Therophilus rufithorax (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 : 36-37

Therophilus rufithorax (Turner)

( Figs 16F , 20A )

Microdus rufithorax Turner, 1918a: 107 [examined]. lectotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Kalamunda , Western Australia.

Agathis rufithorax (Turner) ; Parrot, 1953: 199 [catalogue, generic transfer]; Shenefelt, 1970b: 353 [catalogue]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue].

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

Diagnosis. Rounded elevation between antennae; notauli scrobiculate; propodeum with coarse rugose sculpturing; sternalus long and scrobiculate; sculpturing of T1 and T2 rugose on a granulate background; with BROW colour pattern.

Description (female). Body length 4.7 (3.4–5.0) mm; ovipositor 3.6 (3.0–4.0) mm; head orange (dark brown to black patch dorsally); antenna black to dark brown; palps yellow; mesosoma mostly orange except propodeum dark brown; fore and mid legs orange, hind leg mostly dark brown except tibia banded dark brown and white; metasoma dorsal surface mostly black to dark brown except paler colour on margins T1 and T2 anterior margin (T1, T2–3 white); S1 and S2 white, remaining sternites black to dark brown (S1, S2 and S3 white).

Head width 1.0 mm, length 0.5 mm, height 0.8 mm; eye width 0.2 mm, length 0.3 mm, height 0.5 mm; interorbital distance 0.6 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.1 mm; distance between lateral ocelli to median ocellus 0.04 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.13 mm; rounded elevation between antennae; antenna with 31 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.3 mm, height 0.12 mm; malar space height 0.22 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero- ventral mouth margin 0.25 mm; labial palpomere 3 length 0.25x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.02 and 0.08 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 length 0.09 mm; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, marginally excavated (incursion 0.04 mm).

Mesosomal width 1.1 (0.8–1.1) mm, length 1.8 (1.4–2.0) mm, height 1.2 mm; pilosity mostly short, length 0.03–0.05 mm, except towards propodeal-metapleural margin where setae are dense and longer, length up to 0.08 mm; subpronope large and distinct, bordered posteriorly by carina that extends to near anterior margin of pronotum; notauli scrobiculate (can appear as faint punctate-scrobiculate pits anteriorly only); scutellar sulcus distinct, with four pits; propodeum coarsely rugose to rugose; suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by scrobiculate groove; propodeal spiracle ovoid (maximum distance across 0.05 mm); hind coxal cavities separated from metasomal foramen by hind coxal bridge (minimum width 0.03 mm); sternalus long, curved and scrobiculate; metapleural surface mostly smooth except for punctation associated with setae; pubescence not forming distinct setal field.

Legs with basal lobe of all claws large and quadrate; mid tibia with 3 apical and 6 preapical spines; preapical spines on anterior surface in distal half of tibia; hind tibia with 4 apical and 8 preapical spines; preapical spines clumped just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings moderately infuscate; fore wing maximum width 1.4 (1.1–1.5) mm, length 3.7 (3.2– 4.0) mm; cell 1-Rs reduced, triangular and petiolate, maximum length 0.04 mm, petiole of cell 0.1 mm long; basal third of M+Cu not pigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.8 (0.6–0.8) mm, length 3.1 (2.6–3.2) mm.

Metasomal length 2.4 (1.8–2.8) mm, maximum width 0.7 mm; T1 and T2 rugose on a granulate background; T1 median area length 0.8 mm, anterior width 0.3 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.5 mm; anterior margin median T2 straight; T2 medial transverse groove marginally curved, with associated scrobiculate sculpturing; T2– T3 boundary marked by shallow groove; T3 smooth.

Male. Same as female except for genitalia.

Lectotype: ♀, ‘ Kalamunda, S.W. Australia. 14 Mch. 14 Apl.1914. R.E.Turner. 1914–349.’ ( BMNH).

Other material examined. Queensland: 5 ♀, 2 ♂, Coes Creek Rd, reared ex. larva on flowers of Macadamia tetraphylla , 20.IX.1963, D.A.J. & J.J.D. (QDPI); Beerwah, reared ex. Homoeosoma vagella Zeller , 1 ♀, from Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche trunk bands, 29.X.1974, 2 ♂, from Macadamia nut, 27.IX.1967, D.A.I. (QDPI); 1 ♀, Innot Hot Springs, 21.V.1971, I.C. Cunningham (SAMA); 1 ♀, Lagoon Pkt [?], reared ex. Homoeosoma vagella Zeller from Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche trunk bands, 24.X.1974, D.A.I. (QDPI); 1 ♀, North Queensland, ex. grub, Macadamia flower, VII.1982 (QDPI).

Comments. Therophilus rufithorax belongs to the BROW mimicry complex and can be distinguished from other BROW species by the mesosoma being mostly orange except for the propodeum being dark brown to black, scrobiculate notauli, and extensive and prominent rugose sculpturing of the propodeum. The known records of Therophilus rufithorax display a widely disjunct distribution ( Fig. 20A ). All Queensland material occurs in northern tropical and sub-tropical regions and most are associated with the host Homoeosoma vagella (Pyralidae) feeding on Macadamia . The Queensland material is indistinguishable from the holotype collected in Western Australia. Several Queensland specimens have been identified by Turner himself as T. rufithorax . There are two possible explanations for this. First, cryptic species may be involved or, second, there has been insufficient sampling to elucidate the full distribution of the species.

The lectotype is damaged as follows: all right legs are missing from the trochantellus; left and right antennae with 15 and 1 flagellomeres remaining, respectively.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Dorsal habitus of Camptothlipsis, Lytopylus and Therophilus spp.: A, female C. oliveri; B & D, L. rufipes, B, female non-type specimen with orange mesosoma and T1; D, female holotype, all black; C female T.mishae: E, female T.rufobrunneus; F, female T. rufithorax. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 20. Distribution maps of described Therophilus species: A, T. rufithorax o; B, T. rufobrunneus ●; T. stephensae o.