Selitrichodes Girault

Kim, Il-Kwon, Mendel, Zvi, Protasov, Alexey, Blumberg, Daniel & Salle, John La, 2008, Taxonomy, biology, and efficacy of two Australian parasitoids of the eucalyptus gall wasp, Leptocybe invasa Fisher & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), Zootaxa 1910, pp. 1-20 : 8-9

Selitrichodes Girault , stat. rev.

Selitrichodes Girault, 1913 [145]: 104–105. Type species: Selitrichodes fasciativentris Girault , original designation. Stat.rev.

Epomphaloides Girault, 1913 [156]: 49–50. Type species Epomphaloides flavus Girault , original designation. Syn. n. Zagrammosomoides Girault, 1913 [146]: 177. Type species Zagrammosomoides fasciatus Girault , original designation, Syn.n.

Diagnosis. SMV usually with 2 or 1 dorsal setae. PMV distinct, usually about 0.4–0.5 the length of STV. Propodeum without a raised lobe of the callus which partially overhangs the outer rim of the spiracle. Cercal setae short and subequal in length. Mesosternum anterior to the trochantinal lobe convex and without a precoxal suture. Malar sulcus generally curved, and the gena may be somewhat swollen. All funicular segments subquadrate or slightly transverse. Postmarginal vein distinctly developed, although shorter than the stigmal vein. Non-metallic (mainly yellow with black markings). Males (of at least some species) with 3 funicular segments.

Discussion. Graham (1987) defined the genus Aprostocetus mainly on possessing the following characters: propodeum with a raised lobe of the callus which partially overhangs the outer rim of the spiracle, one of the cercal setae distinctly longer than the others and sinuate, submarginal vein with 3 or more setae, mesosternum in front of the trochantinal lobe generally flat and with a preocoxal suture, and malar sulcus generally straight or only slightly curved. This generic concept has been used by subsequent authors (Graham 1991; La Salle 1994; Schauff et al. 1997).

Bouček (1988) mentioned the presence of a group of species which he placed in Aprostocetus which had cercal setae short and the postmarginal vein distinctly developed, although shorter than the stigmal vein. He suggested that some of these groups may need to be treated as separate genera. Several of the forms which are found associated with galls on Eucalyptus fall into this category, including the type species of Selitrichodes , Zagrammosomoides and Epomphaloides .

Diagnostic characters for Selitrichodes have been given above. Differences between Selitrichodes and Aprostocetus are that Selitrichodes : lacks a raised lobe of the callus which partially overhangs the outer rim of the spiracle, has all the cercal setae short and subequal in length, has 2 setae on the submarginal vein, has the mesosternum in front of the trochantinal lobe convex and without a precoxal suture, and the malar sulcus generally curved. These differences are enough to recognize Selitrichodes as a valid genus, which is distinct from Aprostocetus . Additional characters for Selitrichodes are that all funicular segments are subquadrate or slightly transverse, and the postmarginal vein distinctly developed, although shorter than the stigmal vein. Males for Selitrichodes kryceri have only 3 funicular segments (most tetrastichine males have 4 funicular segments). Males are unknown for most Selitrichodes , and it is not clear how widespread this character is.

Many of the characters which define Selitrichodes are similar to those seen in the mainly Holarctic genus Baryscapus Förster. Baryscapus is largely absent in the Australian fauna ( Bouček 1988; Noyes 2003), with the only recorded species, B. galactopus (Ratzeburg) , almost certainly introduced. The main character by which Baryscapus can be separated from Selitrichodes is that Baryscapus are always metallic in coloration, and Selitrichodes are non-metallic (mainly yellow with black markings).

We could find no significant differences between Selitrichodes and Epomphaloides , and Epomphaloides is treated as a synonym with Selitrichodes . The only significant difference between Zagrammosomoides and Selitrichodes is that Zagrammosomoides has an elongate mesoscutum, which is fully twice as long as the scutellum. Both Selitrichodes and Zagrammosomoides have an official publication date of 30 June 1913 ( Dahms 1978). Acting under the principle of first reviser, we consider Selitrichodes to have priority. An additional group of species generally agree with Selitrichodes , but differ in having only a single seta on the submarginal vein. Since this is the only difference, these species ( auriflavus , consobrinus , secus , varigatus ) are also placed in Selitrichodes .