Therophilus ruficeps (Szépligeti)

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 : 35-36

Therophilus ruficeps (Szépligeti)

( Figs 4E , 13E, F , 19B )

Agathiella ruficeps Szépligeti, 1905: 52 [examined]. Holotype HNHM ♂; Type locality: Sydney, New South Wales. Turner ,

1918a: 110 [notes]; Parrott, 1953: 198 [catalogue]. Agathis ruficeps (Szépligeti) ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 352 [catalogue, generic transfer]. Bassus ruficeps (Szépligeti) ; Papp, 2004: 175 [catalogue, generic transfer]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue]. Therophilus ruficeps (Szépligeti) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 21 [catalogue, generic transfer]. Agathiella tenuissima Turner, 1918a: 111 [examined]. Holotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Australia, Victoria. Parrott, 1953:

198 [catalogue]. Agathis tenuissima (Turner) ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 360 [catalogue, generic transfer]. Bassus tenuissimus (Turner) ; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue, generic transfer]. Therophilus tenuissimus (Turner) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 21 [catalogue, synonymised].

Diagnosis. Mesosoma dark brown to black except pronotum and propleuron orange; sternalus indistinct; notuali absent; carina between antennae; subpronope bordered posteriorly by pair of long carinae that extend to anterior margin of pronotum; scutellar sulcus with medial longitudinal carina only; with BROW colour pattern.

Description (female). Body length 5.2 (3.9–5.5) mm; ovipositor length 5.9 (3.8–5.9) mm; head entirely orange, antenna uniformly dark brown; palps yellow; mesosoma dark brown to black except pronotum and propleuron orange; fore and mid legs orange except claws dark brown, hind leg dark brown except pale band on basal margin of tibia (hind femur orange); median T1 largely dark brown to black, but paler along margins; T2 mostly white; T3 gradating from light brown anteriorly to black posteriorly; remaining tergites black; S1 and S2 white, remaining sternites black; ovipositor sheaths dark brown.

Head width 1.1 mm, length 0.6 mm, height 0.9 mm; eye width 0.26 mm, length 0.4 mm, height 0.5 mm; interorbital distance 0.6 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.1 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.07 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.17 mm; carina between antennae; ante-ocular pit triangular; antenna with 34– 35 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.36 mm, height 0.1 mm; malar space height 0.24 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.24 mm; labial palpomere 3 length 0.2x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.02 and 0.1 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 length 0.1 mm; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, not deeply excavated (incursion 0.03 mm).

Mesosomal width 0.9 (0.7–0.9) mm, length 2.2 (1.8–2.5) mm; height 1.3 (1.0–1.4) mm; pilosity ranging in length 0.06–0.1 mm, generally longer and denser laterally; antescutal depression with non-carinate anterior margin but with setal fringe; subpronope large and distinct, bordered posteriorly by paired carinae that extend to anterior margin of pronotum; notauli absent; scutellar sulcus divided into two pits by medial longitudinal carina; both anterior and posterior margins curved, walls steep with posterior wall vertical; propodeum with light rugose-punctate sculpturing, more pronounced medially (surface smooth); suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by faintly scrobiculate groove; propodeal spiracle round (diameter 0.03 mm); hind coxal cavities separated from metasomal foramen by wide hind coxal bridge (minimum width 0.1 mm); sternalus short and relatively straight, indistinct anteriorly, with faint scrobiculate sculpturing posteriorly (entirely smooth); metapleuron with setal field.

Legs with all claws with large quadrate basal lobe; mid tibia with 3 apical and 6 preapical spines; preapical spines dispersed singularly at intervals in distal two-thirds; hind tibia with 5 apical and 10 preapical spines; preapical spines arranged in rows just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings faintly infuscate; fore wing maximum width 1.5 (1.2–1.5) mm, length 4.4 (3.6–5.0) mm; cell 1-Rs reduced, round and petiolate, diameter 0.06 mm, petiole of cell 0.01 mm long; basal third of M+Cu not pigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.8 (0.5–0.8) mm, length 3.7 (3.1–3.8) mm.

Metasomal length 2.3 (1.8–3.0) mm, maximum width 0.9 (0.6–1.0) mm; median T1 lightly rugose-striate medially (entire dorsal surface smooth); T1 median area length 0.9 (0.6–1.0) mm; anterior width 0.26 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.6 (0.4–0.7) mm; T2 mostly smooth but faintly rugose-striate in and about medial groove; anterior margin of median T2 rounded; T3 with faint granulate sculpturing; T2 medial groove curved and faint; T2–T3 boundary groove faint.

Male. As for female except for genitalia.

Holotypes: T. ruficeps , ♂, ‘ Australia, Biró 1900.’ ‘ Sydney, Botany B. ’ ( HNHM); T. tenuissima , ♀, ‘ Victoria, Australia, C. French. 1912–491.’ ( BMNH) .

Other material examined. Australian Capital Territory: 1 ♀, Canberra , III.1931, L.F. Graham ( ANIC) ; New South Wales: 1 ♀, CSIRO Experimental Farm, Wilton , 2.XII.1968, V.J. Robinson ( AMSA) ; Queensland: 1 ♀, Blackdown Tableland Expedition Range , 5–7.XII.1979, G. Daniels & M.A. Schneider ( UQIC) ; South Australia: 1 ♀, Blackwood , mv light, 14.III.1969, N. Macfarland, ex. Micro-lepidopteran on Eucalyptus odorata (SAMA) ; Tasmania: 1 ♂, 42.38S 147.38E, 7 km WbyS, Buckland , 27.I.1983, I.D. Naumann & J.C. Cardale ( ANIC) ; Western Australia: 1 ♀, 3 ♂, Perth , 5–9.XI.1935, R.E. Turner ( BMNH) .

Comments. Therophilus ruficeps exhibits a distinct BROW colour pattern where the entire mesosoma is black to dark brown except for the propleuron and pronotum being entirely orange ( Fig. 13E ). Other Australian BROW species either display more orange on the mesosoma or none at all; i.e. entirely black to dark brown. The sculpturing of the female holotype of T. tenuissima is less pronounced than the male holotype of T. ruficeps . This species has been recorded from the Kosciuskan, Tasmanian and the south-western regions of Australia ( Fig. 19B ).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Lateral views of Therophilus spp.: A, lateral head and anterior mesosoma T. festinatus; B, antero-lateral head and mesosoma T. martialis; C, lateral head and anterior mesosoma T. mishae; D, lateral head and mesosoma T. nr latibalteatus; E, lateral head and mesosoma T. ruficeps; F, lateral head and mesosoma T. pedunculatus; G, lateral mesosoma T. festinatus; H, lateral mesosoma T. martialis. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 13. Lateral habitus of Camptothlipsis and Therophilus spp.: A, male C. oliveri; B, female T. martialis (holotype); C, female T. nr minimus; D, male T. pedunculatus (holotype); E & F, T. ruficeps; E, fresh female specimen; F, male holotype specimen (note discolouration of what would have been white on anterior metasoma); G, undescribed Therophilus species 14; H, T. xanthopsis (holotype). Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

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