Therophilus xanthopsis (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 : 45-47

Therophilus xanthopsis (Turner)

( Figs 13H , 21B )

Microdus xanthopsis Turner, 1918a: 107 [examined]. Holotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Yallingup , Western Australia.

Agathis xanthopsis (Turner) ; Parrot, 1953: 199 [catalogue, generic transfer]; Shenefelt, 1970b: 365 [catalogue]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue].

Therophilus xanthopsis (Turner) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 22 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Diagnosis. Carina or rounded elevation between antennae; notauli faint and smooth; propodeum extensively rugose-punctate; body pilose in appearance, more so than most other Australian taxa, setae relatively dense and long (length 0.1–0.15 mm).

Description (female). Body length 4.4 mm; ovipositor 3.0 mm; head dark orange; antenna black; mesosoma mostly black except propleuron and pronotum dark orange; fore leg dark orange; both mid and hind legs with coxa, femur and tarsomeres 2 to 4 black to dark brown, tibia dark with 2 pale bands, tarsal segment 1 mostly dark but pale basally; metasoma dark brown to black.

Head width 1.0 mm, length 0.6 mm, height 0.7 mm; eye width 0.2 mm, length 0.4 mm, height 0.45 mm; interorbital distance 0.6 mm; median ocellus diameter 0.1 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.08 mm; distance between lateral ocelli 0.13 mm; difficult to see region between antennae but appears that carina or rounded elevation present; ante-ocular pit not distinct; antenna with 25 flagellomeres; clypeus width 0.3 mm, height 0.13 mm; malar space height 0.2 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.2 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, excavated (incursion 0.1 mm); posterior genal margin distinctly carinate but not expanded ventro-posteriorly.

Mesosomal width 0.9 mm, length 1.8 mm, height 1.0 mm; pilosity dense over most of mesosoma and head; setae relatively uniform in thickness and length (0.1–0.15 mm) including setal field on metapleuron; subpronope distinct, bordered posteriorly by small, short, straight carina that does not extend to the anterior margin of pronotum; notauli faint, smooth, short impressions anteriorly only; pin has damaged and obscured mesoscutellum so observation of scutellar sulcus not possible; propodeal surface extensively rugose-punctate; propodeal spiracle small, round (diameter 0.02 mm), nearly lost within sculpturing of propodeum; suture line between metapleuron and propodeum difficult to see because of surface sculpturing; hind coxal cavities closed to metasomal foramen by hind coxal bridge of intermediate width and with carinate margins; sternalus distinctly scrobiculate, short, relatively straight, mostly horizontal; metapleural pilosity length and thickness similar to rest of mesosoma but denser, creating reflective setal field.

Legs with all claws with quadrate basal lobes; mid tibia with 4 apical spines, and 1 preapical spine; preapical spine on anterior surface in distal half of tibia; hind tibia with 5 apical and 2 preapical spines; preapical spines situated just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings infuscate; fore wing maximum width 1.3 mm, length 3.5 mm; cell 1-Rs petiolate and triangular, reduced in size, maximum distance across cell marginally greater than width of petiolate vein; petiole of cell 0.07 mm long; M+Cu entirely pigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.7 mm, length 3.0 mm.

Metasomal length 2.0 mm, maximum width 0.8 mm; most dorsal surfaces smooth except T1 and T2 with faint granulate sculpturing; T1 with paired, sinuate carinae latero-medially in anterior half; T1 median area triangular, length 0.7 mm, anterior width 0.3 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.7 mm; T2 with medial transverse groove; T2– T3 boundary marked by shallow groove.

Male. Unknown.

Holotype: ♀, ‘ S.W. Australia, Yallingup. Nov. 1913. R.E. Turner 1914–190’ ( BMNH).

Comments. Therophilus xanthopsis is a small species that possesses the most distinct pilosity of all Australian Therophilus species , displaying widespread and relatively dense and long setae over the body and legs. The species is known only from the type locality, Yallingup in the temperate south-western biogeographic region ( Fig. 21B ).

The holotype is in good condition except the right antenna is missing two flagellomeres and pinning of the specimen has damaged the mesoscutellum.

Figures

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 21. Distribution maps of described Therophilus species: A, T. rugosus ●; T. tricolor o; B, T. unimaculatus ●; T. xanthopsis o.