Therophilus minimus (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 : 29-30

Therophilus minimus (Turner)

( Figs 5E , 18B )

Agathiella minima Turner, (1918a: 113) [examined]. Holotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Kuranda , Queensland. Parrott, 1953: 198 [catalogue].

Agathis minima (Turner) ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 344 [catalogue, generic transfer].

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

Theophilus minimus (Turner) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 21 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Diagnosis. Small in size; distinct setal field present; tall and sharp carina between antennae; notauli absent; pronounced sculpturing on propodeum; sternalus scrobiculate; T1 striate-rugose in anterior half; T2 with faint striaterugosity posteriorly; with BROW colour pattern.

Description (female). Body length 3.2 mm; ovipositor 2.4 mm; head entirely black to dark brown including antenna; palps yellow; mesosoma orange except propodeum and metapleuron dark brown to black; fore and mid legs orange except claws darker, hind leg dark brown; T1 white with dark band medially; T2 white except black along posterior margin; T3 and remaining tergites black; S1 and S2 white, remaining sternites black; ovipositor sheaths brown to dark brown.

Head width 0.8 mm, length 0.5 mm, height 0.6 mm; eye width 0.2 mm, length 0.4 mm, height 0.4 mm; interorbital distance 0.4 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.05 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.1 mm; tall, sharp carina between antennae; ante-ocular pit present; antenna with 30 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.25 mm, height 0.1 mm; malar space height 0.14 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.2 mm; labial palpomere 3 highly reduced, length 0.1x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.01 and 0.08 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 length 0.06 mm, shorter than labial palpomere 4, but thicker; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, excavated (incursion 0.07 mm).

Mesosomal width 0.7 mm, length 1.3 mm, height 0.9 mm; pilosity mostly short (0.04–0.06 mm) and sparse except on propleuron and setal fields on mesepimeron and metapleuron where setae are longer (0.08–0.1 mm), stouter and occur in greater density; subpronope large and distinct, bordered posteriorly by carina that extends to anterior margin of pronotum; notauli absent; scutellar sulcus divided into 2 main pits by medial longitudinal carina, pair of smaller incomplete carinae in each pit either side of medial carina; both anterior and posterior margins curved, anterior wall not steeply sloped, posterior wall vertical; propodeal surface extensively rugulose; suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by scrobiculate groove; propodeal spiracle round (diameter 0.04 mm); hind coxal cavities clearly separated from metasomal foramen by narrow hind coxal bridge (minimum width 0.02 mm); sternalus relatively straight and scrobiculate; metapleural surface extensively punctate, obscured by dense setal field.

Legs with all claws with quadrate basal lobes; mid tibia with 3 apical and 4 preapical spines; preapical spines placed singularly at intervals in distal half on anterior surface; hind tibia with 3 apical and 5 preapical spines; preapical spines clumped just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings moderately infuscate; fore wing maximum width 1.0 mm, length 3.0 mm; cell 1-Rs reduced, round and petiolate, diameter 0.03 mm, petiole of cell 0.04 mm long; basal third of M+Cu not pigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.65 mm, length 2.4 mm.

Metasomal length 1.5 mm, maximum width 0.8 mm; T1 dorsal surface striate-rugose in anterior half, mostly smooth in posterior half; T1 median area length 0.5 mm, anterior width 0.2 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.4 mm; median T2 anterior margin rounded; anterior T2 smooth with faint striate-rugosity posteriorly, beginning from faint medial groove; T3 entirely smooth; both T2 medial groove and T2–T3 boundary groove faint.

Male. Unknown.

Holotype: ♀ ‘N. Queensland. Kuranda , 1,100 ft. June 21–July 24 1913, R.E. Turner. 1913–438’( BMNH).

Comments. Therophilus minimus belongs to the BROW mimicry complex and can be distinguished from other BROW species by the light coloured legs with no black and white banding pattern, prominent carina between the antennae, and extensive and prominent rugose sculpturing of the propodeum. The species is only known from the type locality in northern Queensland ( Fig. 18B ). The holotype is in relatively good condition except as follows: right antenna incomplete, 19 flagellomeres remaining; artefact of ageing has caused what would have been white colouration on the metasoma in a fresh specimen to be pale orange-yellow.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Dorsal propodeum, T1 and T2 of Lytopylus and Therophilus spp. (unless stated otherwise): A, L. rufipes; B, laterodorsal view T. mishae; C, T.minor; D, T. nr tricolor; E, T. minimus; F, dorsal scutellum and propodeum of T. nr leucogaster; G, T. nr unimaculatus; H, latero-dorsal propodeum and T1 of T. rugosus. pr = propodeum; T1 = tergite 1; T2+3 = fused tergites 2 and 3. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

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 ̝.