Therophilus Wesmael, 1837

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2010, Synopsis of Australian agathidine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2480, pp. 1-26 : 19

Therophilus Wesmael, 1837

( Fig. 3 A & D, 4D, 5B, 8B, C & D)

Therophilus Wesmael, 1837: 15 ; Type species: Microdus (Therophilus) conspicuous Wesmael, 1837 , by subsequent designation Viereck, 1914; Shenefelt, 1970b: 313 [catalogue]; Chou and Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 47 [elevated generic status].

Orgiloneura Ashmead, 1900: 355 ; Type species: Orgiloneura antipoda Ashmead, 1900 , by monotypy [examined]; Parrott, 1953: 198 [catalogue]; Shenefelt, 1970a: 251 [catalogue]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 47 [synonym].

Agathiella Szépligeti, 1902: 73 ; Type species: Agathiella pedunculata Szépligeti, 1902 , by monotypy [examined]; Turner, 1918a, 108 [key, descriptions]; Parrott, 1953: 198 [catalogue]; Shenefelt, 1970b: 312 [synonym of Agathis ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 47 [synonym].

Aerophiliodes Strand, 1911 : Type species: Aerophiliodes testaceator Strand, 1911 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 308 [catalogue]; Sharkey, 1992: 441 [in tribe Microdini]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 47 [synonym].

Diagnosis. Length: 3.5–12.5 mm; colour: highly variable, can be entirely yellow, black or dark brown, or with varying combinations of yellow or orange with black or dark brown, or display BROW colour pattern ( Figs 8 B–D); lateral carinae on frons always absent; notauli present (e.g., Fig. 3 B) or absent ( Fig. 3 A); claws always non-cleft, small to large quadrate or rounded basal lobes present (e.g., Fig. 2 B); mid tibial preapical spines always present (e.g., Fig. 2 D); fore wing cell 1-RS present ( Fig. 4 D); fore wing vein 2–RS2 always absent ( Fig. 4 D); ovipositor length greater than 0.5 metasoma length ( Fig. 8 B), can exceed body length.

Comments. Therophilus was originally erected as a subgenus of Microdus , and treated as a synonym of Bassus prior to Sharkey et al. (2009) who resurrected the genus, along with Camptothlipis and Lytopylus , in an attempt to deal with the polyphyletic nature of Bassus ( Sharkey et al. 2006) . However, Therophilus , as defined above, is still polyphyletic (see comments above under the Bassus problem ). To date, no distinguishing morphological features have been identified that enable the reliable identification of the various Therophilus groups, thus precluding them from being recognised as separate genera. The taxonomic changes below mostly came about from the tranfer of species from Bassus s.l., following the generic changes invoked by Sharkey et al. (2009), and recognition that some species were misplaced generically (e.g., in Agathis ) following examination of the relevant types.

Species richness and distribution. Therophilus is by far the largest and most widespread Agathidine genus in Australia. Examination of material from major collections indicates that there are at least 150 species in Australia, of which only 17 have been described. Members of the genus are found in a wide variety of environments, and are recorded from all Australian biogeographic regions. Interestingly, with only a few exceptions (see above), Therophilus is the only genus to naturally occur in the southern, more temperate regions of Australia including Tasmania.

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 8. Lateral habitus of Agathidinae spp.: A, Baeognatha sp.; B, Therophilus unimaculatus, exhibiting BROW (see text) colour pattern; C, Therophilus nr latibalteatus, exhibiting BROW (see text) colour pattern; D, Therophilus sp. with dense propodeal setal field. Scale lines = 1 mm.