Australian Journal of
Taxonomy
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Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov.
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Figure 2. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov., A, Holotype female, lateral habitus. B, Paratype male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figure 3. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov., Holotype female. A, lateral head. B, frontal face. C, lateral mesosoma. D, dorsal head. E, dorsal mesosoma. F, hind leg. G, basal segments of antenna. Scale bar = 1.0 mm

Figure 4. Observation of host association. A, Megachile micrerythrura Cockerell, 1910 constructing nest in aluminum door frame. B, Female Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. ovipositing into host nest. C, Two female Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. waiting in the vicinity of host nests.

Diagnosis. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. is a distinctive species that is easily distinguished from other described Australian species based on the combination of body colouration; head and metasoma black, mesosoma reddish-brown, metatibia without cream patch, and areolate-rugulose sculpturing on the mesoscutum.

Female. Body length 15.5 (17.6–17.9) mm; ovipositor length 8.1 (9.2–9.3) mm (Fig 2A).

Colouration and vestiture. General colour reddish-brown, head, hind tibia, metasoma and antenna black, scape dark brown; mandibles orange, tooth apex dark brown; tegulae brown; base of protibia and mesotibia cream; apical half of metafemur, metatibia, basal 2/3 of tarsomere one, tarsomere five and claw black, distal third of tarsomere one to tarsomere four cream-coloured; metasoma black, lateral patch on T1, T2, T3, T4 brown, ovipositor sheath black with cream-coloured apex 1.3 (1.3-1.5) × length of hind 1st tarsomere, ovipositor dark brown, wings hyaline, wing veins and pterostigma black.

Sparse short setae covering body, denser silvery setae laterally and ventrally on head and mesosoma; long setae on margin of clypeus; scattered short stout setae, outside face of metatibia and dorsally on T1; dense short appressed setae along ovipositor sheath.

Head. Head shape sub-conical when viewed dorsally (Fig 3D); 0.9 × longer than wide; dorsally postocular space tapering gently to occiput; head in lateral view, face and vertex convex; postocular space elongated, 0.5 × height of eye (Fig. 3A); eye setae absent; face reticulate, reticulate-rugulose medially, frons reticulate, reticulate-rugulose posteriorly, medial frontal carina raised in anterior half, becoming a shallow groove posteriorly (Fig. 3B); vertex rugulose, rugulose-striate posteriorly; occipital carina narrow, wider ventro-laterally, posterior margin shallowly emarginate (Fig. 3D); gena reticulate; malar space short, minimal width of malar space 0.1 × height of eye; 0.7 (0.6–0.7) × length of pedicel; clypeus punctate, sparser medially; 1.9 × wide as high; margin sinuate with lateral corners distinctly protruding forwards, medial depression indistinct anteriorly (Fig. 3B); lateral ocelli anterior of postocular line; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 0.9 × distance between lateral ocelli; scape 1.8 (1.6–1.8) × length pedicel; first flagellomere 0.7 (0.7–0.8) × as long as scape; 0.7 (0.6) × length second flagellomere (Fig. 3G).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma length 1.6 (1.7–1.8) × height (Fig. 3C); propleuron length 0.9 (1.0–1.1) × width; 0.7 (0.8–0.9) × prototegular distance; propleuron rugulose dorsally becoming reticulate ventrally; pronotal process broad, indistinct when viewed dorsally; pronotum anterior and dorsal lobe rugulose-lacunose, posterior lobe reticulate-rugulose, transverse pronotal sulcus carinate with foveae; mesoscutum length 1.1 (1.2) × width in dorsal view (Fig. 3E); rounded in lateral view (Fig. 3C); areolate-rugulose with deep fovea on posterior margin; admedial lines distinct, converging; parapsidial lines distinct; notauli U-shaped, scrobiculate; mesoscutellum, axilla and axillula areolate-rugulose; mesepisternum areolate-rugose; mesepimeron broad, carinate with scattered fovea; metapleuron and propodeum areolate-rugulose, medial longitudinal carinae not distinctive but raised medially.

Legs. Hind leg (Fig. 3F), metacoxa rugulose laterally, reticulate ventrally, striations in coxal groove; metafemur length 0.7 × length of metatibia; metatibia length 4.4 (4.5–4.7) × width; 1st tarsomere 3.0 (3.2–3.4) × length of 2nd tarsomere; 2nd tarsomere 1.3 (1.5–1.6) × length of 3rd tarsomere; 3rd tarsomere 1.8 (1.6–1.7) × length of 4th tarsomere; 4th tarsomere 0.5 (0.4–0.5) × length of 5th tarsomere; tarsal claw 0.8 (0.6–0.7) × length of 5th tarsomere (Fig. 3F).

Wings. Fore wing first discal cell sub-rectangular in shape; vein 2r-m absent; vein 3-RS weakly bent; vein 2m+Cu and 1-m tubular, remaining veins spectral; three hamuli equidistant.

Metasoma. 3.2 (3.0) × mesosoma length; T1–T2 finely reticulate-rugulose, T3 to tip imbricate; hypopygium Y-shaped; ovipositor sheath 0.7 (0.8) × metasoma length.

Male. Same as female, except metatrochanter black, T9 and harpe apex cream-coloured, scape 2.0 × length pedicel and mesoscutum length 0.9 × width in dorsal view (Fig. 2B).

Holotype. AUSTRALIA – Northern Territory • 1 ♀; “NT, Nitmiluk National Park, [Leliyn] Edith Falls, -14.178489, 132.185299, 10 Apr. 2022, N. Volpe, Swept around buildings”; MAGNT: NTM I011139.

Paratypes. AUSTRALIA – Northern Territory • 4 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; MAGNT: NTM 1011236, I011140 – I011142; SAMA: 32-036124 3 ♂; same data as for holotype; MAGNT: I011143 – I011146; SAMA: 32-036125.

Figure 2. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov., A, Holotype female, lateral habitus. B, Paratype male, lateral habitus. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

Figure 3. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov., Holotype female. A, lateral head. B, frontal face. C, lateral mesosoma. D, dorsal head. E, dorsal mesosoma. F, hind leg. G, basal segments of antenna. Scale bar = 1.0 mm

Figure 4. Observation of host association. A, Megachile micrerythrura Cockerell, 1910 constructing nest in aluminum door frame. B, Female Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. ovipositing into host nest. C, Two female Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. waiting in the vicinity of host nests.

Distribution. The species is known only from the holotype locality at Leliyn (Edith falls), Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.

Etymology. In collaboration with First Nations elders and custodians of the Country in which this species was discovered, the species epithet mamburrumurl is derived from the Jawoyn language, combining the words mam meaning 'ghost' and burrumurl meaning 'wasp.' This name describes the distinctive floating searching flight pattern exhibited by these wasps. Hence, this species is commonly referred to as the “Mam-Burrumurl wasp”.

Biology. Gasteruption mamburrumurl sp. nov. was observed ovipositing into the nests of the native resin bee species Megachile micrerythrura Cockerell, 1910 (Megachilidae: Apoidea) (Fig. 4A, B). The host bees were nesting in gaps around the edge of an aluminium door frame at an approximate density of 5–8 nests over a 2.0 m2 area. While hosts were constructing and provisioning nests, G. mamburrumurl females would actively search across the vertical area, swaying side to side as they flew up and down in an inspecting flight (Macedo et al. 2012; Grieve et al. 2018; Mikó et al. 2019). When a nest was located the female wasps would land nearby and remain motionless, waiting for the bees to leave the nests (Fig. 4C). It was observed that some host nests were being provisioned by two female bees, in these cases the female wasp would wait for both bees to leave. The gasteruptiid wasps would respond quickly to the host bee leaving the nest and quickly fly over to the nest entrance and oviposit directly into the nest. Provisioning females of Megachile micrerythrura would display aggressive behaviour towards G. mamburrumurl that were encountered in the vicinity of their nests. The bees would chase and bump wasps away through direct body contact.