Syngaster (Marsh, 1988)

Iqbal, M., Austin, A. D. & Belokobylskij, S. A., 2006, Systematics of the Australasian endemic wasp genus Syngaster Brullé (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Doryctinae), Journal of Natural History 40 (13 - 14), pp. 819-853 : 826

Key to species of Syngaster

1. Occipital carina absent ( Figure 7c ).............. 2

– Occipital carina distinct and almost complete ( Figure 2h )....... 3

2. Metapleuron and propodeum fused, not separated by distinct suture; mesosoma pale red-brown ( Figure 7d ); scape entirely yellow-brown ( Figure 7d ); legs yellowbrown, hind tibia in apical two-thirds and hind tarsus dark red-brown to black; metasomal tergites 3–6 with wide milk-white bands posteriorly ( Figure 7e ); hind coxa with rather distinct ventroanterior corner; body length 9.7 mm S. tricolor sp. nov.

– Metapleuron and propodeum separated by distinct punctate suture; mesosoma black ( Figure 2a ); scape black, pale apically ( Figure 2a ); legs entirely black; metasomal tergites 3–6 without white bands posteriorly ( Figure 2a, c ); hind coxa without ventroanterior corner; body length 5.2 mm ... S. crypticus sp. nov.

3. Propodeum mostly milk-white ( Figure 5b ) ( Australia)........ 4

– Propodeum red-yellow or sometimes darker ( Figure 6d ) (New Guinea)... 5

4. Metapleuron separated from propodeum by distinct punctate suture ( Figure 5a ) along which these sclerites meet at an angle (i.e. propodeal and metapleural surfaces not continuously rounded); first metasomal tergite 1.2–1.5 times as long as its apical width ( Figure 5a ); mid and hind coxae black, rarely mid coxa redbrown; metasoma behind first tergite entirely black, sometimes apically brown; mesosoma (except propodeum) black; face without median protuberance above clypeus (seen laterally); body length 6.0– 12.5 mm .... S. lepidus Brullé

– Metapleuron and propodeum fused, not separated by distinct suture, surfaces continuously rounded ( Figure 6a ); first metasomal tergite almost as long as its apical width; mid and hind coxae milk-white; metasoma behind first tergite mostly milk-white, with black basal stripes on all tergites ( Figure 6a ); mesosoma (except propodeum) light red-brown, propleuron yellow ( Figure 5h ); face with distinct median protuberance above clypeus (seen laterally); body length 8.2–8.5 mm

Figures

Figure 2. (a–c) Syngaster crypticus sp. nov., male: (a) body (dorsolateral view); (b) head and pronotum (lateral view); (c) propodeum and metasomal tergites 1–4 (lateral view). (d–g) Syngaster hirtus sp. nov., female: (d) head and mesosoma (dorsal view); (e) head and mesosoma (lateral view); (f) propodeum and metasomal tergites 1–2 (dorsal view); (g) head (anterior view); (h) Syngaster lepidus Brulle´, female, head and pronotum (dorsal view). Scale bars: 2 mm (a, e, f, h); 1 mm (b–d, g).

Figure 5. (a, b) Syngaster lepidus Brulle´, female: (a) Propodeum and metasomal tergites 1–3 (dorsal view); (b) propodeum and first metasomal tergite (dorsal view). (c–f) Syngaster neoguineensis sp. nov., female: (c) head (dorsal view); (d) head (frontal view); (e) metasomal tergites 1–4 (dorsal view); (f) propodeum and metasoma (lateral view). (g, h) Syngaster polychromus sp. nov., female: (g) head (anterior view); (h) head, mesosoma and anterior metasoma (lateral view). Scale bars: 1 mm (a, c, d, g); 2 mm (b, e, f, h).

Figure 6. (a) Syngaster polychromus sp. nov., female, propodeum and metasoma (lateral view). (b–e) Syngaster quadricolor (Cameron), female: (b) head and mesosoma (lateral view); (c) head (anterior view); (d) propodeum and first tergite to third tergite (dorsal view); (e) body (lateral view). (f–h) Syngaster steυensi sp. nov., male: (f) head (dorso-lateral view); (g) head (frontal view); (h) propodeum and metasomal tergites 1–2 (lateral view). Scale bars: 2 mm (a, c); 1 mm (b, d–h).

Figure 7. (a) Syngaster steυensi sp. nov., male, metasomal tergites 3–6 (dorsal view). (b–e) Syngaster tricolor sp. nov., female: (b) head (frontal view); (c) head (dorso-lateral view); (d) head and mesosoma (dorsal view); (e) metasoma (dorsal view). (f–h) Syngaster υariegatus (Szépligeti), female: (f) head (anterior view); (g) head, mesosoma and first metasomal tergite (lateral view); (h) metasomal tergites 1–4 (dorso-lateral view). Scale bars: 1 mm (a–c, f–h); 2 mm (d, e).