Therophilus meridionalis (Turner)

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2011, Diversity, distribution and taxonomy of the Australian agathidine genera Camptothlipsis Enderlein, Lytopylus Foerster and Therophilus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2887 (1), pp. 1-49 : 28-29

Therophilus meridionalis (Turner)

( Fig. 18B )

Agathiella meridionalis Turner, (1918a: 110) [examined]. Holotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Mount Wellington, Tasmania. Parrott, 1953: 198 [catalogue].

Agathis meridionalis (Turner) ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 343 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Bassus meridionalis (Turner) ; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Therophilus meridionalis (Turner) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 20 [catalogue].

Diagnosis. Carina between antennae; dorsal surfaces devoid of most sculpturing; notauli absent; sternalus and suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by smooth groove; ovipositor and fore wings nearly as long or longer than body; with BROW colour pattern.

Description (female). Body length 5.8 (4.1–7.1) mm; ovipositor 6.1 (3.9–7.7) mm; head mostly orange, except black to dark brown patch dorsally (head sometimes entirely orange), antenna black to dark brown; anterior mesosoma (propleuron, pronotum, mesoscutum), fore wing tegula and antero-dorsal region of mesopleuron orange; remaining posterior mesosoma dark brown except propodeum black (mesoscutellum and most of mesopleuron sometimes orange, fore wing tegula sometimes dark); legs dark brown to black except fore leg tarsomeres mostly orange-yellow, tibia and femur with dark shading on proximal part only (fore leg sometimes entirely orange); T1 white except large black patch on median tergite; S1 and S2 white except large black patch in medial regions of each; T2 white except median tergite mostly black except for white on anterior and lateral margins; T3 black except white on anterior lateral tergite; remaining metasoma mostly black to dark brown, except small pale areas occurring ventrally (posterior half of T1 sometimes entirely black except for a thin white band along posterior margin; anterior T2 sometimes entirely white).

Head width 1.2 mm, length 0.61 mm, height 0.9 mm; eye width 0.3 mm, length 0.44 mm, height 0.55 mm; inter-orbital distance 0.7 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.1 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.07 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.15 mm; carina between antennae; ante-ocular pit present; antenna with 36 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.4 mm, height 0.2 mm; malar space height 0.3 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.3 mm; labial palpomere 3 length 0.3x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.03 and 0.1 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 length 0.1 mm; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, marginally excavated (incursion 0.03 mm).

Mesosomal width 1.1 (1.0–1.2) mm, length 2.3 (2.0–2.7) mm; height 1.6 (1.4–1.7) mm; pilosity mostly 0.05– 0.07 mm in length and sparse, particularly dorsally, except for distinct dense setal field on metapleuron and ventroposterior mesopleuron, where setae longer (0.1 mm) and thicker; subpronope large and distinct, bordered posteriorly by carina that extends to anterior margin of pronotum; notauli absent; scutellar sulcus distinct, divided into 2 pits by prominent medial longitudinal carina, anterior margin curved, with anterior wall steeply sloped, nearly vertical, posterior margin concave, posterior wall vertical; propodeal surface smooth except punctation associated with setae antero-laterally; suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by smooth groove; propodeal spiracle round (diameter 0.05 mm); hind coxal cavities separated from metasomal foramen by relatively wide sclerite with carinate lateral margins; sternalus absent; metapleural surface smooth except punctation associated with setae; distinct setal field present.

Leg with all claws with quadrate basal lobes; mid tibia with 5 apical and 7 preapical spines; preapical spines on anterior surface in distal half of tibia; hind tibia with 5 apical and 12 preapical spines; preapical spines clumped just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings infuscate; fore wing maximum width 2.0 (2.0–2.1) mm, length 6.4 (6.1–6.6) mm; cell 1-Rs petiolate and triangular, width marginally greater than length, cell petiole length 0.1 mm; M+Cu entirely pigmented; hind wing maximum width 1.3 (1.1–1.3) mm, length 5.2 (5.0–5.2) mm.

Metasomal length 2.9 (2.3–3.2) mm, maximum width 0.9 (0.7–1.0) mm; entire dorsal surface smooth; T1 median area length 1.0 mm; anterior width 0.3 mm, posterior (maximum) width 0.5 mm; T2 medial transverse groove absent (faint broad shallow depression denoting medial groove sometimes present); T2–T3 boundary marked by shallow groove; ovipositor long, longer than body (sometimes marginally shorter).

Male. Unknown.

Holotype: ♀ ‘Mt. Wellington, S. Tasmania. 15 Jan.–6 Feb.1913.’ ‘ 1,300–2,300ft. R.E. Turner. 1913–212’ ( BMNH).

Other material examined. Tasmania: 1 ♀, Collins Vale, Fairy Glen , I–II. 1983, 300 m, Williams & Gauld ( BMNH) ; 1 ♀, 41.14S 147.56E 4 km SE Weldborough , 13.I.1983, I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, 41.06S 147.53E 1 km NE Herrick 29–30.I.1983, I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale, ex ethanol ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, Mount Field National Park , 8–14.I.1984, malaise trap, L. Masner ( CNCI) ; 1 ♀, Mount Nelson, Hobart , c. 100m, 12.XII.1986, ex. tortricid larva on Acacia verticillata, M. Horak ; Victoria: 1 ♀, Wingan , 22–2.1946, ENT 1030 ( MVMA) ; 1 ♀, Karlo Creek , 21 km NE Cann River, 25.II.1980 ( ANIC) .

Comments. Therophilus meridionalis belongs to the BROW mimicry complex and is similar in colour pattern to T. malignus and T. unimaculatus . However, T. meridionalis can be distinguished from T. malignus by the lack of a genal expansion postero-ventrally, and from T. unimaculatus by the fore wing length being longer or nearly as long as the body. Therophilus meridionalis is known from Tasmania and the southern Kosciuskan regions ( Fig. 19B ). Some specimens from Tasmania have been reared from a tortricid host feeding on Acacia verticillata (L’Her.) .

Figures

FIGURE 18. Distribution maps of described Camptothlipsis, Lytopylus and Therophilus species: A, Camptothlipsis oliveri o, Lytopylus rufipes, Therophilus aalvikorum ●, T. leucogaster ̝, T. martialis; B, T. malignus ●, T. meridionalis o, T.minimus ̝, T. minor ̝.

FIGURE 19. Distribution maps of described Therophilus species: A, T.mishae; B, T. pedunculatus o; T. ruficeps ●.