Coccygidium Saussure, 1892

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2010, Synopsis of Australian agathidine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2480, pp. 1-26 : 13-14

Coccygidium Saussure, 1892

( Figs 2 E, 4A, 9D)

Coccygidium Saussure, 1892: 15 . Type species: Coccygidium luteum, Saussure, 1892 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 392 [synonym of Disophrys ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [key, description]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Disophrini]; Sharkey, 1996: 16 [key, description]; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue]; Sarmiento and Sharkey, 2005: 66 [type descriptions]; Sharkey et al., 2006: 557 [notes, phylogeny, in tribe Disophrini]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 36 [key, description].

Brachyrhopalum Kriechbaumer, 1894: 312. Type species: Brachyrhopalum pallidum Kriechbaumer, 1894 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 392 [synonym of Disophrys ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Neophylax Ashmead, 1900: 119 . Type species: Neophylax snyderi Ashmead, 1900 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 425 [synonym of Zelomorpha ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Ahngeria Kokujev, 1902: 6 . Type species: Ahngeria transcaspica Kokujev, 1902 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 366 [catalogue]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Dichelosus Szépligeti, 1902: 71 . Type species: Dichelosus fuscipennis Szépligeti, 1902 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 391 [catalogue]; Sarmiento & Sharkey, 2005: 66 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Lisitheria Cameron, 1904: 306. Type species: Lisitheria nigricornis Cameron, 1904 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 425 [synonym of Zelomorpha ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Spilomicrodus Cameron, 1904: 323. Type species: Spilomicrodus nigriceps Cameron, 1904 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 425 [synonym of Zelomorpha ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Xanthomicrodus Cameron, 1904: 157. Type species: Xanthomicrodus iridipennis Cameron, 1904 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 425 [synonym of Zelomorpha ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Caenophylax Schulz, 1911: 88. Type species: Neophylax snyderi Ashmead, 1900 , replacement name for Neophylax Ashmead ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 425 [synonym of Zelomorpha ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 178 [synonym of Coccygidium ].

Diagnosis. Length: 5–7 mm; colour: commonly entirely yellow with dark brown antennae and wing patterning, more rarely with body yellow-brown and black colour pattern; inter-antennal region with medial elevated mound that may be rounded (e.g., Fig. 6 A) or carinate, or with paired carinae or protuberances present (e.g., 7B); frons with lateral carinae (e.g., Fig. 3 B); notauli present, complete and scrobiculate (e.g., Fig. 3 B); tarsal claws cleft, but base not pectinate (e.g., Fig. 2 A); mid tibial preapical spines absent; fore tibial spur long, exceeding 0.8 length of basitarsus, sinuate and aristate ( Fig. 2 E); pair of longitudinal carinae present on ventral surface of hind trochantellus (e.g., Fig. 2 G); fore wing cell 1–RS always present, sessile and triangular ( Fig. 4 A), vein 2–RS2 absent ( Fig. 4 A); ovipositor short, length much less than 0.5 metasoma length, curved ventrally ( Fig. 9 D).

Comments. Coccygidium has not been recorded from Australia previously, so there are no described species from the region. The genus is closely related to Euagathis and Hypsostypos ( Sharkey et al. 2006) but can be distinguished from them by the presence of an elongate fore tibial spur that is nearly as long as or longer than the basitarsal segment and is characteristically sinuate and aristate. Generally, Coccygidium species are mostly yellow and relatively small. Only a few species from northern Australia display the yellowbrown and black colour pattern which is thought to be part of a mimicry complex (see above).

Species richness and distribution. The genus is well represented in Australia with more than 20 species present. Most occur in the Timorian, Torresian and northern Kosciuskan regions of the continent. However, several species exist in the more temperate Southwestern and arid Eyrean regions (see under Generic Distribution above).

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 4. Agathidinae fore wing venation characters: A, Coccygidium sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS triangular, vein 2 – RS 2 absent; B, Disophrys sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS quadrate, vein 2 – RS 2 present; C, Baeognatha sp., fore wing cell 1 – RS absent; D, Therophilus unimaculatus, fore wing cell 1 – RS small and petiolate, vein 2 – RS 2 absent. Scale lines A, B and D = 1 mm; C = 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 9. Lateral habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Biroia sp.; B, Braunsia sp., exhibiting tropical mimicry complex colour pattern; C, Cremnops sp., exhibiting tropical mimicry complex colour pattern; D, Coccygidium sp. Scale lines = 1 mm.