Paroligoneurus Muesebeck, 1931

Ranjith, A. P., Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Sankararaman, H. & Nasser, M., 2020, Discovery of the ichneutine genus Paroligoneurus Muesebeck (Hymenoptera Braconidae) from the Indian subcontinent with the description of a new species from Northwest India, Zootaxa 4786 (3), pp. 396-408 : 397-402

Paroligoneurus Muesebeck, 1931

Paroligoneurus Muesebeck, 1931: 7 . Type species: Paroligoneurus johnsoni Muesebeck, 1931 (USNM).

Diagnosis. Antenna with 17–24 antennomeres. Head transverse. Eye more or less setose. Maxillary palp five segmented. Labial palp four segmented. Occipital carina absent. Anterior tentorial pit small to medium sized, round or elliptical. Epistomal suture shallowly impressed. Malar space comparatively shorter. Malar suture distinct. Face smooth, slightly convex in lateral view. Clypeus distinctly convex posteriorly. Frons smooth, flat without longitudinal groove. Vertex and occiput mostly smooth. Propleuron without longitudinal carina. Prepectal carina mostly absent rarely present anteriorly. Notauli impressed only anteriorly. Precoxal sulcus shallowly impressed, smooth. Scutellum smooth and flat. Scutellar sulcus shallow, narrow and smooth. Propodeum smooth without carinae. Tibial spur small and weak. Tarsal claw simple. Fore wing venation reduced. Fore wing vein 1-M distinctly curved. Fore wing veins r-rs stub like or short. Fore wing veins m-cu and 2RS unsclerotised. Fore wing veins 2-1A, 2CUa (present in P. crassicornis (He) comb. nov.), 2Cub and 2cu-a absent. Hind wing vein 1-1A absent apically. Hind wing vein M+CU longer than 1-M. Metasomal tergite smooth. First metasomal tergite without longitudinal sulcus, narrowing basally and apically. Second metasomal tergite trapezoidal, median area bordered by shallow posteriorly diverging groove. Hypopygium small to large, pointed apically. Ovipositor sheath with ventral and apical setae. Ovipositor without dorsal nodus and ventral serrations.

Biology. Leaf mining Nepticulidae ( Yu et al. 2016) and Cosmopterygidae ( He et al. 2000) .

Distribution. Afrotropical, Australasian, Eastern Palaearctic, Nearctic and Oriental ( He et al. 2000 as Oligoneurus from Oriental China; this paper from India) region.

Comments. He et al. (1997) commented on the synonymisation of Anaprixia and noted that it might be due to over-lumping and to avoid possible paraphyletic grouping within the Ichneutinae . Here we reinstate Anaprixia Mason as a valid genus and exclude it from Paroligoneurus , because it is morphologically (next to the exodont mandible of the type species) very different from all other Muesebeckiini as shown in the key below. Consequently, Anaprixia alachua Mason, 1991 , and A. masneri Mason, 1991 , are not included in Paroligoneurus as was proposed by Sharkey & Wharton (1994). Anaprixia differs as follows:

1 Frons wide, anterior ocellus far removed from level of antennal sockets; spiracles of first, third, fifth and eighth tergites absent ( Fig. 7B ); mandibles usually exodont (with 4 teeth), not touching each other when closed (= Anaprixia s.s.) ( Fig. 7A ); scutellar sulcus absent ( Fig. 7C ); [toruli lower on head]; Nearctic........................... Anaprixia Mason, 1991 reinstated

- Frons narrow, anterior ocellus near level of antennal sockets; spiracles of first, third, fifth and eighth tergites present; mandibles normal (with 2 teeth), touching each other when closed; scutellar sulcus present................. all other Muesebeckiini

Additionally Paroligoneurus agromyzae Risbec, 1951 ( Senegal) is excluded because according to Austin & Wharton (1992) it belongs to the subfamily Opiinae . Paroligoneurus convexus de Saeger, 1944 and P. kivuensis de Saeger, 1944 (both from Democratic Republic of Congo) are provisionally excluded because of the carinate propodeum and are transferred to Oligoneurus Szépligeti. The Oligoneurus species described from Oriental China (Zhejiang) all belong to Paroligoneurus because they lack the apomorphous character states of the genus, e.g., the typical lamelliform carinae of the metanotum and propodeum. Paroligoneurus cosmopterygivorus ( He, 2000) , P. crassicornis ( He, 2000) , P. flavifacialis ( He, 2000) , P. sinensis ( He, 2000) and P. songyangensis ( He, 2000) are new combinations.

Sharkey & Wharton (1994) synonymized Muesebeckia Mason, 1957 (type species: Muesebeckia eximia Mason, 1957 ) with Paroligoneurus . However, we reinstate Muesebeckia because both genera differ as follows:

1. Anterior subalar depression with short carina in front of its middle ( Fig. 8B ); median carina of propodeum present ( Fig. 8D ); vein r-rs differentiated from vein 3RSa ( Fig. 8A ); scutellum widely truncate posteriorly and slightly narrowed posteriorly; [notauli at least anteriorly distinctly impressed and crenulate; precoxal sulcus present, but sometimes weakly so ( Fig. 8B )]; Nearctic............................................................... Muesebeckia Mason, 1957 reinstated

- Anterior subalar depression smooth anteriorly, without short carina ( Fig. 1E ); median carina of propodeum absent ( Figs 2A , 4B , 5E ); vein r-rs not differentiated from vein 3RSa ( Figs 2E , 3F , 6C ); scutellum at most moderately truncate posteriorly and distinctly narrowed posteriorly; nearly cosmopolitan (unknown from Neotropical and West Palaearctic regions).................................................................................... Paroligoneurus Muesebeck, 1931

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paroligoneurus harishi Ranjith & van Achterberg sp. nov., holotype, female; A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Head, anterior view, C. Head, dorsal view, D. Head and mesosoma (in part), oblique view, E. Mesosoma, lateral view, F. Mesosoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 2. Paroligoneurus harishi Ranjith & van Achterberg sp. nov., holotype, female; A. Mesosoma (in part) and propodeum, dorsal view, B. Metasoma, lateral view, C. Metasoma, dorsal view, D. Metasomal tergite 1 & 2, dorsal view, E. Wings, F. Hind wing.

FIGURE 3. Paroligoneurus ectoedemiae Belokobylskij, holotype, female; A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Head, anterior view, C. Habitus, dorsal view, D. Head, dorsal view, E. Head and mesosoma, lateral view, F. Wings.

FIGURE 4. Paroligoneurus ectoedemiae Belokobylskij, holotype, female; A. Mesosoma and metasoma, lateral view, B. Mesosoma and metasoma, dorsal view.

FIGURE 5. Paroligoneurus pallidus Austin & Wharton, holotype, female; A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Habitus, dorsal view, C. Head, antero-dorsal view, D. Head, dorsal view, E. Mesosoma, dorsal view, F. Metasoma, dorsal view. Image copyright of Dr. Olivia Evangelista, Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC-CSIRO).

FIGURE 6. Paroligoneurus pallidus Austin & Wharton, holotype, female; A. Head and mesosoma, lateral view, B. Metasoma, oblique view, C. Fore wing, D. Hind wing. Image copyright of Dr. Olivia Evangelista, Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC-CSIRO).

FIGURE 7. Anaprixia masneri Mason, holotype, female: A. Head, anterior view, B. Habitus, lateral view, C. Habitus, dorsal view. Image copyright of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

FIGURE 8. Muesebeckia exima Mason, holotype, female: A. Habitus, lateral view, B. Head and mesosoma, lateral view, C. Head, anterior view, D. Propodeum, oblique view, E. Head and mesosoma, dorsal view. Image copyright of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.