Alysdacnusa, Tobias & Perepetchayenko, 1995

Tian, Xiao-Xia, Achterberg, Cornelis Van, Wu, Jia-Xuan & Tan, Jiang-Li, 2020, New Gnamptodontinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from China and Vietnam, with two genera new for China and seven new species, Zootaxa 4778 (3), pp. 471-508 : 506

Notes on Alysdacnusa and Tobiasnusa (by CvA).

Alysdacnusa Tobias & Perepetchayenko, 1995 (type species: Alysdacnusa breviventris Tobias & Perepetchayenko, 1995 ) and Tobiasnusa Papp, 2004 , (syn. n.; their type species differs mainly by having the metasoma shorter ( A. breviventris ) or longer ( A. atomus ) than the mesosoma) are superficially similar to Exodontiella Wharton. The Palaearctic Alysdacnusa has also the marginal cell of the fore wing reduced ( Fig. 122 ) as in the Nearctic Exodontiella and both have exodont mandibles, both occur in semi-arid habitats and share small body size, minute second tooth of mandible and short antenna. However, both genera are not closely related and belong to different subfamilies (Exondontiella in the Gnamptodontinae and Alysdacnusa in the Alysiinae ). They differ as follows: malar space long, without convex area ( Fig. 113 ) vs malar space short, with small convex area above base of mandible in Alysdacnusa ( Fig. 123 ); upper lobe of mandible small ( Fig. 119 ) vs upper lobe of mandible large ( Fig. 128 ); temple mediumsized ( Fig. 112 ) vs temple enlarged ( Fig. 126 ) in dorsal view; marginal cell of fore wing very narrow ( Fig. 111 ) vs comparatively large ( Fig. 122 ) and second and third metasomal tergites indistinctly sculptured ( Fig. 121 ) vs smooth ( Fig. 131 ).

In addition, Alysdacnusa atomus (Papp, 2004) comb. n. from Mongolia) has vein M+CU of the hind wing about as long as 1-M (longer in A. breviventris ), the propodeum without small tubercle (present), the ovipositor sheath as long as first and second hind tarsal segments combined (0.7 ×), the antenna with 13–14 segments (15–17 segments), vein r of the fore wing issued from middle of pterostigma (slightly before middle) and the first tergite slightly more widened apically (slightly less).

Figures

FIGURES 122–133. Alysdacnusa breviventris Tobias & Perepetchayenko, ♀, Turkmenia. 122 wings 123 head, anterior aspect 124 habitus, lateral aspect 125 apex of antenna 126 head, dorsal aspect 127 mandible, full view on ventral part 128 mandible, full view on dorsal part 129 mesosoma, dorsal aspect 130 base of antenna 131 metasoma, dorsal aspect 132 hind leg 133 outer hind claw. 122, 124, 132: 1.0 × scale-line; others: 1.5 ×.

FIGURES 111–121. Exodontiella deserticola Wharton, ♀, holotype. 111 wings 112 head, dorsal aspect 113 head, anterior aspect 114 habitus, lateral aspect 115 apex of antenna 116 hind leg 117 mesosoma, dorsal aspect 118 outer hind claw 119 mandible, full view on dorsal part 120 mandible, full view on ventral part 121 first–third metasomal tergites, dorsal aspect. 111, 114, 116, 117, 121: 1.0 × scale-line; others: 1.5 ×. After van Achterberg (1993).