Studies on Indian ichneumonidae,description of a new species with a key to the Indo-Australian species of Dicamptus Szépligeti

Summary

One new species Dicamptus indicus is described. Key to 12 Indo-Australian species of Dicamptus Szépligeti is also included.     

A preliminary molecular phylogeny of the Sigalphinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), including Pselaphanus Szépligeti,based on 28S rDNA,with descriptions of new Afrotropical and Madagascan Minanga and Malasigalphus species

Minanga phoebea sp. n. Quicke, from Uganda, and Malasigalphus roa sp. n. Sharkey, from Madagascar, are described and illustrated. The new species of Minanga displays a distinct posterior metasomal carina and thus provides another example of the co‐occurrence of this feature with a metasomal carapace within the Braconidae. Malasigalphus roa is the second species of the genus recently described by Achterberg and Austin. A preliminary molecular phylogeny of the Sigalphinae is presented including the rare Neotropical genus Pselaphanus the placement of which has been debated. Sensitivity analysis to multiple alignment parameters was conducted and a single elided data set, based on the combined 21 separate alignments, was analysed. Strong support was obtained for the following relationships: Pselaphanus+(Malasigalphus+(other Sigalphinae)), (Minanga+(Sigalphus bicolor+(S. irrorator+S. gyrodontus))), and Earinini being basal (as a grade in these analyses) to other Agathidinae. The Mesocoelus group of genera (Mesocoelini in part) are shown to be derived agathidines rather than being associated with the Orgilini. The Microtypinae is shown be non‐monophyletic and Plesiotypus Achterberg is proposed as the sister group to the Agathidinae+Sigalphinae clade. The Acampsohelconinae does not appear as monophyletic; however, the placements of both of the two included genera, Afrocampsis and Canalicephalis, had less than 100% support in the elised analysis tree, and therefore monophyly of this recently redefined subfamily must be more rigorously tested.     

Reproductive phenology and pre‐dispersal seed‐feeding in Protium tovarense (Burseraceae), with a description of the first known phytophagous “Bracon” species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Braconinae)

The reproductive phenology of the cloud forest tree Protium tovarense (Burseraceae) is analysed for one population in northern Venezuela. Reproductive phenophases were monitored using both long‐term(21 years) and detailed short‐term (4 years) surveys of flower and fruit set. The reproductive phenology of this tree varies, with periods in which the species behaves as a supra‐annual reproducer, and other periods in which it reproduces annually, at the end of the rainy season. Marked spatial variation in reproductive condition was also observed, with subpopulations separated by less than 2 km showing contrasting phenological stages. Larval infestation of seeds by a braconid wasp was observed for a period of 1 year and is described. This wasp, the first obligately phytophagous species of Braconinae, is described as Bracon phytophagus Quicke sp. n. Percentage fruit infestation by this wasp was relatively high (50–60%) during the entire period (～10 months) of fruit development. The larval stages are described and illustrated, and compared with those of other phytophagous Ichneumonoidea. DNA sequencing of wasp colour variants provided no indication that multiple species were involved. Two related braconine species described in the genus Iphiaulax are transferred to Bracon, hence, B. flavipalpisimus replacement name (Szépligeti) ( = Iphiaulax flavipalpis Szépligeti, 1901 Szépligeti, G v. 1901. Tropische Cenocoeliden und Braconidae aus der Sammlung des Ungarischens National‐Museums.. Természetrajzi Füzetek, 24: 353–402.  [Google Scholar] not B. flavipalpis Thomson, 1892) and B. glabrescens (Szépligeti) n. comb. ( = Iphiaulax glabrescens Szépligeti, 1901 Szépligeti, G v. 1901. Tropische Cenocoeliden und Braconidae aus der Sammlung des Ungarischens National‐Museums.. Természetrajzi Füzetek, 24: 353–402.  [Google Scholar]). Evolutionary routes to phytophagy in braconid wasps and hypothetical scenarios in which this plant–seed predator interaction can be maintained are discussed.     

Eucharitidae new to the fauna of Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea), with the description of a new species and the previously unknown male of Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) albipennis Bouček

The present study summarizes additions to the known fauna of Eucharitidae of Saudi Arabia. Cherianella arabica Gadallah &; Soliman sp. nov. and the male of previously known female Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) albipennis Bou?ek, 1956 are described and illustrated. Three new records are also added to the fauna of Saudi Arabia: Eucharis (Eucharisca) intermedia Ruschka, 1924, Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) acuminata Ruschka, 1924 and Eucharis (Psilogastrellus) punctata Förster, 1859.

http:/zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F1B1C493-AA83-4696-AF8B-3B3F62C09B41     

Reclassification of Bracon mendocinus,a gall‐associated doryctine wasp,and description of a new closely related species of Allorhogas (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

One of the first reported gall‐associated braconids, from 1910, Bracon mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen, is removed from the subfamily Braconinae and transferred to the doryctine genus Allorhogas, A. mendocinus (Kieffer and Jörgensen) comb. nov. A new species morphologically similar to A. mendocinus, A. joergenseni Martinez and Zaldivar‐Riverón sp. nov., is also described. Additionally a neotype is designated for B. mendocinus Kieffer and Jörgensen. We base our conclusions on the morphological examination of recently collected specimens from central Argentina associated with galls on Lycium chilense (Solanaceae), as well as on the DNA variation at 28S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial DNA genes.     

Five new species of Homalotylus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) − from India with a key to Indian species

Five new species of Homalotylus Mayr (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) – H. noyesi sp. nov., H. biharensis sp. nov., H. varicolorus sp. nov. (from Bihar province), H. montanus sp. nov. (from Tamil Nadu province) and H. insularis sp. nov. (from Andaman and Nicobar Island) – are described from India. A revised key to the Indian species of Homalotylus is provided.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9209CC16-7A20-49BF-B4C6-95EF0F5567DF     

A taxonomic study of the genus Coptotettix Bolívar, 1887 (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae: Tetriginae) from China with description of a new species

An annotated list of 27 species of the genus Coptotettix Bolívar, 1887 Bolívar, I. 1887. Essai sur les acridiens de la tribe Tettigidae. Ann Soc Entomol Belg., 31: 175–313.  [Google Scholar] distributed in China is given. Coptotettix emeiensis sp. nov. is described from Sichuan Province, China. A key to the Chinese species of the genus Coptotettix is given.     

A biosystematic study of Aspidiotus nerii Bouché (Homoptera: Diaspididae), with the description of one new species

Summary

Uniparental (UP) and biparental (BP) populations of the oleander or ivy scale, Aspidiotus nerii Bouchè, were reared under similar conditions. Development of the UP population was always slower than that of the BP scales. UP females usually produced less than half the number of progeny the BP females had, and the patterns of development and oviposition were quite dissimilar.

The shield of UP females was slightly, but consistently, darker than that of BP females, and the latter never colonized Pittosporum undulation, the only host-plant on which UP population occur in Israel. These criteria are used to describe the uniparental population as Aspidiotus paranerii Gerson sp. nov. and to differentiate it from A. nerii. As the biology of A. paranerii clearly differs from that of a Californian uniparental sibling species of A. nerii, it is argued that the latter may have a series of such parthenogenetic relatives.