Mirax kaatijan Slater-Baker, 2025

Slater-Baker, Mollie-Rosae, Guzik, Michelle, Rodriguez, Juanita, Howe, Andy, Woodward, Alice, Ducker, Nathan & Fagan-Jeffries, Erinn, 2025, Three new species of Australian miracine parasitoid wasps collected by regional schools as part of the Insect Investigators citizen science project (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Miracinae), Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98, pp. 19-45 : 19-45

Mirax kaatijan Slater-Baker sp. nov.

Fig. 3

Specimens examined.

Holotype: Australia • 1 ♀; Western Australia, William Bay National Park ; 35°01.14'S, 117°13.68'E; 22–29 Mar. 2022; Kwoorabup Nature School students leg.; M / T; BOLD Sample ID: BIOUG 82737-C 06; BOLD Process ID: ASMII 5142-22; WAM E 111731

Diagnosis.

Mirax kaatijan can be distinguished from all described Australian Miracinae by the solid yellow colouration of the head and mesosoma. Mirax kaatijan appears similar to an undescribed Australian species collected from Gleneagle State Forest WA, represented by BOLD process ID: AUMIR 010-21, however this undescribed male specimen has the mesosoma mostly brown, and scutellar medio-posterior depressions large and ovoid, separated by a distance less than one depression.

Description.

Size: body length 1.5 mm; fore wing length 1.7 mm; length of antenna approximately equal to body length (Fig. 3 A ).

Colour: head and mesosoma yellow, except for flagellum and tip of mandible dark brown. metasoma dull yellow basally, gradating to brown distally; T 1 yellow with yellow-brown margin; T 2 yellow; ovipositor sheaths brown; hind coxa, femur, tibia and tarsus yellow; fore wing veins and pterostigma translucent brownish.

Head: dorsal head 1.6 × wider than medial length (Fig. 3 F ); dorsal head width 1.3 × face height (Fig. 3 E, F ); head and face smooth, with short, dense setae throughout (Fig. 3 E, F ); head shape nearly ovoid in anterior view (Fig. 3 E ); dorsal eye length (maximum length measured diagonally) 0.7 × distance between the eyes at narrowest point (Fig. 3 F ); dorsal medial head length 1.5 × longer than dorsal eye length; distance between the eyes at narrowest point 0.6 × head width in dorsal view (Fig. 3 F ); ratio POD: POL: OOL = 1: 1.7: 2.9 (Fig. 3 F ); inner eye margin narrowing slightly posteriorly (towards clypeus; Fig. 3 E ); eyes with a few short, sparse setae (barely visible); antennae with 14 segments; scape 1.9 × longer than wide; pedicel 2.1 × longer than wide; first flagellomere 3.9 × longer than wide; 11 th flagellomere 1.9 × longer than wide; apical flagellomere pointed; distal end of each flagellomere with several thickened setae which are longer than surrounding setae.

Mesosoma: mesosoma 0.4 × body length, 1.6 × longer than wide; anteromesoscutum mostly smooth, densely setose; scutellar sulcus faintly indicated by smooth, shallow depression and band of yellow-brown colouration (Fig. 3 D ); scutellum with medium-sized, semi-elliptical medio-posterior depressions, separated distance approximately equal to one depression (Fig. 3 D ); propodeum mostly smooth, without medial longitudinal carina (Fig. 3 D ).

Wings: pterostigma 2.3 × longer than wide, with outer edge rounded and protruding slightly from wing outline (Fig. 3 C ); length of vein 2 RS 4.5 × r-rs, vein 2 - M 1.9 × longer than r-rs (Fig. 3 C ).

Legs: hind coxa, femur and tarsus densely setose, except for basal hind coxa sparsely setose; length of hind femur length 1.7 × hind basitarsus; length of hind tibia 2.1 × hind basitarsus.

Metasoma: metasoma 0.4 × body length; T 1 approximately 1.9 × longer than maximum width, teardrop shaped, rounded apically; T 1 smooth, with a few setae distally; ovipositor sheaths short, 2.2 × longer than wide, densely setose (Fig. 3 G ).

Male. unknown.

Remarks.

As of publication, this species forms BOLD BIN: BOLD: AES 5214 and is 11.22 % divergent from its nearest neighbour based on COI on BOLD. The Holotype is deposited in the Western Australian Museum , Australia.

Etymology.

The species epithet ‘ kaatijan’ means ‘ knowledge’ or ‘ learning’ in the Noongar language of southwestern Western Australia. The name was selected by Kwoorbup Nature School students in collaboration with Menang Noongar Elder Uncle Lester Coyne to signify the importance of knowledge about our insects, as well as the students’ learning throughout the Insect Investigators project. The epithet ‘ kaatijan’ is a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

This species is currently known only from William Bay National Park, WA, however may be found in other parts of Australia. Further sampling is required to determine an accurate distribution for this species.

Figures

Figure 3. Mirax kaatijan holotype A lateral habitus B dorsal habitus C wings D dorsal view of scutellar medio-posterior depressions and propodeum E anterior head F dorsal head and mesoscutellum G lateral posterior metasoma showing ovipositor and sheaths.