Wilkinsonellus paracorpustriacolor Liu & Polaszek, 2025

Li, Huan, Meng, Yuhao, Lu, Geng, Liu, Zhen & Polaszek, Andrew, 2025, Three new species and one new record of Wilkinsonellus Mason (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) from the Australo-Oriental region, ZooKeys 1240, pp. 177-193 : 177-193

Wilkinsonellus paracorpustriacolor Liu & Polaszek sp. nov.

Fig. 4

Diagnosis.

Body 2.2 mm long, dark brown, except head yellow, petiole of T 1 light yellow, T 2 – T 7 brown and lateral part of T 1 white (Fig. 4 a ); OOL: OD = 2.4 (Fig. 4 b ); face with weakly defined punctures, their intervals uneven (Fig. 4 c ); antenna with 1 st and 2 nd flagellomeres 2.8 × and 3.0 × longer than wide (Fig. 4 d ); mesoscutum with small punctures, intervals uneven with minute punctuation and larger than puncture’s diameter (Fig. 4 e ); scutellum with a spine apically in lateral view (Fig. 4 f ); propodeum with spiracles not enclosed by costulae anteriorly and posteriorly (Fig. 4 h ); mesopleuron largely smooth except indistinctly punctate on anterior and upper edges (Fig. 4 f ); vein r 0.7 × 2 - SR (Fig. 4 j ); metacoxa nearly surpassing T 3, areolate-rugose on outer dorsal edge, weaker ventrally (Fig. 4 f ); petiole of T 1 smooth, weakly constricted at anterior half; T 2 subtriangular, 1.4 × as wide as length in the middle; T 3 1.5 × as long as T 2 (Fig. 4 k ); hypopygium a little broad (Fig. 4 i ).

Description.

Female. Body length 2.2 mm, fore wing length 2.4 mm (Fig. 4 a ).

Head. 1.6 × as wide as long, slightly wider than mesoscutum. Eyes 1.7 × as long as temple in dorsal view. Temple slightly shiny with small punctures, rounded behind eyes in dorsal view. Vertex with weakly rugulose sculptures punctures, especially behind ocelli. Ocelli large, distance between fore and a posterior ocellus 0.8 × as long as minor axis of a posterior ocellus, POL: OD: OOL = 1.3: 1.0: 2.4. Frons slightly depressed, nearly polished (Fig. 4 b ). Face slightly shiny, bulging medio-longitudinally, 0.9 × as wide as high, with weakly defined punctures, their intervals irregular. Clypeus 2.8 × wider than medial length, nearly smooth with superficial punctures. Length of malar space 1.3 × width of mandible (Fig. 4 c ). Antenna with 1 st and 2 nd flagellomeres 2.8 × and 3.0 × longer than wide, eight apical flagellomeres missing (Fig. 4 d ).

Mesosoma. Length: width: height = 1.7: 1.2: 1.0. Mesoscutum dull with small punctures, notauli indistinct, intervals irregular with minute punctation, narrowly polished along posterior margin. Scutellar sulcus wide and straight, with internal carinae (Fig. 4 e ). Scutellum dull, with rugulose punctures anteriorly, slightly polished posteriorly, slightly protruding above level of propodeum with a spine apically in lateral view (Fig. 4 e, f ). Propodeum 2.3 × wider than high, dull with strong percurrent medio-longitudinal carina and adjacent oblique carinae which have obsolete carinae laterally; spiracles large, not enclosed by costulae (Fig. 4 h ). Mesopleuron shiny, largely smooth except indistinctly punctate on anterior and upper edges, sternaulus weakly crenulate, and with an oblique furrow attached at a right-angle to its anterior end (Fig. 4 f ).

Wings. Fore wing: pterostigma narrow, 3.5 × as long as its widest part; vein 1 - R 1 1.3 × length of pterostigma; vein r arising from apical third of pterostigma, slightly longer than maximum width of pterostigma, 0.7 × 2 - SR; vein m-cu 2.9 × as long as 2 - SR + M, nearly half of 2 - SR; vein 1 - CU 1 0.7 × 2 - CU 1 and 1.8 × cu-a (Fig. 4 j ). Hind wing: vannal lobe of normal size, posterior margin with short setae medially, basally and apically with longer setae, cu-a slightly curved.

Legs. Metacoxa nearly surpassing T 3, areolate-rugose on outer dorsal edge, with weaker sculpture ventrally (Fig. 4 f ). Metafemur 4.0 × as long as its widest part. Inner spur of metatibia half length of metabasitarsus. Metabasitarsus 0.7 × as long as combined length of tarsomeres 2–5 (Fig. 4 g ).

Metasoma. 0.9 × length of mesosoma. Petiole of T 1 smooth, weakly constricted at anterior half, 2.3 × longer than basal width, 5.0 × longer than medial width, petiole with a groove reaching to anterior part of apical swollen area. T 2 subtriangular, smooth, 1.4 × as wide as length in the middle. T 3 1.5 × as long as T 2, T 3 and posterior tergites smooth and softer (Fig. 4 k ). Hypopygium slightly broadened, hardly exceeding apex of metasoma. Ovipositor sheath slightly protruding beyond metasoma, almost glabrous (Fig. 4 i ).

Colour. Body dark brown, except head yellow, petiole of T 1 light yellow, T 2 – T 7 brown and lateral part of T 1 white (Fig. 4 a ). Vertex with narrow striae present above occiput. Palpi white. Tibia spurs pale yellow. Antenna dark brown except scape and pedicel yellow. Fore and middle legs off-white to light yellow-brown, hind leg black to dark brown except trochanter pale yellow, basal half of femur and basal ¾ of tibia yellow-brown. Wing membranes hyaline, slightly infumate, fore wing with pterostigma brown, veins pale brown to brown.

Male. Similar to female except T 1 longer with petiole at least 6.0 × longer than medial width and ultimate flagellomere abruptly narrowed and pointed. Body length 2.2–2.6 mm.

Host.

Unknown.

Material examined.

( NHMUK) Holotype • 1 ♀; Malaysia, Sarawak (Borneo), Gn. Mulu ; i – iv. 1978; J. D. Holloway; NHMUK 010639725 . Paratypes • 1 ♀ 11 ♂; Malaysia, Sarawak (Borneo), 4 th div. Gn. Mulu; RGS Exp. , N. M. Collins, Malaise trap; iii – vi. 1978; NHMUK 010826357 , 010826358 , 010826359 , 010826360 , 010826361 , 010826362 , 010826363 , 010826364 , 010826365 , 010826366 , 010826367 , 010826368 .

Distribution.

Malaysia ( Sarawak).

Etymology.

The specific name paracorpustriacolor is in reference to the very similar appearance of the new species to W. corpustriacolor.

Remarks.

This species is very similar to W. corpustriacolor , but it differs in the following: vein m-cu of fore wing nearly half of 2 - SR (about as long as 2 - SR in W. corpustriacolor ); mesoscutum with small punctures, intervals uneven with minute punctuation and larger than punture diameter (with dense areolate-rugose punctures in W. corpustriacolor ); and propodeum without transverse carinae (with several transverse carinae attaching medio-longitudinal carina in W. corpustriacolor ).

Figures

Figure 4. Wilkinsonellus paracorpustriacolor Liu & Polaszek, sp. nov., female a habitus, lateral view b head, dorsal view c head, frontal view d antenna e mesosoma, dorsal view f mesosoma, lateral view g hind leg h propodeum, dorsal view i ovipositor sheath j fore wing k metasoma, dorsal view.