, meta): pale all; metafemur colour mostly pale. Wings: centre of pterostigma pigmented to same degree as the outer edges; fore wing r vein length / 2 RS vein length ratio: 2.1. Metasoma: T 1 shape narrowing distally, T 1 medial length / anterior width between 1–2 × longer than wide; T 1 mostly rugose; T 2 mostly smooth; ovipositor sheath length / metatibia length ratio: 1.0.

Apanteles doreenwatlerae can be separated from all other described Apanteles species in Australia other than A. pharusalis by the pale metacoxa. It can be diagnosed against A. pharusalis by the T 1 anterior width / posterior width ratio (~ 1.7 in A. doreenwatlerae and ~ 1.2 in A. pharusalis ).

Etymology.

This species is named for Doreen Watler, for her contribution to hosting numerous visiting students and researchers (including EPFJ) at the CNC; her hospitality enables a considerable number of the international entomology exchanges in Ottawa.

Distribution.

Apanteles doreenwatlerae is currently only known from northern QLD.

Molecular information.

Apanteles doreenwatlerae contains sequences currently in BIN BOLD: AAM 7396. The COI sequences are at least 9 % divergent from any of the other species treated here, or any available sequence on BOLD. The wg sequence of the holotype is ≥ 7 bp different to any other species. All delimitation methods separated Apanteles doreenwatlerae as a distinct species.

Figures

Figure 5. Known distribution in the of the following Apanteles species in Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand: A A. carpatus, A. sp. nr carpatus, A. cuprum, A. ippeus, A. kelpiellus, A. ligdus B A. darthvaderi, A. focusalis, A. lamingtonensis, A. pellucidus, A. phantasmatus C A. doreenwatlerae, A. margaritarius, A. pharusalis, A. rufiterra, A. translucentis. Maps include examined material and public DNA barcode records, see Suppl. material 3 for full details.

Figure 32. Apanteles doreenwatlerae (holotype OZBOL 431-21) A dorsal propodeum, T 1, and T 2 B lateral habitus C fore wing D anterior head E dorsal head F dorsal habitus.