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

Fig. 4 B ( distribution), Fig. 25 (holotype )

Type material.

Holotype. Australia • ♀; SA, Banrock Site 10 ; - 34.1891, 140.334; 21–22 Apr. 2018; R. Glatz leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 590-23 ; SAMA: 32-47750 . Paratypes. Australia • ♀; SA, Banrock ; - 34.1891, 140.334; 20–21 Apr. 2018; R. Glatz leg.; Malaise trap; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 575-23 ; SAMA: 32-47751 . • ♀; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 576-23 ; SAMA: 32-47752 . • ♀; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 578-23 ; SAMA: 32-47753 . • ♂; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 577-23 ; SAMA: 32-47754 . • ♀; as previous except: 21–22 Apr. 2018; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 655-23 ; SAMA: 32-47755 . • ♀; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 589-23 ; SAMA: 32-47756 . • ♀; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 592-23 ; SAMA: 32-47757 . • ♀; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 593-23 ; SAMA: 32-47758 . • ♂; as previous except: BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 591-23 ; SAMA: 32-47759 . • ♀; as previous except: Banrock site 8 ; - 34.1714, 140.314; BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 584-23 ; SAMA: 32-47761 . • ♂; SA, Banrock Site 10 ; - 34.2045, 140.341; 20 Apr. 2021; R. Glatz leg.; on aquatic veg. (purple flowers and lanceolate leaves); BOLD Process ID: AUMIC 603-23 ; SAMA: 32-47760 .

Diagnostic description.

Size: Total body length: 2.5 mm; fore wing length: 2.5 mm. Head: anterior scape colour similar or only very slightly paler than head colour; F 2 L / W ratio: 3.6; F 14 L / W ratio: 1.1. Mesosoma: scutoscutellar sulcus with nine pits; mesoscutellar disc mostly smooth, or with very shallow scattered indentations, sculpturing stronger in anterior half; 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 paler (more hyaline) than outer edges; fore wing r vein length / 2 RS vein length ratio: 1.4. Metasoma: T 1 shape mostly parallel, then narrowing in distal 1 / 3; 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: 0.8.

Apanteles banrock can be separated from most other species of Apanteles in Australia with a dark metacoxa and metafemur by the pterostigma with outer border darker than centre, centre of pterostigma pale or transparent / hyaline (but much less extreme than other species), the fore wing with M + CU, 1 cu-a, 1 M, 1 CU, (RS + M) a, 2 RS and 1 m-cu pigmented for most of their lengths, T 1 and propodeum with strong sculpture, and the propodeal areola strongly V-shaped.

Etymology.

This species is named for Banrock Station, the collection locality, to honour the commitment of the winery to restoring and protecting the natural environment. The epithet is a noun in apposition.

Distribution.

Currently known only from Banrock Station in the Riverland region of SA.

Molecular information.

Apanteles banrock contains sequences currently in BIN BOLD: AFF 1781. The COI sequences are at least 3.2 % divergent from any of the other species treated here, or any available sequence on BOLD. The wg sequence of the holotype is ≥ 11 bp different to any other species. All delimitation methods separated Apanteles banrock as a distinct species.

Figures

Figure 4. Known distribution of the Apanteles species in Australia A A. adustus, A. aeternus, A. allapsus, A. amicalis, A. apricus B A. alatomicans, A. apollo, A. aurantius, A. auroralis, A. banrock C A. artemis, A. breviflagellarius, A. brockhedgesi, A. ethanbeaveri, A. fenestrinus, A. ferripulvis, A. hades, and A. insulanus. Maps include examined material and public DNA barcode records, see Suppl. material 3 for full details.

Figure 25. Apanteles banrock (holotype AUMIC 590-23) A lateral habitus B dorsal head C anterior head D dorsal propodeum and T 1–2 E fore and hind wing F dorsal habitus.