Aphelagathis Sharkey

Sharkey, Michael J. & Chapman, Eric G., 2015, The Nearctic genera of Agathidinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with a phylogenetic analysis, illustrated generic key, and the description of three new genera, Zootaxa 4000 (1), pp. 49-72 : 57

Aphelagathis Sharkey NEW GENUS

( Fig. 2 ).

Type species. Aphelagathis verticalis (Cresson 1872) NEW COMBINATION.

Diagnosis. First median tergite smooth lacking microsculpture and carinae; tarsal claws simple with a large basal lobe; notauli deeply impressed and lacking sculpture; frons not margined by carinae.

Description. Head. Lateral carina on frons (as found in members of Alabagrus ) absent; interantennal space with a raised triangular prominence, or weak dull median carina; gena not extended ventroposteriorly into sharp prominence; gena lacking sharp angle posterad eye; mandible dorsoventrally flattened; labial palpus with 4 segments, third segment reduced and less than ½ length of apical segment. Mesosoma . Propleuron weakly to strongly convex ventrally but lacking a sharp bump; notauli deeply impressed, smooth, lacking pits and crenulae; median lobe of mesoscutum prominent; posteroscutellar depression absent but sculpture sometimes present in this area; propodeum mostly smooth with a pair of irregular, diverging, longitudinal carinae, defining a medial region; sclerite between hind coxal cavities and metasomal foramen narrow but complete, its ventral margin situated ventral to dorsal margin of hind coxal cavities. Legs. Fore tibia lacking dull pegs; mid and hind tibia with blunt apical or preapical pegs; all tarsal claws with truncate basal lobe. Wings. Fore wing RS+M vein mostly absent; second submarginal cell triangular and petiolate; fore wing 3RSb straight and strong throughout; hind wing r and rm cross veins absent; hind wing vein CUb tubular as a short stub with a long pigmented non-tubular extension; wings weakly to strongly infuscated. Metasoma. First median tergite smooth, longer than wide apically, and lacking pair of longitudinal carinae; second and third median tergites smooth; second tergite with or without curved transverse depression; ovipositor about as long as metasoma, slightly thickened preapically ( Fig. 2 a).

Biology. There are two new host records; both are on skippers ( Hesperiidae ). A series of specimens of A. verticalis from Louisiana were reared from Ancyloxypha numitor , the least skipper. An undescribed species of Aphelagathis from Guanacaste Provence, Costa Rica was reared from Morys valerius valda feeding on Homolepis aturensis (Poaceae) (http://janzen.sas.upenn.edu/Wadults/resultsexpressVOUCHcopy.lasso).

Diversity and Distribution. The only described species, Aphelagathis verticalis (Cresson) is widespread in the southeastern USA south of southern Ohio and Illinois and west, at least to Texas, the holotype locality. A. verticalis has the most northerly distribution; other species (There are about 10 species in the collection of the senior author) are found in the southwestern USA, and Mexico south to Costa Rica and east to the Cayman Islands.

Etymology. From the Greek agathis , meaning “ball of thread”, and the Greek apheles, meaning “smooth”. The latter word is a reference to the smooth surface of the first metasomal median tergite ( Fig. 2 c). The gender is feminine.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Aphelagathis verticalis. a. Lateral habitus (neotype ♀), arrow shows thickened area of ovipositor. b. Lateral head and mesosoma of melanic ♂ from Illinois. c. Dorsal habitus (neotype ♀), arrows show diverging carinae of propodeum and smooth first median tergite. d. Hind tarsal claw showing truncate basal lobe (neotype ♀). e. Wings, arrow shows nebulous Cub vein (neotype ♀). f. Lateral view of head and mesosoma (neotype ♀).