Therophilus unimaculatus (Turner)

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2011, Diversity, distribution and taxonomy of the Australian agathidine genera Camptothlipsis Enderlein, Lytopylus Foerster and Therophilus Wesmael (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2887 (1), pp. 1-49 : 42-45

Therophilus unimaculatus (Turner)

( Figs 3E , 17A–H , 21B )

Agathiella unimaculata Turner, 1918a: 111 [examined]. Holotype BMNH ♀; Type locality: Kuranda, Queensland. Parrot , 1953: 199 [catalogue].

Agathis unimaculata (Turner) ; Shenefelt, 1970b: 364 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Bassus unimaculatus (Turner) ; Yu et al., 2005 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Therophilus unimaculatus (Turner) ; Stevens et al., 2010: 22 [catalogue, generic transfer].

Diagnosis. Carina between antennae; notauli absent; sternalus absent or mostly so; labial palpomere 2 shorter but wider than labial palpomere 4; with BROW colour pattern.

Description (female). Body length 5.0 (3.6–5.4) mm; ovipositor 3.8 (3.2–4.0) mm; head orange, except carina between antennae black, (sometimes entirely orange to mostly black to dark brown); antenna black to dark brown; most of mesosoma orange, with small area dark brown to black posteriorly (sometimes more black with propodeum and metanotum all black and mesopleuron mostly black); fore and mid legs mostly orange, some dark shading on claws, distal femur and tibiae (distal half fore coxa to basal femur black to dark brown, mid leg entirely black to dark brown); hind leg black to dark brown; T1 white except large black patch on median tergite; S1 and S2 mostly white except large black patches in medial regions; T2 median area white; T3 mostly black except small white incursions on anterior lateral margins; remainder of metasoma mostly black to dark brown.

Head width 1.1 (1.0–1.2) mm, length 0.6 mm, height 0.9 (0.7–0.9) mm; eye width 0.2 mm, length 0.5 mm, height 0.5 mm; inter-orbital distance 0.7 (0.6–0.7) mm; median ocellus diameter 0.09 mm; distance between lateral ocelli and median ocellus 0.06 mm; posterior ocelli line 0.14 mm; carina between antennae; antenna with 34–36 flagellomeres; clypeal width 0.3 (0.3–0.35) mm, height 0.17 mm; malar space height 0.24 mm; distance from ventral eye margin to latero-ventral mouth margin 0.28 mm; labial palpomere 3 length 0.3x labial palpomere 4 length (lengths 0.04 and 0.14 mm, respectively); labial palpomere 2 shorter but wider than labial palpomere 4; posterior margin of head, when viewed dorsally, relatively deeply excavated (incursion 0.09 mm).

Mesosomal width 1.1 (0.9–1.2) mm, length 2.0 (1.8–2.2) mm; height 1.3 mm. pilosity mostly 0.07–0.1 mm in length and sparse, particularly dorsally, except for setal field on metapleuron where setae are longer (0.1 mm) and thicker; antescutal depression anterior margin carinate with setal fringe; subpronope large and distinct, bordered posteriorly by carina that extends to anterior margin of pronotum; notauli absent; scutellar sulcus mostly obliterated by pin but 2 pits present with prominent medial longitudinal carina, posterior wall vertical; propodeal surface mostly smooth apart from medial patch of punctate sculpturing (sometimes rugose-punctate medially); suture line between metapleuron and propodeum delineated by scrobiculate groove; propodeal spiracle ovoid (length 0.07mm, width 0.03 mm), hind coxal cavities separated from metasomal foramen by hind coxal bridge (minimum width 0.07 mm); sternalus absent (may be faintly present as broad shallow smooth depression, sometimes with faint irregular scrobiculate sculpturing posteriorly); metapleural surface smooth except for punctation associated with setae.

Legs with all claws with large rectangular basal lobe; mid tibia with 5 apical and 3 preapical spines; preapical spines placed at intervals in distal half; hind tibia with 5 apical and 8 preapical spines; preapical spines clumped just basal to apical spines.

Both fore and hind wings moderately infuscate; fore wing maximum width 1.5 mm (1.2–1.7), length 4.6 (3.7– 4.8) mm; cell 1–Rs petiolate and triangular, width marginally greater than length, petiole of cell 0.07 mm long; M+Cu entirely pigmented; hind wing maximum width 0.8 mm, length 3.6 (2.8–3.7) mm.

Metasomal length 2.5 (2.1–2.8) mm, maximum width 0.8 (0.6–0.8) mm; dorsal surface smooth; T1 median tergite length 0.8 mm; anterior width 0.3 mm, posterior width (maximum) 0.5 mm; T1 to T3 entirely smooth; T2 medial groove curved, T2–3 boundary groove relatively distinct and straight.

Male. Same as female except for genitalia.

Holotype: ♀, ‘N. Queensland. Kuranda , 1,100 ft. June 21–July 24, 1913, R.E. Turner. 1913–438’ ( BMNH).

Other material examined. Australian Capital Territory: 1 ♀, Black Mountain , II–III.1976, ex. Myrascia bracteatella (Walker) (ANIC) ; New South Wales: 1 ♀, Richmond Park, Gordon, near Sydney , 13.X.1970, emerged 23.X.1970, ex. Acropolitus magnana Walker ( Tortricidae )[sic], A.B. Rose ( AMSA) ; 1 ♀, Depot Beach , 16 km NE Batemans Bay, emerged 19.I.1987, ex. Phricanthes asperana, M. Horak ( ANIC) ; 1 ♀, BA037NSW ( WINC) ; Queensland: 1 ♀, same data as holotype ( ANIC) ; Gatton , ex. Merophyas divulsana , ex. lucerne , 1 ♀, 16.VI.1977, 2 ♀, 16.XI.1977, 3 ♀, 14.II.1978, 1 ♀, 16.V.1978, 2 ♀, 11.X.1978, 1 ♀, 17.X.1978, B. Franzmann; 5 ♀, 6.XI.1980, B. Sabine; 3 ♀, 3–14.VIII.1981, B.A. Gowrie ( QDPI) ; 1 ♀, Lake Clarendon via Gatton , 29.III.1978, ex. Merophyas divulsana , ex. lucerne, B. Franzmann ( QDPI) ; South Australia: 1 ♀, Tintinara , ex. pupa of Etiella behrii , collected as larva 10.I.1958, emerged 8.II.1958, D.J. Taylor ( WINC) ; ex. light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana , neonates put out on sentinel plants, Penola Conservation Park, 12 km W Penola , 2 ♀, 2 ♂, 22.X.2004, and 1 ♀, 28.XII.2004, emerged 5.XI.2004 and 17.I.2005, respectively; Glenroy National Park , 14 km NE Coonawarra , 2 ♂, 22.X.2004, and 2 ♂, 28.XII.2004, emerged 5.XI.2004 and 21.I.2005, respectively, C. Paull, ( ANIC, SAMA; WINC) ; 1 ♀, Stirling, ‘ Woorabinda’, Stirling Linear Park , Mt Lofty Ranges , 03–14.I.2001, Malaise trap in remnant sclerophyll woodland, N. Stevens ( SAMA) ; 1 ♀, Waite Arboretum, Urrbrae, Waite Campus , University of Adelaide , 01–20.III.2002, Malaise trap, N. Stevens ( WINC) ; 1 ♀, Mount Billy Conservation Park, Fleurieu Peninsula , 20.XII.2000, Malaise trap, sclerophyll woodland, C. Stephens ( SAMA) ; Tasmania: 1 ♀, Hobart , 7–14.XII.1975, ex. Epiphyas postvittana (ANIC) ; Victoria: 3 ♀, 1 ♂, Otway Ranges , 10.II.2005, K. Muirhead ( WINC) .

Comments. Therophilus unimaculatus exhibits the BROW colour pattern and is similar in colour to T. malignus and T. meridionalis . However, T. unimaculatus is smaller than T. malignus and does not possess long fore wings that exceed or nearly exceed the body length as in T. meridionalis . Therophilus unimaculatus is one of the more abundant and widespread species in Australia having been recorded from along the east coast of Australia from northern Queensland to Victoria and Tasmania and as far west as South Australia ( Fig. 21B ). Known host records indicate that T. unimaculatus parasitises a wide range of hosts including two native pest lepidopteran species, Etiella behrii and Epiphyas postvittana ( Table 2).

The holotype is relatively intact with only the right antenna incomplete with three flagellomeres remaining.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Dorsal mesosoma of Lytopylus and Therophilus spp.: A, Lytopylus rufipes; B, T.mishae; C, T. nr meridionalis; D, T. rugosus; E, T. unimaculatus; F, T. nr unimaculatus. ms = mesoscutum; nt = notauli; pr = propodeum; sc = scutum; scu = scutellum. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 17. Habitus of Therophilus unimaculatus, illustrating examples of intra-specific colour variation: A & B, head and most of mesosoma orange: A, dorsal habitus; B, lateral habitus; C & D, head with dark patch dorsally and approximately half of mesosoma black: C, lateral habitus; D, dorsal habitus; E & F, increasing amounts of black colour on head: E, lateral habitus; F, dorsal habitus; G & H, most of head black: G, lateral habitus; H, dorsal habitus. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 21. Distribution maps of described Therophilus species: A, T. rugosus ●; T. tricolor o; B, T. unimaculatus ●; T. xanthopsis o.