Lytopylus Foerster, 1862

Stevens, Nicholas B., Austin, Andrew D. & Jennings, John T., 2010, Synopsis of Australian agathidine wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Agathidinae), Zootaxa 2480, pp. 1-26 : 18

Lytopylus Foerster, 1862

( Fig. 3 C, 5A)

Lytopylus Foerster, 1862 . Type species: Lytopylus azygos, Viereck, 1905 , by subsequent designation; Shenefelt, 1970b: 313 [catalogue]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [reinstated].

Aerophilopsis Viereck, 1913: 129; Type species: Bassus erythrogaster Viereck, 1913 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 312 [synonym of Agathis ]; Marsh, 1979: 191 [synonym of Agathis ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Aerophilina Enderlein, 1920: 205; Type species: Aerophilina bicristata Enderlein, 1920, by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 312 [synonym of Agathis ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Ioxia Enderlein, 1920: 119; Type species: Ioxia faceta Enderlein, 1920, by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 312 [synonym of Agathis ]; Chou & Sharkey, 1989: 151 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Hormagathis Brues 1926: 287. Type species: Hormagathis mellea Brues, 1926 , by monotypy; Shenefelt, 1970b: 309 [synonym of Aerophilus]; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1992: 6 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Obesomicrodus Papp, 1971: 338. Type species: Obesomicrodus nigra Papp, 1971 , by monotypy; Simbolotti & Achterberg, 1992: 6 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Facilagathis van Achterberg & Chen, 2004: 78. Type species: Facilagathis spinulata Achterberg & Chen, 2004 , by original designation; Sharkey et al., 2006: 557 [synonym of Bassus ]; Sharkey et al., 2009: 45 [synonym of Lytopylus ].

Diagnosis. Length: 4.5– 5 mm; colour: variable, can be mostly dark brown to black or with mesosoma entirely orange; lateral carinae on frons always absent (e.g., Fig. 3 A); notauli distinct, deeply impressed and scrobiculate (e.g., Fig. 3 B); claws always non-cleft with triangular basal lobes present; mid tibial preapical spines always present (e.g., Fig. 2 D); fore wing cell 1–RS petiolate and triangular cell 1–RS present (e.g., Fig. 4 D); fore wing vein 2–RS2 always absent (e.g., Fig. 4 D); possess strong posterior transverse carina between hind coxal cavities and metasomal foramen ( Fig. 5 A); metasomal tergites T1–T3 with prominent striate sculpturing throughout ( Fig. 3 C); ovipositor length greater than 0.5 metasoma length (e.g., Fig. 8 B), can exceed body length.

Comments. One of the four separate lineages of Bassus s.l. in the Sharkey et al. (2006) agathidine phylogeny, containing B. macadamia Briceño and Sharkey , was considered to be congeneric with the type species of the genus, B. calculator . Sharkey (2006) referred to this lineage as Bassus s.str., because he assumed that B. macadamia and B. calculator both possessed a strong transverse carina between the hind coxal cavities and the metasomal foramen ( Fig. 5 A), and striate sculpturing on metasomal tergites one to three Sharkey et al. (2006). However, later examination of the type revealed that B. calculator does not possess these characters and therefore there is no basis for postulating a congeneric relationship between these two species ( Sharkey et al. 2009; pers. obs). Because of this, Sharkey et al. (2009) reinstated the oldest available name for species congeneric with B. macadamia , which is Lytopylus Foerster.

Species richness and distribution. Lytopylus does not occur naturally in Australia, and is represented only by the introduced species L. rufipes , which is known from the southeast of the continent. This species now occurs widely outside of Europe and has been reared from more than 20 host species, many of which are tortricids ( Shenefelt 1970b; Simbollotti and Achterberg 1992; Sharkey 1996; Yu et al. 2005). However, the nature of its introduction and hosts in Australia are unknown.

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 5. Agathidinae posterior mesosoma: A, Lytopylus rufipes, prominent and straight transverse carina (arrowed) present between metasomal foramen and hind coxal cavities; B, Therophilus sp., ventral margin of metasomal foramen ventral to hind coxal cavity dorsal margin. Scale lines = 0.1 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.