Austroascogaster varia Kittel & Austin, 2014

Braet, Yves, 2016, New species and new records of Betylobraconinae, Braconinae, Cheloninae, Helconinae and Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Papua New Guinea, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 209, pp. 407-450 : 446-447

Austroascogaster varia Kittel & Austin, 2014

Austroascogaster varia Kittel & Austin, 2014: 10 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED — Papua New Guinea. Male ( IRSNB), Province Madang, Mount Wilhelm (-5.721022,145.2703) 1200 m, 25-26/10/2012, leg Philip, Alois, Novotny, Leponce, Plot 2, understorey, Malaise, MAL-MW1200B-01/16-d01. Male ( IRSNB), Province Madang, Mount Wilhelm (-5.721022,145.2703) 1200 m, 26-27/10/2012, leg Philip, Alois,Novotny, Leponce, Plot 2, understorey, Malaise, MAL-MW1200B-02/16-d02.

KEY TO SPECIES OF AUSTROASCOGASTER KITTEL & AUSTIN, 2014 FROM AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW GUINEA (MODIFIED AFTER KITTEL & AUSTIN 2014)

1. Metasoma strongly curved in lateral view; body completely vivid yellow; precoxal sulcus absent; scutellum flat ............................................................................................................................................... A. mellosa Kittel & Austin – Metasoma slightly curved in lateral view; body largely yellow to black; precoxal sulcus present; scutellum convex ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

2(1). Vein 2SR+M of fore wing postfurcal (= vertical); WF/HF <1.4; more than 28 flagellomeres .................... 3 – Vein 2SR+M of fore wing antefurcal (= horizontal); WF/HF> 1.5; less than 23 flagellomeres ....................... 8

3(2). Head, mesosoma, legs, fore coxa largely yellowish; mid-posterior area of mesoscutum rugulose and weakly concave; notauli weak ............................................................................................................................................. 4 – Head, mesosoma, legs, fore coxa largely blackish; entire mesoscutum uniformly punctate; notauli weak to absent ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

4(3). Mesopleuron smooth between the sparse punctures; precoxal sulcus indistinct; metasoma with a large ventral flange .................................................................................................................................................. A. sergei n. sp. – Mesopleuron shiny and smooth; sternaulus present; metasoma without a large ventral flange ....... A. varia Kittel & Austin

5(3). Scapus black; basal white ring of hind tibia 0.20x as long as tibia length; median areola of propodeum wide, twice as long as posteriorly wide; metasoma elongate ....................................................................................... 6 – Scapus yellowish; basal white ring of hind tibia 0.33x as long as tibia length; median areola of propodeum narrow, 1.6 as long as posteriorly wide; metasoma more rounded ............................................................................ 7

6(5). Metasoma fully blackish; palps fully grey (last maxillary palpal segment somewhat lighter); wing rather fully infuscate .................................................................................................................................... A. wilhelmensis n. sp.

– Metasoma blackish with a transverse semicircular white band on anterior half; basal three segments of

palps greyish, the following white; wings rather hyaline with a transverse infuscate band at the level of pterostigma ................................................................................................................................................................. A. elsae n. sp.

7(5). Notauli present, punctate; postero-median rugose area of mesoscutum differentiated; less than basal quarter of metasoma white; ventral flange of metasoma medium sized ............................. A. baitetaensis n. sp. – Notauli medially indistinct; mesoscutum uniformly sculptured without differentiated area; basal half of metasoma white; ventral flange of metasoma large ............................................................................. A. missai n. sp.

8(2). Antenna with 17 flagellomeres; POD/OOL <0.4; ED/TD <3; basal half of metasoma yellow or black with a median white patch ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 – Antenna with 20 or more flagellomeres; POD/OOL variable; ED/TD variable; basal half of metasoma white ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 10

9(8). Metasoma entirely yellow; antenna filiform, the flagellomere decreasing regularly in width ....................... ............................................................................................................................................. A. gloriousensis Kittel & Austin – Metasoma black with a large mid-basal white patch; the median third of flagellum strongly swollen ............ .................................................................................................................................................................... A. sebastiani n. sp.

10(8). Frons and mesoscutum yellow; ED/TD> 4 ...................................................... A. nigripodea Kittel & Austin – Frons and mesoscutum black; ED/TD <3 .................................................................................................................. 11

11(10). POD/OOL> 0.4; antenna filiform, the flagellomeres decreasing to the apex ............ A. morganae n. sp. – POD/OOL <0.4; antenna shape variable ................................................................................................................... 12

12(11). Antenna slender with 22 flagellomeres, the flagellum narrowing toward apex; wing almost uniformely slightly infuscate ......................................................................................................................................... A. kittelae n. sp. – Antenna with 21 flagellomeres, strongly swollen at its apical two thirds .................................. A. floriani n. sp.