Stephanobracon Ranjith & Quicke gen. nov.

(Figs 1–3)

Type species. Stephanobracon narendrani Ranjith & Quicke sp. nov.

Description. female. Head. Scapus longer ventrally than dorsally, distinctly laterally compressed and rather flaring towards apex. Face slightly rugose and bulging, with sublateral vertical ridges extended from to the upper level of clypeus to base of antennal toruli (Figs 1 B, C, 2B). Dorsally each ridge forms a pointed teeth, behind which is a weakly excavated area, another ridge runs dorsally from antero-lateral area of frons which forms a second tooth on the anterior margin of a laterally-raised, transversely striated protuberance, which laterally slightly overlaps the dorsal margin of the eye and extends backwards up to the level of median ocellus forming a slightly raised carina (Figs 1 C, D, 2A, B). Raised area sparsely setose. Eyes glabrous, weakly emarginated opposite antennal sockets and bulged (Fig. 1 B). Mandibles twisted, their tips distinctly turned downwards with only a single tooth visible in frontal aspect (Figs 1 B, 2A).

Mesosoma. Mesosoma 1.4× longer than high (Fig. 3 A); mesoscutum smooth, shiny, sparsely setose, middle lobe rounded anteriorly (Fig. 2 D). Notauli smooth, only distinct anteriorly, running parallel to scutellar sulcus. Pronotum setose anteriorly. Scutellar lunules not wide, divided by eight carinae (Fig. 2 D). Scutellum smooth; metanotum largely smooth medially, without longitudinal carina. Mesopleuron completely smooth. Propodeum smooth and shiny, setose laterally, with pair of anteriorly diverging rugae arising from mid-posterior margin (Figs 2 D, E).

Legs. Claws with pointed basal lobes (Fig. 3 C).

Wings. Evenly setose. Fore wing. Vein r-rs arising at 0.4× of distance from base to apex of pterostigma. Second submarginal cell moderately elongate and distinctly narrowing distally (Fig. 3 B). Vein (RS+M) slightly curved posteriorly (Fig. 3 B). Vein 3-M long and largely tubular most of the way to the wing margin (Fig. 3 B). Vein 2CUa almost perpendicular to 1CUb, posteriorly forming a smooth curve with 2CUb. Second subdiscal cell slightly wider distally than basally (Fig.3 B). Hind wing. Vein 1r-m slightly curved, distally running parallel to but free from SC+R.

Metasoma. Elongate, approximately 1.7 × longer than the mesosoma. Tergite 1 with laterally flattened areas from base to middle of the lateral margin (Fig. 2 E). Tergites 1–3 largely coarsely sculptured. Tergites 4 and 5 smooth medially and laterally (Fig. 2 F). Tergite 2 with elongate smooth, almost parallel-sided medial area (Fig. 2 F). Tergites 3–5 with subposterior, crenulated transverse grooves (Fig. 2 F). Ovipositor sheath evenly setose. Ovipositor slightly (1.25×) longer than the body (Fig. 2 C), with a pre-apical dorsal nodus and four apico-ventral serrations, having a small nodus before the inner serration (same as the pre-apical nodus) (Fig. 3 D).

Etymology. The name is based on the parasitic wasp family Stephanidae because of the four sharp points on the head reminiscent (though not in the same place) of the ‘crown of thorns’ formation in members of the family Stephanidae, and the generic name Bracon. Gender masculine.

Comments. The new genus would run to couplet 111 in Quicke’s (1987) key to the Old World genera of Braconinae, and then, with a little difficulty, to a group of genera with merinotoid metasomas including Cratobracon Cameron, Gronaulax Cameron, Merinotus Szépligeti, Shelfordia Cameron and various other genera of large-bodied wasps that parasitise wood-boring Coleoptera. The tooth-like protuberances of the antennal socket and region lateral to the socket distinguish it from all genera of the subfamily.