Notogaster Fernández-Triana and Ward, 2020

Fernández-Triana, Jose L. & Ward, Darren F., 2020, Notogaster, a new genus of Microgastrinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 4801 (2), pp. 251-279 : 257-259

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4801.2.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AB3EF130-AF40-4A49-9C85-7DE3ABC398ED
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B31287AD-145A-4120-2C9B-FF26E1BB18D4
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Notogaster Fernández-Triana and Ward
status	gen. nov.

Treatment

Notogaster Fernández-Triana and Ward , gen. nov.

Type species. N. walkeri sp. nov., by present designation.

Diagnosis. This genus has a unique set of morphological features that, in combination, distinguish it from any other described genera of Microgastrinae : a) gena with pale spot (in most of the species) ( Figs 12B View FIGURE 12 , 13B View FIGURE 13 , 15B View FIGURE 15 , 17B View FIGURE 17 , 18B View FIGURE 18 , 19B View FIGURE 19 , 21B View FIGURE 21 ), b) eyes convergent ventrally and relatively small ( Figs 11D View FIGURE 11 , 12B View FIGURE 12 , 13B View FIGURE 13 , 14E View FIGURE 14 , 15B, 15C View FIGURE 15 , 16F View FIGURE 16 , 17B View FIGURE 17 , 18B, 18E View FIGURE 18 , 19B, 19D View FIGURE 19 , 20F View FIGURE 20 , 21B, 21H View FIGURE 21 ), c) relatively small ocelli ( Figs 11G View FIGURE 11 , 13D View FIGURE 13 , 14D View FIGURE 14 , 15G View FIGURE 15 , 16B View FIGURE 16 , 17D View FIGURE 17 , 18D View FIGURE 18 , 19G View FIGURE 19 , 20D View FIGURE 20 , 21D View FIGURE 21 ), d) metanotum large, with sublateral lobes and phragma below partially exposed ( Figs 14G View FIGURE 14 , 17G View FIGURE 17 , 18H View FIGURE 18 , 19G View FIGURE 19 , 20I View FIGURE 20 ), e) fore wing with characteristic small vein r, and with strong angulation between veins r and 2RS ( Figs 11C View FIGURE 11 , 13C View FIGURE 13 , 14C View FIGURE 14 , 15A View FIGURE 15 , 16A View FIGURE 16 , 17C View FIGURE 17 , 18C View FIGURE 18 , 19C View FIGURE 19 , 20C View FIGURE 20 , 21C View FIGURE 21 ), f) short metacoxa ( Figs 11G View FIGURE 11 , 12G View FIGURE 12 , 14F View FIGURE 14 , 15E, 15F View FIGURE 15 , 19A View FIGURE 19 , 20E View FIGURE 20 ), g) very short metatibial spurs ( Figs 12G View FIGURE 12 , 15E View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 , 18G View FIGURE 18 , 19F View FIGURE 19 , 20H View FIGURE 20 ), h) T1 comparatively long and thin ( Figs 11G View FIGURE 11 , 12E, 12H View FIGURE 12 , 13E View FIGURE 13 , 14F View FIGURE 14 , 15F View FIGURE 15 , 17G View FIGURE 17 , 18F View FIGURE 18 , 19E View FIGURE 19 , 20E View FIGURE 20 ), i) hypopygium inflexible ( Figs 11F View FIGURE 11 , 12G View FIGURE 12 , 13G View FIGURE 13 , 15E View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 , 17F View FIGURE 17 , 18G View FIGURE 18 , 19F View FIGURE 19 , 20G View FIGURE 20 ), j) ovipositor sheaths relatively short ( Figs 11F View FIGURE 11 , 12G View FIGURE 12 , 13G View FIGURE 13 , 14F View FIGURE 14 , 15E View FIGURE 15 , 16E View FIGURE 16 , 17F View FIGURE 17 , 18G View FIGURE 18 , 19F View FIGURE 19 , 20G View FIGURE 20 ). Some of those characters are shared with different lineages of Microgastrinae which are discussed below individually.

1) The short metacoxa and metatibial spurs are shared with the “ Microplitini ” sensu Mason (1981), and also with the genera Kiwigaster ( Fernandez-Triana et al. 2011) and Miropotes (Fernandez-Triana & Boudreault 2018, Fernandez-Triana et al. 2020); however, none of those three lineages have anything else in common with Notogaster (e.g. they all have a complete areolet, and also have completely different propodeal sculpture, T1 shape and sculpture, and setosity patterns of ovipositor sheaths).

2) The short ovipositor sheaths and inflexible hypopygium are shared with the “Cotesini” sensu Mason (1981) (see also Fernandez-Triana et al. 2020); within that group, Glyptapanteles or Sathon are the genera most likely to be confused with Notogaster , based on the relatively similar shape of T1 and T2, as well as the metanotum sublateral lobes. However, the sculpture and carination pattern of the propodeum in Notogaster is complex and variable, with most of the species having a complete to partially defined areola and median longitudinal carina on the propodeum, unlike Glyptapanteles or Sathon (in a few Notogaster species the sculpture pattern mostly obscures the definition of the areola and only the median longitudinal carina is discernible, which is similar to that found in some species of Glyptapanteles or Sathon ). The most important diagnostic features to separate these three genera are found in the hind legs, with Notogaster having metacoxa relatively small (usually not surpassing the posterior margin of T2) and metatibial spurs relatively very short (0.3–0.4 × the length of the first segment of the metatarsus), whereas Glyptapanteles and Sathon (and indeed the majority of “Cotesini”) have the metacoxa relatively large (always surpassing the posterior margin of T2, usually much more), and the metatibial spurs long (more than half the length of the basitarsus of the metatarsus).

3) Overall, the closest genus to Notogaster seems to be Pholetesor (placed in “ Apantelini ” sensu Mason (1981), see also Fernandez-Triana et al. (2020), although the tribal system from Mason is not accurate). Both genera have similar propodeal sculpture, T1 and T2, hypopygium and ovipositor sheaths; although they differ in propodeal carination pattern, fore wing venation, length of metatibial spurs, converging eyes (not convergent in Pholetesor ) and the pale spot on gena (absent in Pholetesor ). The DNA barcodes available for Notogaster could also be considered to (partially) support that relationship, as those sequences cluster close to (but separate and clearly distinct from) many species of Pholetesor .

Molecular data also suggest that Notogaster is not related to any of the above-mentioned genera, and in fact Notogaster is recovered as monophyletic in the ML analyses ( Fig. 10 View FIGURE 10 ).

Putative autapomorphies. A pale spot on the gena, shape and size of fore wing veins r and 2RS, small metacoxa and metatibial spurs, inflexible hypopygium, and short ovipositor sheaths. The pale spot on the gena is very uncommon in Microgastrinae , although it is present in a few species of different and unrelated lineages such as all species of Alphomelon , and a few species of Apanteles , Dolichogenidea , Prasmodon , and Pseudapanteles ; also within the Cotesini assemblage it has been found in a few species of Cotesia , Glyptapanteles , Sathon , and Protapanteles . The small size of metacoxa and short metatibial spurs are shared with very different lineages of Microgastrinae (see previous section for details).

Description. Eyes convergent ventrally; head in lateral view with the gena width larger than the eye width; gena usually with pale spot ventrally (pale spot absent in three species); clypeus and tentorial pits relatively large; ocelli relatively very small, OOD> 2.0 × POD (usually much more); flagellomeres with relatively long setae; scutoscutellar sulcus with several crenulae; lateral face of scutellum with polished area small, less than one third the height of the lateral face; metanotum large, with sublateral lobes and phragma below partially exposed; propodeum mostly sculptured, with a complex pattern of carinae where an areola (usually) or median carina (rarely) are defined; fore wing with vein r relatively short (usually much shorter than vein 2RS, rarely close to same length); hind wing with vannal lobe entirely setose and with setae very long (as long as height of vannal lobe); metatibial spurs about same length and less than 0.4 × length of the first segment of the metatarsus; T1 mostly parallel-sided, slightly narrowing on posterior 0.1–0.2; T1 comparatively very long, 2.0 × (usually much more) its width; T1 with broad excavation on anterior 0.2–0.3 and longitudinal striation after that; T2 from transverse to trapezoidal, usually with strong, longitudinal striae (rarely smooth); hypopygium inflexible; ovipositor sheaths relatively short (less than 0.5 × metatibia length), with numerous setae, especially on posterior 0.3–0.5.

Biology. Unknown.

Molecular data. A total of 15 DNA barcode compliant sequences (plus 16 additional partial barcode sequences) in BOLD, representing nine different BINs ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ). The two specimens grouped in one of those BINs (BOLD: ACP5880) were not available to us for study; thus we cannot associate any species described below to that BIN. However, the two images and additional information associated with that BIN in BOLD (http://v4.boldsystems.org/ index.php/Public_BarcodeCluster?clusteruri=BOLD:ACP5880), clearly indicate that BIN belongs to Notogaster .

Distribution. Only known from New Zealand, where the genus is widely distributed ( Figs 1−9 View FIGURES 1−9 ).

Etymology. The new generic name is composed of Noto (from Greek ”Notos”, meaning “south” or “south wind”; used in taxonomic names for species distributed in countries of the Southern hemisphere) and gaster (from Greek “gaster”, meaning “stomach” or “abdomen”, also previously used for the metasoma in Hymenoptera , and a common suffix in many genera of Microgastrinae ).