First host record for the Palaeotropical braconine wasp genus Cassidibracon Quicke (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) with the description of a new species from India

Donald Quicke,Gavin Broad,Buntika Butcher

doi:10.3897/jhr.28.3192

Abstract

A new species, Cassidibracon gracillariae Quicke sp. n. from India, is described and illustrated and differentiated from other Indian species. The three known specimens were each reared from distinctive, exposed, bubble-coated cocoons of the gracillariid moth Stomphastis chalybacma (Meyrick, 1908), which superficially resemble insect egg clusters. This is the first reported host record for the genus Cassidibracon Quicke.

Highlights

The Braconinae is one of the largest and most generically diverse subfamilies of braconid parasitic wasps with 177 genera and 2,442 species described up until 2005 (Yu et al 2005)
In the key to the Plesiobracon group genera provided by Quicke (1988), they run with a bit of difficulty to Cassidibracon Quicke, which was originally described from Africa, but has since been recorded from India (Narendran et al 1994)
The type species C. castus Quicke has a distinct knob between the antennal sockets which is absent in the new species described here as well as in the three other the Indian species described by Narendran et al (1994)

Summary

Introduction

The Braconinae is one of the largest and most generically diverse subfamilies of braconid parasitic wasps with 177 genera and 2,442 species described up until 2005 (Yu et al 2005). The three possess a combination of characters used to describe a putatively monophyletic group of genera referred to as the Plesiobracon Cameron (1903) group as defined by van Achterberg (1983) – viz, scapus truncate and shorter ventrally than dorsally in lateral aspect, claws with a pointed basal lobe which is characteristic of members of the Braconini, a densely setose mesoscutum, fore wing veins 1-SR and C+SC+R forming an angle of >60°, propodeum with a complete midlongitudinal carina and strong and complete dorso-lateral carinae of the 1st metasomal tergite. In the key to the Plesiobracon group genera provided by Quicke (1988), they run with a bit of difficulty to Cassidibracon Quicke, which was originally described from Africa, but has since been recorded from India (Narendran et al 1994).

Results

Conclusion