Teresirogas Quicke and Shaw

Quicke, Donald L. J., Shaw, Mark R., Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Bland, Keith P., Butcher, Buntika A., Lyszkowski, Richard & Zhang, Y. Miles, 2014, A new Australian genus and five new species of Rogadinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), one reared as a gregarious endoparasitoid of an unidentified limacodid (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 3881 (3), pp. 237-257 : 239-241

Teresirogas Quicke and Shaw gen. nov.

Antenna quite long, approximately 1.3 times fore wing length, with 46–60 flagellomeres. Terminal fagellomere strongly acuminate apically. Clypeus rectangularly protruding in lateral view and sculptured. Malar suture present. Eyes glabrous, weakly emarginated opposite antennal sockets. Maxillary palp with 6 segments, that of female with segments 3 and 4 flattened and weakly expanded, that of male with segments 3, 4 and 5 strongly expanded and rather globular. Occipital carina very weak and extending only from approximately the mid-height of the eye and not connecting to hypostomal carina ventrally. Propleuron with postero-dorsal flange. Mesosoma virtually entirely smooth, unsculptured but with widely spaced minute setiferous punctures with long setae. Notauli short and deep, smooth or finely crenulate posteriorly; mesonotum otherwise completely smooth and shining but the somewhat raised scutellum superficially granulate or coriaceous. Middle lobe of mesoscutum more or less protruding anteriorly over pronotum. Scutellar sulcus wide with single strong midlongitudinal carina. Prepectal carina absent. Mesopleuron smooth with mostly widely spaced minute setiferous punctures; precoxal sulcus absent or at most represented by slight dent. Median area of metanotum without midlongitudinal carina. Propodeum largely smooth but with narrow medial longitudinal carina on anterior 0.5 to 0.6; with strong, complete lateral carina. Fore wing second submarginal cell not especially elongate; vein 1-CU1a slightly postfurcal, interstitial or slightly antefurcal (in which case it should be referred to as M+Cub); 1st subdiscal cell distinctly ( Figs 4 B, 6A) to strongly ( Figs 8 D, 10A) expanded distally. Hind wing veins M+CU and 1-M approximately equal length; vein m-cu absent. Legs shining, with sparse long setae. Hind tibial comb present. Hind spurs distinctly though weakly curved but not especially long, and largely setose. Claws with or without pointed basal lobe (in the type species this character is present). Metasoma strongly shining without any trace of carinae or rugosity, just the minute, rather evenly and quite widely spaced punctures at bases of setae. All tergites entirely smooth and shining except for rather sparse setiferous puncturation. 1st metasomal tergite not significantly widened in front of sub-basal constriction; with dorsal carinae uniting to form weak midlongitudinal ridge but this not extending the full length of the tergum; with dorsolateral and lateral carinae well-developed and posteriorly running more or less parallel the whole length of segment. 2nd metasomal tergite without midlongitudinal carina, and without basal triangular area; the only sculpture separating it from the first tergite being the carinate posterior margin of the latter. Hypopygium short, apically transverse. Ovipositor normal, hardly to weakly exserted, straight.

Diagnosis. On a global basis the new genus is somewhat difficult to diagnose simply, since some Afrotropical and Neotropical members of Aleiodes have completely smooth and shiny metasomas, though they all have a well developed median carina and basal triangular area on the second tergite. However, all specimens of the new genus have the upper part of the clypeus strongly and squarely protruding in profile, and the middle lobe of the mesoscutum more or less protruding over the pronotum. We place it in the Rogadini on the basis at least some members having claws with a pointed basal lobe and interpret the variation as being due to reductions. No members of the Aleiodini have pointed basal lobes though many members of the Rogadini do.

Notes. The new genus will falter at couplet 13 the key to genera of Rogadinae from China by Chen & He (1997) since it has curved hind tibial spurs but these are completely setose. If this curvature is ignored it will founder at couplet 15 because of its lobed claws and smooth rather than longitudinally striate tergites.

Etymology. From Latin ‘ teres ’ meaning smooth, shiny or polished, and the generic name Rogas .

Type species. Teresirogas australicolorus Quicke & Shaw sp. nov.

Additional species. T. billbrysoni Quicke & van Achterberg sp. nov., T. nolani Quicke & Butcher sp. nov., T. prestonae Quicke & van Achterberg sp. nov. and T. williamsi Quicke & van Achterberg sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Teresirogas australicolorus gen. et. sp. nov. A, hind leg and middle and hind claws showing pointed basal lobes; B, wings; C, mummified prepupal host remains, note incompletely emerged wasp, upper right.

FIGURE 8. Teresirogas nolani gen. et. sp. nov. A, posterior of mesosoma and metasomal tergite 1, lateral view; B, scutellum, propodeum, tergite 1, dorsal view; C, wings; D, wings, detail of subdiscal cell.