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

Fig. 5 C ( distribution), Fig. 49 (paratype )

Type material.

Holotype. Australia • ♀; ACT, Canberra, CSIRO Black Mountain, close to Botanic Garden fence ; - 35.2736, 149.102; 538 m; 31 Jan. – 6 Feb. 2018; T. Pleines & J. Rodriguez leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 1148-24 ; ANIC: 32-085527 . Paratypes. Australia • ♀; NSW, near Crommellin Biological Field Stn .; - 33.5518, 151.299; 18 Feb. 2008; A. D. Austin leg.; Sweeping; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 282-18 ; ANIC: 32-085556 . • ♂; QLD, Eungella National Park, Sky Window ; - 21.1453, 148.499; 768 m; 23 Nov. 2019; E. Fagan-Jeffries, J. B. Dorey & P. Ruhr leg.; Sweeping vegetation; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 1239-24 ; ANIC: 32-085557 .

Diagnostic description.

Size: Total body length: 2.0 mm; fore wing length: 2.1 mm. Head: anterior scape colour similar or only very slightly paler than head colour; F 2 L / W ratio: 3.1; F 14 L / W ratio: 1.6. Mesosoma: scutoscutellar sulcus with nine pits; mesoscutellar disc mostly smooth, or with very shallow scattered indentations; propodeal areola complete, or mostly so; propodeum mostly smooth posteriorly, mostly rugose anteriorly; coxae colour (pro, meso, meta): dark all; metafemur colour mostly dark. Wings: centre of pterostigma pigmented to same degree as the outer edges; fore wing r vein length / 2 RS vein length ratio: 1.1. Metasoma: T 1 shape mostly parallel, T 1 medial length / anterior width between 1–2 × longer than wide; mostly rugose; T 2 mostly smooth; ovipositor sheath length / metatibia length ratio: 0.9.

Apanteles margaritarius can be separated from the other described species of Apanteles known from Australia with a dark metacoxa by the metatrochanter pale, the metafemur mostly dark with small pale area proximally, T 2 smooth, anterior side of scape same or only very slightly paler than head colour, and T 1 parallel sided, not strongly narrowing posteriorly.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a Latin adjective meaning ‘ of / related to pearl’ and connects to the collection locality of one of the paratypes, near Pearl Caves.

Distribution.

Apanteles margaritarius is currently known from three collection localities in eastern Australia.

Molecular information.

Sequences of Apanteles margaritarius are currently in BIN BOLD: ADL 4093. The COI sequences are at least 8 % divergent from any of the other species treated here, or any available sequence on BOLD. The wg sequence of the holotype is at least 5 bp different to any other species. Most delimitation methods resolved A. margaritarius as a discrete species, however and wg PTP grouped the species with A. kelpiellus .

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 49. Apanteles margaritarius A lateral habitus (paratype AUMIC 282-18) B dorsal head (paratype AUMIC 282-18) C anterior head (holotype AUMIC 1148-24) D dorsal propodeum and T 1–3 (paratype AUMIC 282-18) E fore wing (paratype AUMIC 282-18) F dorsal habitus (paratype AUMIC 282-18).