Trioxys pampas Tomanovic & Kocic 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Tomanović, Željko
name: Kocić, Korana
name: Belén Forte, Sofía
name: Nazareno Lentini, Joel
name: del Pilar Medialdea, María
name: Noemí Villar, Camila
name: Bustos, Analí
name: Gayan-Quijano, Ana Lia
name: Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier
name: Devoto, Mariano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hymenoptera
Braconidae
Trioxys
Trioxys pampas

description: Trioxys pampas Tomanović & Kocić sp. nov.
Figs 5 A – H
Type material.
Holotype: • 1 ♀, Argentina, sample 122 APHI, 34°29'30"S, 61°44'39"W (Leandro N. Alem County), Argentina, 31. X. 2022, collected by Malaise traps in margin of maize field, leg. M. Devoto & collabs. Holotype deposited in coll. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “ Bernardino Rivadavia ”, Argentina (MACN - En).
Paratypes: • 1 ♀, 8 APHI, 34°28'56"S, 61°47'18"W (Leandro N. Alem County), Argentina, 11. XI. 2022, collected by Malaise traps in wheat field, leg. M. Devoto & collabs. (NMB).
Diagnosis.
The new species is distinguishable from its congeners by combination of characters: apical clawlike bristle and two short setae at the tip of prongs (Fig. 5 G), propodeum carinated with irregular carinae, without central areola (Fig. 5 E) and one to two and two to three longitudinal placodes on flagellomere 1 and 2, respectively (Fig. 5 C). We assume that T. pampas sp. nov. parasitizes cereal aphids. It differs from T. sunnysidensis Fulbright & Pike, 2007, which attack cereal aphids in North America, Europe and New Zealand, by irregular propodeal areola (regular pentagonal in T. sunnysidensis) and by an apical clawlike bristle and two short setae at the tip of prongs (two simple bristles in T. sunnysidensis) (Fulbright et al. 2007). Trioxys pampas sp. nov. shares irregular propodeal areola and clawlike bristle on the top prongs with T. californicus Starý & Zuparko, 1995. However, it easy differentiated from T. californicus by 11 - segmented antennae (T. californicus has 13 - segmented antennae) and almost straight prongs (T. californicus has more curved prongs) (Fulbright et al. 2007). Additionally, T. californicus parasitizes Eucallipterus tiliae (L.) on Tilia cordata (Starý and Zuparko 1995).
Description.
Female (holotype). Length. Body 1.3 mm; fore wing 1.2 mm; hind wing 1.0 mm.
Head. Eye large (Fig. 5 A), parallel sided, only slightly converging toward clypeus; interocular line 0.3 × of the head width; malar space approx. 0.1 of longitudinal eye diameter. Genae densely setose, remaining parts of head sparsely setose (Fig. 5 A). Clypeus narrow, with 6–8 long setae. Tentorial index (tentorio-ocular line / intertentorial line) 0.21. Malar index 0.12. Maxillary palp with 4 palpomeres, labial palp with 2 palpomeres (Fig. 5 A). Mandible monodentate, bearing 6–7 long setae at outer surface. Labrum with two rows of setae with 6 setae at outer margin and three setae at inner part. Antennae (Fig. 5 B) 11 - segmented, moderately thickened, prevailingly with semi-erect setae which are sub-equal to the half of the segments diameter; flagellomere 1 (F 1) 3.10–3.43 × as long as its median width, and with 1–2 longitudinal placodes (Fig. 5 C); flagellomere 2 (F 2) 2.8–3.1 × as long as its median width, with 2–3 longitudinal placodes; F 1 equal to F 2 (Fig. 5 C).
Mesosoma. Mesoscutum with short notauli distinct anteriorly with 1–2 rows of sparse long setae at each side (Fig. 5 D). Scutellum (Fig. 5 D) sub-triangular, with 4 long setae at each side. Forewing: Pterostigma (Fig. 5 H) triangular, 2.5–2.9 × as long as its width and 1.5–2.0 × as long as R 1 vein; r & RS vein reaching to the middle of R 1 vein in maximum length. Forewing surface densely covered with medium size setae and with long marginal setae (Fig. 5 H). Propodeum (Fig. 5 E) carinated with irregular carinae, without central areola.
Metasoma. Petiole (Fig. 5 F) short, 1.6–1.7 × as long as wide at spiracles, with a pair of setae on postero-dorsal aspect, and four long lateral setae along the side. Ovipositor sheath (Fig. 5 G) elongate, 3.0 × as long as its maximal width (at base); with a single long and 3–4 short setae on lateral and dorsal aspects. Prongs (Fig. 5 G) almost straight and long with 3 long perpendicular dorsal setae, followed by an apical clawlike bristle and two short setae at the tip.
Coloration. Head brown, gena, face, clypeus, mouthparts light brown. Pedicel and scapus light brown to brown, annellus yellowish, flagellomere 1 and flagellomere 2 light brown, remaining part of antennae brown. Mesonotum and propodeum light brown, the rest of mesosoma yellow. Legs light brown with yellow trochanters. Petiole yellow to light brown, the rest of metasoma light brown to brown. Ovipositor sheaths and prongs light brown.
Male. Unknown.
Distribution.
Trioxys pampas sp. nov. was collected in Argentina and it is only known species distribution at the moment.
Aphid host.
Unknown, collected by Malaise traps within maize field and wheat fields margin.
Etymology.
The new species takes its name by Rolling Pampas of Argentina where was collected.
description: Published as part of Tomanović, Željko, Kocić, Korana, Belén Forte, Sofía, Nazareno Lentini, Joel, del Pilar Medialdea, María, Noemí Villar, Camila, Bustos, Analí, Gayan-Quijano, Ana Lia, Peris-Felipo, Francisco Javier & Devoto, Mariano, 2025, Two new aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) from field crops of South America, pp. 311-324 in Journal of Hymenoptera Research 98 on pages 311-324, DOI: 10.3897/jhr.98.144079