Tachyphron subtriangularus Brown 1995

Brown, G. R., 2005, A revision of Tachyphron Brown and description of two new genera within the Ariphron group (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae), Journal of Natural History 39 (2), pp. 197-239 : 233-235

Tachyphron subtriangularus Brown 1995

( Figures 1, 4 , 61 )

Tachyphron subtriangularus Brown, 1995b: 241 .

Material examined. HOLOTYPE: „. Australia: Northern Territory: 12 ° 359S, 131 ° 059E, Mount Mortgage, Humpty Doo, ex Malaise trap, 28 February to 31 March 1992, Wells and Webber , in NTM. PARATYPES: 15 „, same data as holotype and same date (two), dated 4 December 1991 to 9 January 1992 (one), dated 28 March to 7 May 1992 (three), dated 7 May to 23 June 1992 (eight), dated 23 June to 6 August 1992 (one), in NTM; 3 „, 12 ° 429S, 130 ° 389E, Berry Springs, ex Malaise trap, 29 November to 4 December 1991, Wells and Webber, in NTM; 5 „, 12 ° 429S, 130 ° 389E, Berry Springs, ex Malaise trap, 7 May to 23 June 1992, Wells and Webber, in NTM; 1 „, 12 ° 529S, 132 ° 509E, Koongarra, 15 km E of Mount Cahill, 6 October 1975, A. Allwood and T. Angeles, in NTM; 2 „, Litchfield N.P., near (1 km E of) Drovers Rest, 25 November 1993, G. R. Brown, in ANIC and NTM; 5 „, Border Waterhole, 18 ° 359S, 138 ° 039E, 10–17 April 1995, Malaise trap, G. R. Brown, in NTM and QM. Queensland: 1 „, ‘Amphitheatre’, Musselbrook Res., 18 ° 219S, 138 ° 109E, 16 April 1995, G. R. Brown, in NTM; 3 „, Murray Spring, 18 ° 359S, 138 ° 039E, 11, 13 and 19 April 1995, G. R. Brown, in NTM and QM.

Other material examined. Northern Territory: 1 „, Blackfellow Ck, 13 ° 329S, 130 ° 499E, 19 November 1997, G. R. Brown, in NTM; 1 „, 16 ° 089S, 136 ° 069E, 22 km WSW of Borroloola, 16 April 1976, D. H. Colless, in ANIC; 49 „, Berry Springs Nature Park, 50 km S of Darwin, rainforest, Malaise trap (sites 93–100), 4–27 December 1993, S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 1 „, 11 ° 099S, 132 ° 099E, Black Point, Coburg Peninsula, 15–23 February 1977, T. A. Weir, in ANIC; 1 „, 11 ° 079S, 132 ° 089E, Smith Point, Coburg Peninsula, 26 January 1977, E. D. Edwards, in ANIC; 22 „, Berrimah, near Darwin, mixed eucalypt woodland, Malaise trap (sites 93–86, 147), 1–25 December 1993 (17), 25 December 1993 to 10 January 1994 (five), S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 56 „, Holmes Jungle near Darwin, mixed palm forest, Malaise trap (sites 93–92), 2–35 December 1993, S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 130 „, Fogg Dam, 20 km E of Humpty Doo, rainforest, Malaise trap (sites 93–94, 160, 164), 3–25 December 1993 (111), 31 December 1993 to 7 January 1994 (19), S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 1 „, Hayes Ck, 13 ° 359S, 131 ° 289E, 24 October 1997, G. R. Brown, in NTM; 8 „, Gungarre, Kakadu National Park, rainforest, Malaise trap (sites 93–119), 12–25 December 1993, S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 9 „, Kapalga Res. Stn, Kakadu National Park, eucalyptus woodland, Malaise trap (sites 93– 117), 11–25 December 1993, S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 6 „, North Point, Kapalga Res. Stn, Kakadu National Park, rainforest, Malaise trap (sites 93–134, 135), 24 December 1993 to 7 January 1994, S. and J. Peck, in CNC, NTM; 1 „?, Andranangoo Ck, Melville Island, 11 ° 319S, 130 ° 549E, 8 October 1996, G. R. Brown and G. Daly, in NTM; 2 „, Mirikau-Yunga Ck, Melville Island, 11 ° 319S, 130 ° 419E, 5 October 1996, G. R. Brown and G. Daly, in NTM; 3 „, Pickertaramoor, Melville Island, 11 ° 489S, 130 ° 539E, 11–13 October 1996, G. R. Brown and G. Daly, in NTM; 1 „, 4.5 km WNW of Taracumbi, Melville Island, 11 ° 369S, 130 ° 409E, Malaise trap amongst Acacia , Grevillea and Livistona , October 1996, G. R. Brown and G. Daly, in NTM; 1 „, 12 ° 479S, 132 ° 519E, 19 km NE by E of Mount Cahill, 16 November 1972, J. C. Cardale, in ANIC. Western Australia: 5 „, March Fly Glen, Gibb River Road, light trap, 8 April 1997, M. J. D. McCloskey and J. A. Walker, in NTM.

Distribution. Northern Australia between the Gibb River road Western Australia and the Northern Territory – Queensland border near Lawn Hill National Park. It is common in the vicinity of Darwin including Litchfield National Park, and occurs as far south as at least Hayes Creek ( Figure 61 ).

Diagnosis. Male: gena distinctly longer than half the minimum eye diameter ( Figure 1 ). Hypopygium broadly triangular (see Brown 1995b: Figure 3 ). Parameres flattened apically (see Brown 1995b: Figures 11, 12 ). Cuspides long (see Brown 1995b: Figure 12 ).

Female ( Figure 4 ): frons and vertex without a semicircular area of finer punctures interspersed between deeper punctures. Pygidium slightly narrowed dorsally with a medially discontinuous preapical transverse line of setae, and without continuous longitudinal carinae (see Brown 2001: Figure 18 ).

Description. Female ( Figure 4 ): orange to brown; polished. Head subrectangular, slightly wider than long, posterior angles rounded, eyes relatively large, not strongly protuberant, almost reaching base of mandibles. Mandibles long, evenly curved, without preapical tooth. Clypeus narrowly truncate apically, closely and finely punctate, sharply medially carinate basally to near apical margin. Frons weakly sagittally sulcate, rugosely punctate with punctures weakly longitudinally aligned on antennal prominence, punctures variable in size. Vertex closely punctate, punctures variable in size and spacing. Pronotum trapezoid with lateral margins converging posteriorly, dorsal and lateral surfaces clearly delineated from dorsum, margins not carinate, dorsum closely punctate with some punctures aligned longitudinally, lateral surface longitudinally multistriate ventrally with striae subparallel to ventral margin. Mesoscutellum trapezoid, closely punctate. Propodeum closely punctate dorsally, rugosely punctate posteriorly, longitudinally striate laterally. Mesopleura with small dorsal surface below level of mesoscutellum, produced anterolaterally into a vertical carina.

Metasoma closely to rugosely punctate, punctures weakly longitudinally aligned on tergum; T 1–5 with posterior line of longitudinal punctures blending in with other punctation on T 3–5; T 6 almost smooth medially, obliquely multistriate, striations short and converging ventrally, with lateral fringe of setae that converge ventrally, lateral margins weakly convergent dorsally, apical margin broadly rounded, at most weakly emarginate medially; T 1 with vertical declivity anteriorly; S1 short, broad, medially raised, not carinate; S6 with weakly raised lip on posterior margin. BL: 8.

Remarks. The female has not been described previously and, apart from T. armidalensis , is the only known female for this genus.

Figures

Figure 61. Distribution of Tachyphron spp. (more common species).

Figures 1–4. Tachyphron spp. and Heligmothynnus sabronensis. (1) T. subtriangularus, male gena. (2) T. aculeatus, male habitus. (3) H. sabronensis, male gena. (4) T. subtriangularus, female habitus. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 5–12. Deuterothynnus spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (5, 6) D. parallelus. (7, 8) D. insularis. (9, 10) D. fulvisetatus. (11, 12) D. fulvicentratus. a, Aedeagus; b, right basiparameres; c right cuspis; p, right parameres; r, basal ring. Scale bars: 0.25 mm.

Figures 17–24. Heligmothynnus spp., male genitalia, lateral and dorsal views. (17, 18) H. microspinus. (19, 20) H. atratus. (21, 22) H. neoaratus. (23, 24) H. sabronensis (note: basal ring not shown). Scale bar: 0.25 mm.