Asperagathis Sharkey

Sharkey, Michael J. & Chapman, Eric, 2017, Ten new genera of Agathidini (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Agathidinae) from Southeast Asia, ZooKeys 660, pp. 107-150 : 114-115

Asperagathis Sharkey gen. n.

Type species.

Asperagathis xesta Sharkey, sp. n.

Etymology.

Asper is Latin for rough; here it is in reference to the rugose sculpture on the thoracic pleura of members of the genus. Feminine.

Diagnosis.

Body predominantly black; head including orbits of eyes black; dorsal apex of pronotum pale yellow or yellowish brown; metasomal terga all black. Fore wing slightly infuscate in apical half or entirely clear/hyaline. Antennal sockets not margined with carinae. Interantennal space with a shallow crest; between the crest and the median ocellus there is a triangular depression flanked by weak smooth carinae. Temple rounded in dorsal view. Third labial palpomere not greatly reduced, about 1/2 as long as apical palpomere. Notauli depressed and entirely sculptured. Mesoscutum with more rough sculpture than most genera, especially posteriorly near junction of notauli. Scutellar triangle rugose or with deep sparse punctures. Sternaulus completely sculptured to epicnemium, metapleuron covered in rough sculpture. Ventral margin of hind coxal cavities situated below dorsal margin of metasomal foramen. Spines or pegs on anterior surface of fore tibia present or absent. Hind trochantellus lacking longitudinal carinae. Second submarginal cell of fore wing varying from minute, cell about the same diameter as wing veins, to petiolate with petiole slightly longer than cell diameter. First median tergite mostly to about 1/2 irregularly striate, lateral longitudinal carina prominent. Second median tergite slightly wider than long and entirely smooth with some very weak coriarious microsculpture, varying to almost entirely irregularly longitudinally striate, with striae terminating evenly near apex of tergite.

Distribution and diversity.

Thailand, but undoubtedly more widespread.

Biology.

Unknown.

Key to the Thai species of Asperagathis