The Indo-Australian and E. Palaearctic braconine wasp genus Euurobracon (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

An illustrated key to the females of Euurobracon is provided. Three new species and two new subspecies are described: E. interstitialis sp. nov. from Malaysia; E. denticephalus sp. nov. from Dutch New Guinea; E. latitempus sp. nov. from New Guinea; E. cephalotes sumatranus ssp. nov. from Sumatra; impossibilis curticaudis ssp. nov. from Papua New Guinea. E. quadriceps var. apicalis Roman is raised to specific status. The following new synonyms are proposed: Euurobracon maculipennis (Cameron, 1910) (= E. triplagiata (Cameron, 1900)); E. melanospilus (Cameron, 1910) (= E. yokahamae (Dalla Torre, 1898)); E. merinotoides (Enderlein, 1920) (= E. forticornis (Cameron, 1905)); E. montivagus (Cameron, 1910) (= E. cephalotes cephalotes (Smith, 1858); stat. nov.); Collastes nigropectus (Cameron, 1911) (= E. yokahamae (Dalla Torre, 1898)). Two species are excluded from Euurobracon for the first time: E. nitidulus Brues, 1922 and E. mandibularis Brues, 1924. Each species of Euurobracon is fully described.     

Palaearctic species of Ammoplanus (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

The Palaearctic species of the genus Ammoplanus Giraud are revised, based on material of over 1750 specimens from Europe, North Africa and Central Asia. For almost all species it was possible to examine the type material and in six species the lectotypes have been designated, in two cases (A. perrisi and A. marathroicus) the neotypes. As a result 38 species are recognized as valid, keyed out and commented on. Eight species are described as new and four species names are here placed in synonymy. Several species are of wide distribution, which made it necessary to include also those described from Central Asia and Mongolia. The keys are made to all Palaearctic species but no material is known from the regions east of Mongolia, although four undescribed species are available from South-East Asia. The Afrotropical species are listed and most of them were also examined. Two subgenera are recognized in the region; 32 species are classified in Ammoplanus sensu stricto and six in the subgenus Ammoplanellus. In the nominal subgenus the following species are described as new: A. atlasensis from Morocco, A. biscopula from Israel, A. biskrensis from Algeria, A. denesi from Turkey (Anatolia), A. freidbergi and A. kaplanae from Israel, A. minutus from Bulgaria and Turkey and A. strumae from Bulgaria and Greece. New synonymy: A. angelae becomes a junior synonym of rhodesianus (known before only from Africa), A. crudelis a synonym of A. kaszabi, A. handlirschi a synonym of A. marathroicus, A. suarezi a synonym of A. kohlii, A. subcompressus of A. gegen, A. orbiculatus of A. simplex and A. zarcoi of A. kohlii; A. wesmaeli is confirmed as a synonym of A. perrisi. Otherwise the synonymy is corrected under A. bischoffi and the names A. dusmeti and A. curvidens are re-established as valid. In a short review of the African species A. (Ammoplanellus) cradockensis Arnold, 1959 is placed as a new synonym under A. (Ammoplanellus) latiscapus Leclercq, 1959. The nomenclatural changes are explained under the relevant species.     

Aphidiinae parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Macrosiphoniella aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the western Palaearctic region

The parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Macrosiphoniella del Guercio (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from the western Palaearctic region are reviewed and keyed. The host associations and distribution of each species are summarized. Aphidius stigmaticus sp. nov. reared from Macrosiphoniella tanacetaria on Tanacetum polycephalum, which is another member of the Macrosiphoniella aphid parasitoid guild from high-mountain habitats in western Iran, is described in the present contribution. Some taxonomic problems within Macrosiphoniella parasitoid guilds are discussed as well.     

The Old World genera of braconine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

An illustrated key is provided to the Old World genera of Braconinae. In addition, notes are provided on each genus and on a number of characters employed in the key. One new tribe and five new genera based on two existing and three new species are described. The new taxa are as follows: Angustibracon gen. nov. from India (type-species: Bracon leptogaster Cameron, 1899), Bathyaulacini tribus nov. (type-genus: Bathyaulax Szépligeti, 1906), Cassidibracon gen. nov. from West Africa (type-species: Cassidibracon castus sp. nov.), Serraulax gen. nov. from the Afrotropical Region (type-species: Iphiaulax lukombensis Cameron, 1912), Virgulibracon gen. nov. from Australia (type-species: Virgulibracon vulsus sp. nov.) and Vomeribracon gen. nov. from New Guinea (type-species: Vomeribracon amplipenniger sp. nov.). The Pseudodicrogeniini Achterberg, 1976 is synonymized with the Euurobraconini Ashmead, 1900. Ten new generic synonymies are reported: Atanycolimorpha Viereck, 1913 (= Cyanopterus Haliday, 1835), Caenoprymnus Cameron, 1909 (= Soter Saussure, (1890) 1892), Coelodontus Roman, 1912 (= Trigastrotheca Cameron, 1906), Cynodobracon Cameron, 1912 (= Nedinoschiza Cameron, 1911), Iphioilta Ramakrishna Ayyar, 1928 (= Chaoilta Cameron, 1899), Kenema van Achterberg, 1983 (= Trigastrotheca Cameron, 1906), Odontopygia Enderlein, (1918) 1920 (= Trigastrotheca Cameron, 1906), Paraspinaria Cameron, 1905 (= Mesobracon Szépligeti, 1902), Pseudoglyptomorpha Tobias, 1957 (= Pseudovipio Szépligeti, 1896) and Glyptomorpha (Remorpha) Shestakov, 1932 (Pseudovipio Szépligeti, 1896).     

Revision of the proctotrupoid genus Pelecinus Latreille (Hymenoptera: Pelecinidae)

The extant Pelecinidae consist of the single genus Pelecinus Latreille. This group is restricted to the continental New World; miscellaneous reports and specimens from Jamaica, Australia, India and Malaysia are errors. Three species are recognized: the widespread Pelecinus polyturator (Drury), found from the southern portions of the eastern provinces of Canada, the eastern USA (west to North Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico) and Mexico south to northern Argentina; Pelecinus thoracicus Klug revised status, from western Mexico; and Pelecinus dichrous Perty revised status from northern Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and south-eastern Brazil. Pelecinus rufus Klug, 1841 and Pelecinus annulatus Klug, 1841 are treated as junior synonyms of Pelecinus dichrous Perty, 1833. The status of Pelecinus polyturator var. apicalis Roman is discussed and the name is treated as a synonym of P. polyturator. The only recorded host species for the genus are for P. polyturator: Phyllophaga anxia (LeConte), P. drakei Kirby, P. futilis (LeConte), P. rugosa (Melsheimer) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Melolonthinae); and Podischnus agenor Olivier (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae).     

Nine new species of Braconidae (Hymenoptera) from the Russian Far East

Nine new species of Braconidae from the Russian Far East are described and illustrated: Tebennotoma spasskensis sp. n., Parahormius bikinus sp. n., Colastes (Colastes) ussuricus sp. n., C. (Shawiana) kurilensis sp. n., C. (S.) bohayicus sp. n., Oncophanes makarkini sp. n., Doryctes slavianka sp. n., Brulleia chankaica sp. n., Cardiochiles turga sp. n. The genera Tebennotoma Enderlein and Brulleia Szépligeti are recorded for the Russian fauna for the first time.     

Two new species of Clinocentrus Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Argentina,with notes on South American species

The Argentine species of the genus Clinocentrus Haliday are revised. Two new species are described, Clinocentrus mamull sp. nov. and Clinocentrus roigi sp. nov., which represent the southernmost records of the genus in South America. Additionally Clinocentrus nigripectus Enderlein is redescribed and a key to known South American species is provided.     

Descriptions of two new species of the genus Agathis Latreille (Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Agathidinae) from Spain,with a record of mating by one species on flowers

Two new species of the genus Agathis Latreille, A. icarus sp. n. and A. nixoni sp. n., are described from southern Spain. Both species were observed feeding on the nectar of Anacyclus clavatus (Desf.) Pers.. (Asteraceae). A. nixoni was also observed mating on flowers. Mating by parasitoids at feeding sites is discussed.     

New diagnostic ovipositor characters for doryctine wasps (Hymenoptera,Braconidae)

Characters previously used to distinguish the braconid wasp subfamily Doryctinae show considerable variation. Here we illustrate three new female external adult characters that will facilitate recognition of doryctines and allow precise definition of the subfamily. The new characters are a distinctively shaped apex to the dorsal ovipositor valve, a modified serration structure of the lower ovipositor valve, and a particularly heavily sclerotized ovipositor apex. As a result of finding additional synapomorphies linking the Ypsistocerinae with the Doryctinae, the former group is reduced in rank to a tribe within the latter.     

Cocoon silk chemistry of non-cyclostome Braconidae,with remarks on phylogenetic relationships within the Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Bulk amino acid composition was determined for cocoon silks for 54 species of non-cyclostome braconid wasps collectively representing 14 subfamilies. Little intraspecific variation was encountered either between conspecific individuals of differing origin or between physically different silk layers within a single cocoon. Variation within subfamilies was small except in the Microgastrinae. Most taxa, excluding most microgastrines, had silk of a fairly typical fibroin type with high relative abundances of alanine, serine or glycine (of which either alanine or serine was the most abundant) and usually with moderately low molar concentrations of presumed acidic residues (aspartate/asparagine (As(x)) and glutamate/glutamine (Gl(x))) which ranged from approximately 2% up to nearly 30% (in Helconinae and Blacinae). In the Microgastrinae, members of the genus Microplitis (four species) were similar to the other non-cyclostome subfamilies in having 14.3–26.1 molar % As(x), but the other 10 microgastrine genera investigated produced silks with As(x) the most abundant detected residue comprising 32.4–50.5 molar % while glycine represented less than 10% of residues, indicating an α-helical silk. These data are discussed in the light of some recent independent phylogenetic studies on the Microgastrinae that also suggest a basal position for Microplitis within the subfamily, despite its apparently highly specialized biology.     

Cladistics and tribal classification of the Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Five tribes of the braconid subfamily Agathidinae are recognized, viz. Agathidini (Blanchard), Cremnoptini (new tribe), Disophrini (new tribe), Earinini (new tribe), and Microdini (Ashmead). Phylogenetic relationships of the tribes are proposed and the phylogenetic placement of the Agathidinae within the Braconidae is discussed. Keys to, and diagnoses of, the tribes are presented.     

A new subgenus of the genus Colastes Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Exothecinae) for species reared from bracket fungi,with description of two new species from Europe

A new Holarctic subgenus (Fungivenator subgen. nov.) of the genus Colastes Haliday, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Exothecinae) is proposed for a group of species that, as far as is known, has its larvae living on hosts in bracket fungi. The type species (Colastes sandei sp. nov. from Netherlands, Germany and England) and a second species (C. fritzeni sp. nov.) from Finland are described and illustrated. A key to the five known species is included.     

Two new Oriental genera of Doryctinae (Hymenoptera,Braconidae) from termite nests

Two new genera of the subfamily Doryctinae collected in termite nests are described and illustrated: Termitospathius gen. n. from Sumatra (type species T. sumatranus sp. n.) and Ceylonspathius gen. n. from Sri Lanka (type species C. nixoni sp. n.). It is the first record of the braconids from termite nests in the Old World. The biological features of the Doryctinae species and phylogenetic positions of the new genera are discussed.     

Revision of the Indo-Australian braconine wasp genus Ischnobracon Baltazar (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with description of six new species from Thailand,Laos and Sri Lanka

The uncommon Asian braconine wasp genus Ischnobracon Baltazar is revised. Eleven species are recognized of which six are described as new, namely I. albitarsus Butcher and Quicke from mainland Malaysia, I. baltazarae Butcher and Quicke from the Philippines, I. hannongbuai Butcher and Quicke from Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia (Sulawesi), I. morleyi Butcher and Quicke from Sri Lanka, I. feliciae Butcher and Quicke from Thailand, I. xanthoflagellaris Butcher and Quicke from Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Ischnobracon rhyssides (Enderlein) is a new junior subjective synonym of I. laboriosus (Smith).     

A new species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae) inducing ovule galls on Miconia chamissois Naudin,a potentially invasive shrub in the Brazilian cerrado

ABSTRACT

Allorhogas Gahan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a mainly Neotropical doryctine wasp genus whose species have been associated with 11 vascular plant families. All species of Allorhogas whose feeding habits are known are confirmed or presumed to be phytophagous, either by being gall inducers on seeds, seeds predators or by inquilinism of other gall former taxa. Here we describe a new species of Allorhogas from Brazil and assess its phylogenetic affinities using one mitochondrial (COI) and one nuclear (28S) marker. Different from other described species of Allorhogas that induce galls on fruits/seeds of Melastomataceae, the new species attacks floral bud ovules of Miconia chamissois Naudin (Melastomataceae), forming ‘fruit-like’ galls. We recovered a clade exclusively composed of species of Allorhogas that attack Melastomataceae species. The new species could potentially be used as a biological control of M. chamissois populations to prevent the imbalance of the plant diversity of cerrado, which is one of the most endangered biomes in Brazil.

http://www.zoobnk.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:27ADE2CD-6C55-4712-92EC-B0F209FEFD10     

Revision of the Traumatomutilla juvenilis species group (Hymenoptera,Mutillidae)

ABSTRACT

Traumatomutilla duplicata duplicata (Gerstaecker, 1874), T. duplicata feia Casal, 1969, T. bruchi André, 1908, T. cristata (Gerstaecker, 1874), T. aterrima (Gerstaecker, 1874) and T. lorena (Cresson, 1902) are proposed as junior synonyms of Traumatomutilla bivittata (Gerstaecker, 1874). Traumatomutilla immaculiceps André, 1901, T. bivittata rubroguttata André, 1901 and T. estrella (Cresson, 1902) are proposed as junior synonyms of T. juvenilis (Gerstaecker, 1874). Traumatomutilla bispiculata (André, 1907) is proposed as a junior synonym of T. miniata (Gerstaecker, 1874). The previously unknown males of T. guarata Casal, 1969 and T. juvenilis are described and illustrated. All species of the T. juvenilis species group are redescribed and illustrated. A new species, Traumatomutilla juvenindica Bartholomay & Williams sp. nov., is described based on males and females from northern South America. Additionally, identification keys to the species and known colour forms of the T. juvenilis species group are provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3563B9EE-A45B-4939-8436-7A808D4F8996     

The West Palaearctic species of Fidiobia Ashmead, 1894 (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea)

One new genus Songmachilis and six new species in family Machilidae are described from China: Songmachilis xinxiangensis gen. sp. nov., Coreamachilis songi sp. nov., Pedetontinus jiuzhaiensis sp. nov., Pedetontinus maijiensis sp. nov., Pedetontinus taishanensis sp. nov. and. Pedetontinus wudangensis sp. nov. A key to all Chinese species of Pedetontinus is given. We also examined the relationships among Chinese machilids based on partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). The molecular study further supported the species status of the six new taxa.     

A new species of the genus Scaptognathus (Acari,Halacaridae) from Japan

A new species under the name Scaptognathus ventridiscus sp. nov. is described from Japan. It differs from its congeners by the possession of a ventral disc in the male, a peculiar arrangement of dorsal plates and dorsal setae, and unique leg chaetotaxy.