Euagathis Szépligeti,1900

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2010, Synopsis of Australian agathidine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2480, pp. 1-26 : 17

Euagathis Szépligeti,1900

( Fig. 10 C)

Euagathis Szépligeti,1900: 62 . Type species: Euagathis bifasciata Szépligeti, 1900 , by subsequent designation Viereck, 1914: 32; Shenefelt, 1970b: 408 [catalogue]; Bhat & Gupta, 1977: 183 [key, description]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 186 [key, description]; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1990: 3 [key, description]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Disophrini]; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1995: 6 [key, description]; Sharkey, 1996:21 [key, description]; Achterberg & Chen, 2002: 311 [key, description]; Achterberg, 2004: 2 [key, description]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue]; Sharkey et al., 2006: 558 [notes, phylogeny, in tribe Disophrini]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 42 [key, description].

Chromomicrodus Ashmead, 1900: 129. Type species: Chromomicrodus abbotti Ashmead, 1900 , by monotypy; Baltazar, 1961: 391 [synonym of Euagathis ]; Shenefelt, 1970b: 409 [synonym of Euagathis ].

Holcotroticus Cameron, 1902: 41. Type species: Holcotroticus ruficollis Cameron, 1902 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 417 [catalogue]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Disophrini]; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1995: 6 [synonym of Euagathis ].

Balcemena Cameron, 1903: 130. Type species: Balcemena longicollis Cameron, 1903 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 368 [catalogue]: Bhat & Gupta, 1977: 173 [catalogue]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Disophrini]; Achterberg & Chen, 2002: 313 [synonym of Euagathis ].

Diagnosis. Length: 5–12 mm; colour: commonly yellow and dark brown; inter–antennal region with paired carinae present (e.g., Figs 6 B and 7B); frons without lateral carinae; notauli present, with (e.g., Fig. 3 B) or without sculpturing, often complete or only present anteriorly; tarsal claws cleft, but base not pectinate (e.g., Fig. 2 A); mid tibial preapical spines absent; fore tibial spur short, not exceeding 0.75 length of basitarsus (e.g., Fig. 2 F); hind trochantellus without longitudinal carinae; fore wing cell 1–RS always present and sessile, vein 2–RS2 absent or basal sector only present; ovipositor short, length less than 0.5 metasoma length (e.g., Fig. 10 D).

Comments. Euagathis species display the characteristic yellow and dark brown colour pattern associated with a putative mimicry complex that also includes species of Cremnops and Disophrys . Euagathis is closely related to Coccygidium and Hypsostypos ( Sharkey et al. 2006) but can be distinguished from both genera by the absence of longitudinal carinae on the hind trochantellus.

Species richness and distribution. Euagathis is represented in Australia with about five species, only one of which is described. The genus occurs in the Torresian and northern Kosciuskan regions of the continent.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Agathidinae leg characters: A, Biroia sp., fore tarsal claw cleft (arrowed), base non – pectinate; B, Braunsia sp., fore tarsal claw simple, non – cleft, basal lobe quadrate, non – pectinate; C, Cremnops sp., fore tarsal claw cleft, base pectinate (arrowed); D, Braunsia sp., mid tibial preapical spines (circled); E, Coccygidium sp., fore tibial spur long, sinuate and aristate (arrowed); F, Amputostypos sp., fore tibial spur short, non – sinuate and non – aristate (arrowed); G, Disophrys sp., posterior view of metasoma, showing paired longitudinal carinae on ventral surface of hind trochantellus (arrowed). Scale lines, A, B and C = 0.05 mm; D, E and F = 0.1 mm; G = 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. Agathidinae, dorsal mesoscutum and head: A, Therophilus sp., notauli absent; B, Disophrys sp., notauli present and scrobiculate (small arrow), lateral carinae of frons present (large arrow). Agathidinae lateral metasoma: C, Lytopylus rufipes; D, Therophilus sp. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. Agathidinae anterior head view: A, Baeognatha sp.; B, Biroia sp., paired carinae present on inter – antennal region. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 10. Lateral and dorsal habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Disophrys sp.; B, D. leaena (Turner), exhibiting BROW (see text) mimicry complex colour pattern; C, Euagathis sp.; D, Amputostypos sp. Scale lines = 1 mm.